where it was interred; the army of Turan
was, agreeably to the last request of Sohrab, permitted to cross
the Oxus unmolested. To reconcile us to the improbability of this
tale, we are informed that Rustum could have no idea his son was in
existence. The mother of Sohrab had written to him her child was a
daughter, fearing to lose her darling infant if she revealed the
truth; and Rustum, as before stated, fought under a feigned name,
an usage not uncommon in the chivalrous combats of those days."]

[Footnote 7: NOTE 7, PAGE 101.

_Balder Dead._

"Balder the Good having been tormented with terrible dreams,
indicating that his life was in great peril, communicated them to
the assembled AEsir, who resolved to conjure all things to avert
from him the threatened danger. Then Frigga exacted an oath from
fire and water, from iron, and all other metals, as well as from
stones, earths, diseases, beasts, birds, poisons, and creeping
things, that none of them would do any harm to Balder. When this
was done, it became a favourite pastime of the AEsir, at their
meetings, to get Balder to stand up and serve them as a mark, some
hurling darts at him, some stones, while others hewed at him with
their swords and battle-axes, for do what they would, none of them
could harm him, and this was regarded by all as a great honour
shown to Balder. But when Loki beheld the scene he was sorely vexed
that Balder was not hurt. Assuming, therefore, the shape of a
woman, he went to Fensalir, the mansion of Frigga. That goddess,
when she saw the pretended woman, inquired of her if she knew what
the AEsir were doing at their meetings. She replied, that they were
throwing darts and stones at Balder without being able to hurt him.

"'Ay,' said Frigga, 'neither metal nor wood can hurt Balder, for I
have exacted an oath from all of them.'

"'What!' exclaimed the woman, 'have all things sworn to spare
Balder?'

"'All things,' replied Frigga, 'except one little shrub that grows
on the eastern side of Valhalla, and is called Mistletoe, and which
I thought too young and feeble to crave an oath from.'

"As soon as Loki heard this he went away, and, resuming his natural
shape, cut off the mistletoe, and repaired to the place where the
gods were assembled. There he found Hoedur sta