h they wandered for a long, long time, without
coming across any kind of human habitation.

At length, grown weary and very hungry, they began to look about for
food, and presently saw, to their great joy, a herd of oxen feeding
upon the mountain side. It took no long time to kill a fine bull and
to kindle an immense fire; after which the Asas hung up the animal to
roast and sat down to wait till it was done.

But though the fire flamed bravely over the logs, it made no
difference whatever to the meat, which remained raw and cold.

Heaping on fresh fuel, the three Asas put the carcass still nearer the
flame and waited hungrily. All in vain, the meat remained uneatable.

Looking at each other in dismay, the Asas exclaimed:

"There is some magic spell at work here."

And at that very moment they heard the loud croak of a bird in the
tree above them.

Hastily searching the branches, the Asas soon found an immense eagle
perched there and looking down upon them with an evil expression.

"Ho!" cried Odin, "is it you who has bewitched our food?"

The eagle nodded and croaked maliciously again.

"Then come at once and remove the spell," cried the famished Hoenir.

"If I do so, will you give me as much as I want to eat?" asked the
eagle.

At this Odin hesitated, for he feared a trick, but Loki's mouth was
watering, and he called out:

"Yes, yes, anything you like if you will only let the meat be cooked."

Then the great bird swooped down and began to fan the flame with his
huge wings, and behold! in a very few minutes the gravy began to run,
a delicious smell of roast beef filled the air, and there was the meat
done to a turn.

Just as the three Asas were putting out hungry hands to seize their
portions, however, the eagle, which had been hovering overhead,
swooped down and seized more than three-quarters of the animal,
leaving barely enough for one of the famished gods.

This was too much for Loki. With a roar of rage like that of an angry
lion, he seized a great stake that stood near and struck with all his
might at the greedy bird.

The eagle shook himself after the blow, but instead of dropping his
booty he rose slowly into the air. And then, to Loki's dismay, he
found that one end of the pole had stuck fast to the body of the bird,
the other to his own hands.

Try as he would he could not let go, and so found himself being
dragged along over stones and bushes and briers, while his arms were
almost tor