151 Gy ges' ring in Plato and Nizhni. [N 
No other royal treasure found he there, 
The statue let him depart, and he hastened from the place, 
lie led his flock and he gladly went his way 
Waiting patient till morning came. 
When from the banner of the azure sky 
The sun lifted his blazing hall, 
The shepherd went to his master, 
The flock left scattered on mountain and plain, 
That he might place that ring before him 
And learn its value, great or small. 
When the master beheld the shepherd come 
He opened his speech with words of kind greeting. 
He asked of him the state of sheep and lambs, 
And the other listened and gave him a true reply. 
But lo ! in the midst of this question and answer 
The shepherd from time to time vanished from sight, 
And from time to time he re-appeared, 
And at last the master of the flock exclaimed, 
“ Why dost thou continually become invisible, 
And again as suddenly come forth to light ? 
Tell me what spell hast thou learned 
That thou hast woven such a subtil veil to hide thee P” 
The shepherd stood astonished at the charge, 
And he sought help in his trouble from his motherwit, 
And lo the truth was this, — the ring-worshipping swain 
Had played with the ring on his hand, as he talked, 
Sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, 
Now he placed it up and now down ; 
And when the seal was above on his finger 
The shepherd was visible to the by-stander, 
But when it was turned to the palm of his hand 
The shepherd was at once hidden from his sight. 
The shepherd when he learned this secret 
Turned his face towards the mountain and desert, 
And when he came to play his magic tricks, 
Playing with his ring as the rolling heavens, 
Wheresoever he wished to remain concealed, 
There he kept the signet close in his palm, 
