The Old Woman and Her Maids

A thrifty old widow kept two maidservants, whom she used to call up to their work at the cock?s first crowing. The maids exceedingly disliked this early rising and determined between themselves to wring off the cock's neck, as he was the cause of all their trouble by waking their mistress so early. They had no sooner done this than the old lady, missing her usual alarm and afraid of oversleeping herself, continually mistook the time of day and roused them up at midnight.

Too much cunning overreaches itself.