twelve o'clock
The poor charwomen and coal-heavers , whose children the fairies were for the most part , stared at them in great distress . They did not know what to do with these radiant , frisky little creatures into which their Johnnys and their Pollys and Betseys were so suddenly transformed . But the fairies went to bed quietly enough when daylight came , and were soon fast asleep . There was no further trouble till twelve o'clock , when all the children woke up . Then a great wave of alarm spread over the city . Not one of the costumes would come off then . The buttons buttoned as fast as they were unbuttoned ; the pins quilted themselves in as fast as they were pulled out ; and the strings , flew round like lightning and twisted themselves into bow-knots as fast as they were untied .