jasse happened to be flying abroad
in his eagle plumage when the hungry travellers came under the oak and
tried to cook the ox. It was into his hands that Loki had fallen, and he
was not to get away until he had promised to pay roundly for his
freedom.

If there was one thing which the gods prized above their other treasures
in Asgard, it was the beautiful fruit of Idun, kept by the goddess in a
golden casket and given to the gods to keep them forever young and fair.
Without these Apples all their power could not have kept them from
getting old like the meanest of mortals. Without these Apples of Idun,
Asgard itself would have lost its charm; for what would heaven be
without youth and beauty forever shining through it?

Thjasse told Loki that he could not go unless he would promise to bring
him the Apples of Idun. Loki was wicked enough for anything; but when it
came to robbing the gods of their immortality, even he hesitated. And
while he hesitated the eagle dashed hither and thither, flinging him
against the sides of the mountains and dragging him through the great
tough boughs of the oaks until his courage gave out entirely, and he
promised to steal the Apples out of Asgard and give them to the giant.

Loki was bruised and sore enough when he got on his feet again to hate
the giant who handled him so roughly, with all his heart, but he was not
unwilling to keep his promise to steal the Apples, if only for the sake
of tormenting the other gods. But how was it to be done? Idun guarded
the golden fruit of immortality with sleepless watchfulness. No one ever
touched it but herself, and a beautiful sight it was to see her fair
hands spread it forth for the morning feasts in Asgard. The power which
Loki possessed lay not so much in his own strength, although he had a
smooth way of deceiving people, as in the goodness of others who had no
thought of his doing wrong because they never did wrong themselves.

Not long after all this happened, Loki came carelessly up to Idun as she
was gathering her Apples to put them away in the beautiful carven box
which held them.

"Good-morning, goddess," said he. "How fair and golden your Apples are!"

"Yes," answered Idun; "the bloom of youth keeps them always beautiful."

"I never saw anything like them," continued Loki slowly, as if he were
talking about a matter of no importance, "until the other day."

Idun looked up at once with the greatest interest and curiosity in her
face