face, and ran away. Jussuf remained irresolute, and
looked after her; then she stopped her pace, and called back to him,

"Art thou transformed into a statue? canst thou not run? run, and
catch me, if you can."

Her mischievous manner gave her an irresistible grace, which urged him
to begin the race, even although he did not wish to join in it. She
flew on, allowing him sometimes to approach her, and then turned
suddenly aside out of the way, and ran over the turf to avoid him: she
did not even spare the flower-beds; and when she wanted to escape from
him, she passed over them without caring for the finest plants. The
more she provoked him in different ways, the more he exerted all his
strength to catch her. At last she appeared exhausted, and threw
herself, breathing heavily, on a bank of turf. "Here is an asylum,"
exclaimed she.

Tired and breathless with the unusual exertion of running, he followed
her example, and sat down near her on the bank. While they were
resting, she plucked some flowers and branches of a flourishing shrub,
which had spread itself from the bank into a green roof over their
heads, and skilfully wove a garland.

"Come," said she to Jussuf, when the wreath was ready, "come, let us
throw up the garland."

She arose at these words and led him to the nearest open space; she
leaped around, dancing in a circle and holding the garland on high in
her right hand, and then threw it up high into the air. The garland of
flowers rose while she sang these words:

"Rise, thou garland fresh and fair,
Blend thy hues in liquid air:
Downward sinking, may'st thou be
A fairy coronal for me."

High above the shoots of the surrounding trees it seemed to remain
hovering in the sunshine which lighted the colours of the flowers,
inducing a very peculiar splendour. Then it sank down gradually in
soft vibrations, and settled on her head, as if she had placed it
there herself as a crown. She took it from her locks and handed it to
Jussuf.

"Now it is thy turn," said she; "throw it up, and see whether it will
fall on thy head."

Jussuf took it and threw it as high as he could; but it did not from
his hand attain the sunny height, and the garland fell quickly, and at
a great distance, to the ground before him. By the time he had
altogether recollected himself, she was at the spot, and had already
raised the garland, and was laughing heartily at his awkwardness. She
threw it up, dancing in the for