noon
But as she opened the gate the Lion gave a loud roar and bounded at her so fiercely that the Witch was afraid , and ran out and shut the gate again . `` If I can not harness you , '' said the Witch to the Lion , speaking through the bars of the gate , `` I can starve you . You shall have nothing to eat until you do as I wish . '' So after that she took no food to the imprisoned Lion ; but every day she came to the gate at noon and asked , `` Are you ready to be harnessed like a horse ? '' And the Lion would answer , `` No . If you come in this yard , I will bite you . '' The reason the Lion did not have to do as the Witch wished was that every night , while the woman was asleep , Dorothy carried him food from the cupboard .