'Do let me try,' said the youth, 'whether I can do these
wonderful things.'

The maiden, suspecting no treachery, gave him the magic ring.

The youth pretended to have forgotten what to do, and asked what
finger he must put the ring on so that no sharp weapon could hurt
him?'

'Oh, the middle finger of your left hand,' the maiden answered,
laughing.

She took the knife and tried to strike the youth, and he even
tried to cut himself with it, but found it impossible. Then he
asked the maiden to show him how to split stones and rocks with
the help of the ring. So she led him into a courtyard where
stood a great boulder-stone. 'Now,' she said, 'put the ring upon
the thumb of your left hand, and you will see how strong that
hand has become. The youth did so, and found to his astonishment
that with a single blow of his fist the stone flew into a
thousand pieces. Then the youth bethought him that he who does
not use his luck when he has it is a fool, and that this was a
chance which once lost might never return. So while they stood
laughing at the shattered stone he placed the ring, as if in
play, upon the third finger of his left hand.

'Now,' said the maiden, 'you are invisible to me until you take
the ring off again.'

But the youth had no mind to do that; on the contrary, he went