midnight
`` Thought I heard a noise , '' he told himself by way of excuse for his action . `` Wonder if Old Queen 's loose ? '' He felt his way along the manger carefully . Unaccustomed to midnight visitors , Queen snorted and shrank from his hand when he touched her . `` Whoa , there ! You need n't be so blamed ` fraid -- nothin 's goin ' t ' hurt you . You ai n't a woman . ''