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 to cut her with it , for he would not be able to hurt her . He was unwilling at first , but the maiden insisted . Then he tried , at first only in play , and then seriously , to strike her with the knife , but an invisible wall of iron seemed to be between them , and the maiden stood before him laughing and unhurt . Then she put the ring on her third finger , and in an instant she had vanished from his eyes .
Presently she was beside him again XXXXX , and holding the ring between her fingers .
desire fly glittered insisted laughing lived stood understands vanished wear