Terrified lest they should be called upon to part, not only with the
sun and moon, but also with Freya, the personification of the youth
and beauty of the world, the gods turned upon Loki, and threatened
to kill him unless he devised some means of hindering the architect
from finishing the work within the specified time.

Loki's cunning proved once more equal to the situation. He waited until
nightfall of the final day, when, as Svadilfare passed the fringe of a
forest, painfully dragging one of the great blocks of stone required
for the termination of the work, he rushed out from a dark glade
in the guise of a mare, and neighed so invitingly that, in a trice,
the horse kicked himself free of his harness and ran after the mare,
closely pursued by his angry master. The mare galloped swiftly on,
artfully luring horse and master deeper and deeper into the forest
shades, until the night was nearly gone, and it was no longer possible
to finish the work. The architect was none other than a redoubtable
Hrim-thurs, in disguise, and he now returned to Asgard in a towering
rage at the fraud which had been practised upon him. Assuming his
wonted proportions, he would have annihilated the gods had not Thor
suddenly returned from a journey and slain him with his magic hammer
Mioelnir, which he hurled with terrific force full in his face.

The gods had saved themselves on this occasion only by fraud and by
the violent deed of Thor, and these were destined to bring great sorrow
upon them, and eventually to secure their downfall, and to hasten the
coming of Ragnarok. Loki, however, felt no remorse for his part, and
in due time, it is said, he became the parent of an eight-footed steed
called Sleipnir, which, as we have seen, was Odin's favourite mount.

"But Sleipnir he begat
With Svadilfari."

Lay of Hyndla (Thorpe's tr.).

Loki performed so many evil deeds during his career that he richly
deserved the title of "arch deceiver" which was given him. He was
generally hated for his subtle malicious ways, and for an inveterate
habit of prevarication which won for him also the title of "prince
of lies."

Loki's last Crime

Loki's last crime, and the one which filled his measure of iniquity,
was to induce Hodur to throw the fatal mistletoe at Balder, whom he
hated merely on account of his immaculate purity. Perhaps even this
crime might have been condoned had it not been for his obduracy when,
in th