nd heroes, and at parting Balder charged his brother
to carry the magic ring, Draupnir, back to Odin, and a kerchief and
other gifts to Frigga, as tokens of his love. And Hermod rode sadly
back along the weary road to Asgard.

All-Father Odin from his high seat saw his son returning, and he
hastened forth to receive him.

"And Hermod came, and leapt from Sleipnir down,
And in his father's hand put Sleipnir's rein
And greeted Odin and the gods."

Then all the Asa folk assembled in the Council Hall, at the root of
the Tree of Life, to hear the message that Hermod had brought from the
joyless realms; and he told them of Hela's reply to his request,
saying:

"... To your prayer she sends you this reply:
_Show her through all the world the signs of grief!
Fails but one thing to grieve, there Balder stops!
Let gods, men, brutes, beweep him; plants and stones;
So shall she know your loss was dear indeed,
And bend her heart, and give you Balder back._"

When Hermod had ceased speaking, All-Father Odin arose, and leaning on
his great staff he looked slowly around and commanded: "Go ye quickly
forth through all the world and pray all living and unliving things to
weep for Balder dead."

Then the gods arose willingly and went their way through all the
world, Thor in his goat chariot, and Freya in her carriage drawn by
white cats, but most of the others on swift horses. North, South,
East, and West, they rode, entreating all things to weep for Balder's
death.

"And all that lived, and all without life, wept."

Just as at the end of winter, before the springtime, when a warm
south-west wind blows over the land and melts the ice and snow,

"A dripping sound is heard
In all the forests....
And, in fields sloping to the south, dark plots
Of grass peep out amid surrounding snow,
And widen, and the peasant's heart is glad"--

so through the whole world was now heard the sound of falling tears,
as all things living and dead wept for Balder's sake.

Hermod rode with the Storm-god, Nioerd, who knew all the creeks and
hidden bays of the coastline of the earth; and when the sea-creatures
and those that live on the borders of the ocean heard the message they
all added their tribute of tears to the common cause.

Now, as the Asas rode home together they came to a great wood upon the
borders of Giantland, where all the trees are of iron. And in the
m