the more he thought, the more he wished he could make one so as to see
how a fish could keep from getting caught in it. He sat down by the fire
in his little hut, took a piece of cord and began to make a fish-net. He
had nearly finished it when, looking up through the open door, he saw
three of the Æsir in the distance, coming toward his hut. Loki well knew
that they were coming to catch him, and, quickly throwing his net into
the fire, he ran to the stream, changed himself into a beautiful spotted
salmon, and leaped into the water.
A moment later the three gods entered the hut, and one of them spied the
fish-net burning in the fire. "See!" cried he, "Loki must have been
making this net to catch fish; he always was a good fisherman, and now
this is just what we want for catching him!"
[Illustration: THE PUNISHMENT OF LOKI.]
So they snatched the last bit of the net from the fire, and by
looking at it found out how to make another, which they took with them
to the bank of the stream.
The first time the net was put into the water, Loki hid between two
rocks, and the net was so light that it floated past him; but the next
time it had a heavy stone weight, which made it sink down, till Loki saw
he could not get away unless he could leap over the net. He did this,
but Thor, seeing him, waded out into the stream, where he threw the net
again, so that Loki must jump a second time, or else go on out into the
deep sea.
As he leaped, Thor stooped and caught him in his hand, but the fish was
so slippery that Thor could hardly hold it. In the struggle the salmon's
tail was pinched so tightly by the thunder-god's strong fingers that it
was drawn out to a point, and the old stories say that is why salmon
tails are so pointed ever since.
Thus was Loki caught in his own trap, and dreadful was his punishment.
The Æsir chained him to a high rock, and placed a great, poisonous
serpent, hanging over the cliff above his head.
If it had not been for Loki's good, faithful wife, he would have died
of the poison that dropped from the snake's mouth. She watched by her
husband, holding a cup above him to catch the poison. Only when she had
to turn aside to empty the cup did the drops fall upon Loki; then they
gave him such terrible pain that he shook the earth with his struggles,
and the people in Midgard fled from the dreadful earthquake, in Iceland
the great geysers, springs of hot water, burst through the earth, and in
the south-lands burning ashes and lava poured down the mountain-sides.
There, chained to the cliff, the cruel, mischievous Loki was to lie
until the Twilight of the gods, the dark day of Ragnarök, when all the
mighty evil monsters and beasts would get free, and the terrible battle
be fought between them and the gods of Asgard.
[Illustration]
THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS.
Loki and Fenrir, the wolf, were safely bound, each to his separate
cliff, but still happiness and peace did not return to Asgard, for
Baldur was no longer there, and light and joy had gone from the home of
the gods. The Æsir felt that the Twilight of the gods, which Odin knew
was to come, must be near.
Soon began a long cold winter; surely it must be the beginning of the
Fimbulwinter, which was to come before the last great battle. From the
north came cold blasts of freezing wind; snow and ice covered the earth;
men could not see the face of the sun or the moon. Everywhere there was
darkness; the people grew fierce and unhappy and wicked, for they seemed
no longer to love each other. So the evil deeds of men kept on, and the
fierce frost giants grew stronger and stronger. They killed the trees
and flowers, and bound the lakes and rivers with icy bands.
Even when summer time came, the cold still held on, and no one could see
the green grass or the beautiful golden sunlight. The frost giants were
pleased to see the trouble they had brought upon men, and hoped they
soon could destroy Asgard and the gods.
Three long winters passed, with no light to warm and brighten the world;
after that still three other dreary winters, and then the eagle who sat
on the top of the great world tree, Yggdrasil, gave a loud, shrill cry;
at that the earth shook, the rocks crumbled and fell, so that Loki and
the wolf were freed from their chains.
The waters of the deep ocean rose and rolled high over the land, and up
above the waves writhing out of the deep, came the monster Midgard
serpent to join in the last battle. Now the enemies of the gods were
gathering from all sides,--the frost giants, the mountain giants, with
Loki, Fenrir, and the Midgard serpent.
Heimdall, the faithful watchman, looked from his watch-tower by the
rainbow bridge, and when he saw the host of monsters appearing and
raging toward Asgard, he blew his magic horn, Giallar, which was the
signal of warning to the gods.
[Illustration: THOR FIGHTING THE SERPENT.]
When Father Odin heard the blast of Heimdall's horn, he hastened to arm
himself for the battle; once again it is said the Allfather sought
wisdom at Mimir's fountain, asking to know how best to lead the Æsir
against their enemies. But what Mimir said to him no one ever knew, for
a second call sounded from the Giallar horn, and the gods, with Odin at
their head, rode forth from Asgard to meet their foes.
Thor took his place beside Odin, but they were soon parted in the
struggle. The thunder-god fell upon his old enemy, the serpent, whom
twice before he had tried to slay, and after a fierce fight, he at last
conquered and slew the monster; but the poisonous breath from the
serpent's mouth overcame the mighty Thor, and he also fell.
