noon
And the answer I got was from the Golden Bird , who sent a long , triumphant , eager `` salutation to the dawn '' from out the shadows of the barn . Eagerly I flew to him , and the minute I entered the apartment of the Bird family I discovered that I had been only half dreaming about my early morning opera . Pan had come and gone . Upon the door was pinned a piece of torn brown wrapping-paper upon which I found these penciled words : Give them about two quarts of warm meal mash , into which you put some ground turnips at noon . Better build about four nests in the dark under the bin , and be sure to disinfect them by white-washing inside and out . Put in clean hay . Dust all the beauties on their heads and under their wings with wood ashes in which you put a little of the powder you 'll find in a piece of this paper in the right-hand corner of the bin .