about
midnight
Thus , deserted by the lovely La Schach , for whom he had risked his throne ; deserted by the whole court and even by his own son ; the monarch welcomed the darkness of the night , the second of his misery , which hid his disgrace from the world . The owl came , faithful by night as the missel-thrush by day , but Kapchack , in the deepest despondency , could not reply to his remarks . Twice the owl came back , hoping to find his master somewhat more open to consolation , and twice had to depart unsuccessful . At last , about midnight , the king , worn out with grief , fell asleep . Now the same evening the hare , who was upon the hills as usual , as she came by a barn overheard some bats who lived there conversing about the news which they had learnt from their relations who resided in the woods of the vale . This was nothing less than the revelations the dying hawk had made of the treacherous designs of Ki Ki and the weasel , which , as the owl had suspected , had been partly overheard by the bats . The hare , in other circumstances , would have rejoiced at the overthrow of King Kapchack , who was no favourite with her race , for he had , once or twice , out of wanton cruelty , pecked weakly leverets to death , just to try the temper of his bill .