mdall,
Vidar and Vali, with Frigga, Freya, Nanna, and Sif. There was no one to
pluck the apples of their tree. And a change began to come over the Gods
and Goddesses.

They no longer walked lightly; their shoulders became bent; their eyes
no longer were as bright as dewdrops. And when they looked upon one
another they saw the change. Age was coming upon the Dwellers in Asgard.

They knew that the time would come when Frigga would be gray and old;
when Sif's golden hair would fade; when Odin would no longer have his
clear wisdom, and when Thor would not have strength enough to raise and
fling his thunderbolts. And the Dwellers in Asgard were saddened by this
knowledge, and it seemed to them that all brightness had gone from their
shining City.

Where was Iduna whose apples would give back youth and strength and
beauty to the Dwellers in Asgard? The Gods had searched for her through
the World of Men. No trace of her did they find. But now Odin, searching
through his wisdom, saw a means to get knowledge of where Iduna was
hidden.

He summoned his two ravens, Hugin and Munin, his two ravens that flew
through the earth and through the Realm of the Giants and that knew all
things that were past and all things that were to come. He summoned
Hugin and Munin and they came, and one sat on his right shoulder and one
sat on his left shoulder and they told him deep secrets: they told him
of Thiassi and of his desire for the shining apples that the Dwellers in
Asgard ate, and of Loki's deception of Iduna, the fair and simple.

What Odin learnt from his ravens was told in the Council of the Gods.
Then Thor the Strong went to Loki and laid hands upon him. When Loki
found himself in the grip of the strong God, he said, "What wouldst thou
with me, O Thor?"

"I would hurl thee into a chasm in the ground and strike thee with my
thunder," said the strong God. "It was thou who didst bring it about
that Iduna went from Asgard."

"O Thor," said Loki, "do not crush me with thy thunder. Let me stay in
Asgard. I will strive to win Iduna back."

"The judgment of the Gods," said Thor, "is that thou, the cunning one,
shouldst go to Joetunheim, and by thy craft win Iduna back from the
Giants. Go or else I shall hurl thee into a chasm and crush thee with my
thunder."

"I will go," said Loki.

From Frigga, the wife of Odin, Loki borrowed the dress of falcon
feathers that she owned. He clad himself in it, and flew to Joetunheim in
the form