Heimdall and Loki came face to face, and each slew the other. Thus every
one of the gods battled each with his foe, till at last the darkness
grew deeper, and all, both gods and giants lay dead. Then fire burst
forth, raging from Utgard to Asgard--and all the worlds were destroyed
in that dreadful day of Ragnarök.
But this was not the end of all: after many months, and years, and even
centuries had passed, a new world began to appear, with the fair ocean,
and the beautiful land, with a bright, shining sun by day, and the moon
and stars by night. Then once more the light and heat from the sun made
the grass and trees grow, and the flowers bloom.
Baldur and Hodur came to this beautiful new world, and walked and talked
together. Thor's sons were there, too, and with them, the hammer,
Miölnir, no longer for use against giants, but for helping men build
homes.
Two people, a man and a woman, who were kept safe through the raging
fire, now came to dwell on the earth, and all their children and
grandchildren lived at peace with each other in this beautiful new
world.
Baldur and Hodur talked often of the old days when the Æsir dwelt in
Asgard, before Loki, the wicked one, brought darkness and trouble to
them. With loving words they spoke of Odin and Frigga; and the brave
Tyr, who gave his right hand to save the Æsir; of mighty Thor; and
faithful Heimdall; of lovely Freyja, with her beautiful necklace; and of
fair Iduna's garden, where they used to sit and eat her magic apples.
"But still," they said, "we know now that this new world is fairer than
the old, and here, also, the loving Allfather watches over his
children."
INDEX OF NAMES.
=Ægir= ([=a]'jir). God of the deep sea.
=Æsir= ([=a]'sir). The twelve gods of Asgard.
=Alfheim= ([)a]lf'h[=i]m). Home of the elves and of Frey.
=Asgard= (as'gärd). The home of the Æsir.
=Baldur= (b[a:]l'der). The sun-god.
=Bifröst= (b[=e]'fr[~e]st). The rainbow bridge.
=Bragi= (brä'g[=e]). The god of poetry. Husband of Iduna.
=Brisingamen= (br[)i] sing'ä men). Freyja's necklace.
=Brock=. One of the dwarfs.
=Fenrir=. The monster wolf.
=Fimbulwinter= (fim'bul). The last stormy winter.
=Frey= (fr[=i]). The god of summer and of the elves.
=Freyja= (fr[=i]'y[)a]). The goddess of love and beauty.
=Frigga= (fr[)i]g'ä). The queen of the gods. Wife of Odin.
=Giallar-horn= (Gyäl'lar). Heimdall's trumpet.
=Gladsheim= (gl[)a]dz'h[=i]m). Odin's palace.
=Heimdall= (h[=i]m'däl). Guardian of the rainbow bridge.
=Hela= (h[=e]'lä). Queen of the underworld.
=Hermod= (h[~e]r'mod). The messenger-god.
=Hodur= (ho'der). God of darkness. Baldur's brother.
=Hönir= (h[~e]'nir). God of mind or thought.
=Hymir= (h[=e]'mir). The frost giant who owned the great kettle called
Mile-deep.
=Iduna= ([=e] doon'ä). Goddess of spring.
=Jötunheim= (y[~e]'toon h[=i]m). Home of the giants.
=Loki= (l[=o]'k[=e]). God of fire.
=Midgard=. The earth.
=Mimir= (m[=e]'mir). Guardian of the well of wisdom.
=Miölnir= (my[~e]l'nir). Thor's magic hammer.
=Niflheim= (n[)i]fl'h[=i]m). The underground world.
=Niörd= (ny[~e]rd). God of the seashore.
=Norns=. The three Fates.
=Odin= ([=o]'din). The father, or chief, of the gods.
=Odur= ([=o]'dûr). Freyja's husband.
=Ragnarök= (råg'nå rûk). The Twilight of the gods.
=Sif=. Wife of Thor.
=Sindri=. One of the dwarfs.
=Skadi= (skä'd[=e]). Thiassi's daughter.
=Sleipnir= (sl[=i]p'nir). Odin's eight-footed steed.
=Thiassi= (t[=e] äs's[=e]). A frost giant. Skadi's father.
=Thor= (thor or tor). God of thunder.
=Tyr= (t[=e]r) or Tiu (t[=u]). God of war.
=Utgard= ([)oo]t'gärd). City of the giants, in Jötunheim.
=Yggdrasil= (ig'drå sil). The world tree.
KEY TO PRONUNCIATION.
[=a] as in ale. [a:] as in all. [~e] as in fern.
[)a] as in am. å as in ask. [=i] as in ice.
ä as in arm. [=e] as in eve. [)i] as in ill.
[=o] as in old. û as in urn.
[)oo] as in foot. [=u] as in use.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
On page 29 a period was added (feast with the Æsir.). Otherwise
the original text was preserved.