When you marry me , I will give you this ring as a marriage gift , and it will make you the happiest of mortal men . But in order that our love may last for ever , you must give me for the ring three drops of blood from the little finger of your left hand . ' When the youth heard these words a cold shudder ran over him , for he remembered that his soul was at stake . He was cunning enough , however , to conceal his feelings and to make no direct answer , but he only asked the maiden , as if carelessly , what was remarkable about the ring ? She answered , ` No mortal is able entirely to understand the power of this ring , because no one thoroughly understands the secret signs engraved upon it . But even with my half-knowledge I can work great wonders . If I put the ring upon the little finger of my left hand , then I can fly like a bird through the air wherever I wish to go . If I put it on the third finger of my left hand I am invisible , and I can see everything that passes around me , though no one can see me . If I put the ring upon the middle finger of my left hand , then neither fire nor water nor any sharp weapon can hurt me . If I put it on the forefinger of my left hand , then I can with its help produce whatever I wish . I can in a single moment build houses or anything I desire . Finally , as long as I wear the ring on the thumb of my left hand , that hand is so strong that it can break down rocks and walls . Besides these , the ring has other secret signs which , as I said , no one can understand . No doubt it contains secrets of great importance . The ring formerly belonged to King Solomon , the wisest of kings , during whose reign the wisest men lived . But it is not known whether this ring was ever made by mortal hands : it is supposed that an angel gave it to the wise King . ' When the youth heard all this he determined to try and get possession of the ring , though he did not quite believe in all its wonderful gifts . He wished the maiden would let him have it in his hand , but he did not quite like to ask her to do so , and after a while she put it back into the box . A few days after they were again speaking of the magic ring , and the youth said , ' I do not think it possible that the ring can have all the power you say it has . ' Then the maiden opened the box and took the ring out , and it glittered as she held it like the clearest sunbeam .
She put it on the middle finger of her left hand , and told the youth to take a knife and try as hard as he could XXXXX cut her with it , for he would not be able to hurt her .
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