power of
your ring are quite incredible."

Then the maiden opened the casket and took out the ring, which shone
through her fingers like the brightest sun-ray. Then she placed it in
jest on the middle finger of her left hand, and told the youth to take a
knife and stab her with it wherever he liked, for it would not hurt her.
The youth protested against the proposed experiment; but, as she
insisted, he was obliged to humour her. At first he began in play, and
then in earnest to try to strike the maiden with the knife; but it
seemed as if there was an invisible wall of iron between them. The blade
would not pierce it, and the maiden stood before him unhurt and smiling.
Then she moved the ring to her ring-finger, and in an instant she
vanished from the eyes of the youth, and he could not imagine what had
become of her. Presently she stood before him smiling, in the same place
as before, holding the ring between her fingers.

"Let me try," said he, "whether I can also do these strange things with
the ring."

The maiden suspected no deceit, and gave it to him.

The youth pretended he did not quite know what to do with it and asked,
"On which finger must I place the ring to become invulnerable to sharp
weapons?" "On the ring-finger of the left hand," said the maiden,
smiling. She then took the knife herself and tried to strike him, but
could not do him any harm. Then the youth took the knife from her and
tried to wound himself, but he found that this too was impossible. Then
he asked the maiden how he could cleave stones and rocks with the ring.
She took him to the enclosure where stood a block of granite a fathom
high. "Now place the ring," said the maiden, "on the thumb of your left
hand, and then strike the stone with your fist, and you will see the
strength of your hand." The youth did so, and to his amazement he saw
the stone shiver into a thousand pieces under the blow. Then he thought,
"He who does not seize good fortune by the horns is a fool, for when it
has once flown, it never returns." While he was still jesting about the
destruction of the stone, he played with the ring, and slipped it
suddenly on the ring-finger of his left hand. Then cried the maiden,
"You will remain invisible to me until you take off the ring again." But
this was far from the young man's thoughts. He hurried forwards a few
paces, and then moved the ring to the little finger of his left hand,
and soared into the air like a bird. When the