nine o'clock
`` It 's perfectly heavenly , '' Mollie answered , with a sigh . `` Why ca n't all the world be as nice as this , and why do people _ ever _ live in streets ? '' They tidied up the remains of their breakfast , and were soon back at work in the cherry trees . By nine o'clock they had filled four baskets and had stoned more than half , and laid them in a shallow pan with sugar over them `` to draw '' , as Grizzel explained . They cracked the kernels and took out the tiny white nuts , and last of all Grizzel added a good handful of gooseberries . `` That 's my idea , '' she said , `` it will help the cherries to jell . I think I will pop in some red currants too . ''