six o'clock in the
morning
The old master was all on fire at the idea . He went over and watched Pelle closely , his tongue hanging out of his mouth ; he felt quite young again , and began to descant upon his own apprenticeship in Copenhagen , sixty years ago . Those were times ! The apprentices did n't lie in bed and snore in those days till six o'clock in the morning , and throw down their work on the very stroke of eight , simply to go out and run about . No ; up they got at four , and stuck at it as long as there was work to do . Then fellows _ could _ work -- and then they still learned something ; they were told things just once , and then -- the knee-strap ! Then , too , the manual crafts still enjoyed some reputation ; even the kings had to learn a handicraft .