midnight
But now it is too late and I must have patience ! '' Relieved by this little outburst , which came straight from his heart , he went into the dog-kennel and fell asleep . -LSB- Illustration -RSB- He had been sleeping heavily for about two hours when , towards midnight , he was aroused by a whispering of strange voices that seemed to come from the courtyard . Putting the point of his nose out of the kennel , he saw four little beasts with dark fur , that looked like cats , standing consulting together . But they were not cats ; they were polecats -- carnivorous little animals , especially greedy for eggs and young chickens . One of the polecats , leaving his companions , came to the opening of the kennel and said in a low voice : `` Good evening , Melampo . ''