of Ragnaroek, the Twilight of the Gods.

"More, Vidar, I will tell to thee. I, living amongst men, have wed the
daughter of a hero. My son shall live as a mortal amongst mortals. Sigi
his name shall be. From him shall spring heroes who will fill Valhalla,
my own hall in Asgard, with heroes against the day of our strife with
the Giants and with Surtur of the Flaming Sword."

For long Odin stayed in that silent place communing with his silent son,
with Vidar, who with his brother would live beyond the lives of the
Dwellers of Asgard and who would bring into another day and another
world the memory of the AEsir and the Vanir. For long Odin spoke with
him, and then he went across the wilderness where the grass and the
bushes grew and where that horse grazed in readiness for the sudden
journey. He went toward the seashore where the AEsir and the Vanir were
now gathered for the feast that old AEgir, the Giant King of the Sea, had
offered them.

[Illustration:]

THOR AND LOKI IN THE GIANTS' CITY

All but a few of the Dwellers of Asgard had come to the feast offered by
AEgir the Old, the Giant King of the Sea. Frigga, the queenly wife of
Odin, was there, and Frey and Freya; Iduna, who guarded the Apples of
Youth, and Bragi, her husband; Tyr, the great swordsman, and Nioerd, the
God of the Sea, Skadi, who wedded Nioerd and whose hatred for Loki was
fierce, and Sif, whose golden hair was once shorn off by Loki the
mischievous. Thor and Loki were there. The Dwellers of Asgard, gathered
together in the hall of AEgir, waited for Odin.

Before Odin came Loki made the company merry by the tales that he told
in mockery of Thor. Loki long since had his lips unloosed from the thong
that the Dwarf Brock had sewn them with. And Thor had forgotten the
wrong that he had done to Sif. Loki had been with Thor in his
wanderings through Joetunheim, and about these wanderings he now told
mocking tales.

He told how he had seen Thor in his chariot of brass drawn by two goats
go across Bifroest, the Rainbow Bridge. None of the AEsir or the Vanir
knew on what adventure Thor was bent. But Loki followed him and Thor
kept him in his company.

As they traveled on in the brass chariot drawn by the two goats, Thor
told Loki of the adventure on which he was bent. He would go into
Joetunheim, even into Utgard, the Giants' City, and he would try his
strength against the Giants. He was not afraid of aught that might
happen, for he carried Mi