asked him, "Which of the elves, or the gods, or the sons of Vanir,1 art thou? And why comest thou alone through raging flames to see our hall?"

Then Skirnir made known his errand, and told her how he had come on behalf of his master, Frey, who had seen her from Odin's throne, and loved her. And he said that if she would come with him he would give her eleven golden apples, and the ring Draupnir, which Odin had laid on Balder's pile. But she refused them, for she said she had gold enough in her father's house. Then he said that if she refused, much evil should come to her, and that she should go where the sons of men should never see her more, and should pass her life on the Eagle's Mount, with her face set towards Hell. "Lo," said he, "I will announce to thee a terrible fate and double misery. Terrors shall beset thee all the day in the giant's dwellings; each day shalt thou wander about without joy; weeping shall be thy lot instead of pastime; and thou shalt be as the thistle that withers on the housetop!" And he swung over her his magic wand, crying out,

1 The Vanir were the powers of the earth and water. C.O.

E

"Wroth with thee is Odin! Wroth with thee is the Æsir's prince! Frey shall shun thee, thou evil maiden, when thou are stricken by the vengeance of the gods!"

And when Gerd heard this her heart was

She held out to him the cup of greeting.

softened, not from fear of Skirnir's threats, but for wonder at his courage and bearing. And she held out to him the cup of greeting, and said

"Be thou greeted, youth, and in token of welcome take the icy cup filled with old mead ; although I never thought to greet as a friend a

son of the race of Vanir." And she promised to meet Frey in nine days' time in the thick wood of Barri.

So Skirnir rode back home and told Frey how he had succeeded in his wooing, and had won Gerd for his master. And Frey was very glad, but it seemed to him very long before the time of the tryst. And he said, "One night is long, long are two; how shall I endure nine? Oftentimes a month seems to me shorter than the half of such nights of delay."

ODIN had a son named Bragi, who was very wise and a clever poet and singer. His wife was called Idun, and she kept hidden in her basket the wonderful apples which the gods bite of when they grow old, and then they all become young again.

One day three of the gods, Odin, Loki, and Hönir, went o over mountain and desert, where it was not easy to find food. But when they had come down into a valley they saw a herd of oxen. They took one of them and began to cook it. When they thought it was time for it to be cooked they took it off the fire; but it was far from ready. Some time after, they again took it off the fire, but still it was not cooked, and then they began to wonder what

could be the reason. Then they heard a voice in the oak tree above them, saying that he who sat in the tree was the cause of the ox not being cooked.

When they looked more closely they caught sight of a great eagle. The eagle said: "If you will give me my share of the ox it shall soon be cooked." They promised this, and the eagle glided down and soon had the cooking done, but took the best parts for himself. Then Loki was so angry that he seized a large pole and struck at the eagle with all his might. At the blow the eagle flew up with the pole sticking fast in its body, and Loki gripping the other end. The eagle flew so high that Loki's feet banged against rocks and trees, and he thought that his arms would be torn out of their sockets. He screamed and earnestly begged the eagle for mercy. But the eagle said that Loki should never slip loose unless he would swear to bring Idun and her apples out of Asgard. When Loki had sworn an oath to do so, the eagle took him back to his companions, and they all went home.

At the appointed time Loki enticed Idun out of Asgard to a wood. He said he had found some