eager to obtain
possession of the fruit.

"Bright Iduna, Maid immortal!
Standing at Valhalla's portal,
In her casket has rich store
Of rare apples gilded o'er;
Those rare apples, not of Earth,
Ageing AEsir give fresh birth."

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

The Story of Thiassi

One day, Odin, Hoenir, and Loki started out upon one of their usual
excursions to earth, and, after wandering for a long while, they
found themselves in a deserted region, where they could discover no
hospitable dwelling. Weary and very hungry, the gods, perceiving a
herd of oxen, slew one of the beasts, and, kindling a fire, they sat
down beside it to rest while waiting for their meat to cook.

To their surprise, however, in spite of the roaring flames the carcass
remained quite raw. Realising that some magic must be at work, they
looked about them to discover what could hinder their cookery, when
they perceived an eagle perched upon a tree above them. Seeing that he
was an object of suspicion to the wayfarers, the bird addressed them
and admitted that he it was who had prevented the fire from doing its
accustomed work, but he offered to remove the spell if they would give
him as much food as he could eat. The gods agreed to do this, whereupon
the eagle, swooping downward, fanned the flames with his huge wings,
and soon the meat was cooked. The eagle then made ready to carry off
three quarters of the ox as his share, but this was too much for Loki,
who seized a great stake lying near at hand, and began to belabour
the voracious bird, forgetting that it was skilled in magic arts. To
his great dismay one end of the stake stuck fast to the eagle's back,
the other to his hands, and he found himself dragged over stones and
through briers, sometimes through the air, his arms almost torn out
of their sockets. In vain he cried for mercy and implored the eagle
to let him go; the bird flew on, until he promised any ransom his
captor might ask in exchange for his release.

The seeming eagle, who was the storm giant Thiassi, at last agreed
to release Loki upon one condition. He made him promise upon the
most solemn of oaths that he would lure Idun out of Asgard, so that
Thiassi might obtain possession of her and of her magic fruit.

Released at last, Loki returned to Odin and Hoenir, to whom, however,
he was very careful not to confide the condition upon which he had
obtained his freedom; and when they had retu