69. "Once," he said, "when Odin, Loki, and Hoenir went on a journey,
they came to a valley where a herd of oxen were grazing, and being
sadly in want of provisions did not scruple to kill one for their
supper. Vain, however, were their efforts to boil the flesh; they
found it, every time they took off the lid of the kettle, as raw as
when first put in. While they were endeavouring to account for this
singular circumstance a noise was heard above them, and on looking up
they beheld an enormous eagle perched on the branch of an oak tree.
'If ye are willing to let me have my share of the flesh,' said the
eagle, 'it shall soon be boiled;' and on their assenting to this
proposal, it flew down and snatched up a leg and two shoulders of the
ox--a proceeding which so incensed Loki, that he laid hold of a large
stock, and made it fall pretty heavily on the eagle's back. It was,
however, not an eagle that Loki struck, but the renowned giant
Thjassi, clad in his eagle plumage. Loki soon found this out to his
cost, for while one end of the stock stuck fast to the eagle's back,
he was unable to let go his hold of the other end, and was
consequently trailed by the eagle-clad giant over rocks and forests,
until he was almost torn to pieces. Loki in this predicament began to
sue for peace, but Thjassi told him that he should never be released
from his hold until he bound himself by a solemn oath to bring Iduna
and her apples out of Asgard. Loki very willingly gave his oath to
effect this object, and went back in a piteous plight to his
companions.
70. "On his return to Asgard, Loki told Iduna that, in a forest at a
short distance from the celestial residence, he had found apples
growing which he thought were of a much better quality than her own,
and that at all events it was worth while making a comparison between
them. Iduna, deceived by his words, took her apples, and went with him
into the forest, but they had no sooner entered it than Thjassi, clad
in his eagle-plumage, flew rapidly towards them, and catching up
Iduna, carried her treasure off with him to Jotunheim. The gods being
thus deprived of their renovating apples, soon became wrinkled and
grey; old age was creeping fast upon them, when they discovered that
Loki had been, as usual, the contriver of all the mischief that had
befallen them. They therefore threatened him with condign punishment
if he did not instantly hit upon some expedient for bringing back
Iduna and her apples to Asgard. Loki having borrowed from Freyja her
falcon-plumage, flew to Jotunheim, and finding that Thjassi was out at
sea fishing, lost no time in changing Iduna into a sparrow and flying
off with her; but when Thjassi returned and became aware of what had
happened, he donned his eagle-plumage, and flew after them. When the
Æsir saw Loki approaching, holding Iduna transformed into a sparrow
between his claws, and Thjassi with his outspread eagle wings ready to
overtake him, they placed on the walls of Asgard bundles of chips,
which they set fire to the instant that Loki had flown over them; and
as Thjassi could not stop his flight, the fire caught his plumage, and
he thus fell into the power of the Æsir, who slew him within the
portals of the celestial residence. When these tidings came to
Thjassi's daughter, Skadi, she put on her armour and went to Asgard,
fully determined to avenge her father's death; but the Æsir having
declared their willingness to atone for the deed, an amicable
arrangement was entered into. Skadi was to choose a husband in Asgard,
and the Æsir were to make her laugh, a feat which she flattered
herself it would be impossible for any one to accomplish. Her choice
of a husband was to be determined by a mere inspection of the feet of
the gods, it being stipulated that the feet should be the only part of
their persons visible until she had made known her determination. In
inspecting the row of feet placed before her, Skadi took a fancy to a
pair which she flattered herself, from their fine proportions, must be
those of Baldur. They were however Njord's, and Njord was accordingly
given her for a husband, and as Loki managed to make her laugh, by
playing some diverting antics with a goat, the atonement was fully
effected. It is even said that Odin did more than had been stipulated,
by taking out Thjassi's eyes, and placing them to shine as stars in
the firmament.[137]