La Sylphide is about a young Scotsman, James, who is about to marry Effy and falls asleep in his chair. While dreaming a Sylph dances around him. When he wakes from his nap, James asks his friend Gürn if he saw her, but he had not.
Then a witch appears Madge, and tells Effy she will marry Gurn. James throws out the witch, and the wedding procession begins. The Sylph suddenly appears and snatches the ring and runs into the forest with James in pursuit, leaving Effy.
While James seeks Sylph, Effy, and Gurn marry.