twelve o'clock
As the apples ripened they were counted , but one morning one was missing . Then the king was angry , and he ordered that a watch should be kept about the tree every night . Now the king had three sons , and he sent the eldest to spend the whole night in the garden ; so he watched till midnight , and then he could keep off sleep no longer , and in the morning another apple was missing . The second son had to watch the following night ; but it fared no better , for when twelve o'clock had struck he went to sleep , and in the morning another apple was missing . Now came the turn of the third son to watch , and he was ready to do so ; but the king had less trust in him , and believed he would acquit himself still worse than his brothers , but in the end he consented to let him try . So the young man lay down under the tree to watch , and resolved that sleep should not be master . When it struck twelve something came rushing through the air , and he saw in the moonlight a bird flying towards him , whose feathers glittered like gold .