about
three o'clock in the morning
The cock , who was very tame , as he had been always a pet , made no fuss , but went to sleep on his new roost . So did Ned in his comfortable bed . Now it so happened that this large closet was between Ned 's bedroom and that of his father who , as we have before mentioned , had been seriously ill , and who particularly demanded quiet . All the first part of the night the sick man had been tossing all out , very uneasy , till about three o'clock in the morning , when he fell into a sweet sleep . His wife , weary with anxiety and watching , was trying to get a nap in the easy chair , when , suddenly , close by them , as if in the very room , came an indescribable screech , an unearthly , long , shrill cock-a-doodle-do yell , such as only a fancy feathered biped can perform . The poor invalid screamed with horror , and his wife would have screamed too , had she not thought first of her dear patient . In a moment , all the household had left their beds to learn the cause of the horrid noise .