“If,” said she, “all things weep for him, then he shall return to the gods, but if any speak against him or refuse to weep, then he shall remain in Hel.”

Then Hermod rose to go, and Baldur, leading him out of the hall, gave him the ring, Draupnir, which he wished Odin to have as a keepsake.  Nanna also sent Frigga a present, and a ring to Fulla.

Hermod rode back, and coming to Asgard related all he had seen and heard.  Then the gods sent messengers over all the world seeking to get Baldur brought back again by weeping.  All wept, men and living things, earth, stones, trees, and metals, all weeping as they do when they are subjected to heat after frost.  Then the messengers came back again, thinking they had done their errand well.  On their way they came to a cave wherein sat a hag named Thaukt.  The messengers prayed her to assist in weeping Baldur out of Hel.

“I will weep dry tears,” answered she, “over Baldur’s pyre.  What gain I by the son of man, be he live or dead?  Let Hela hold what she has.”

It was thought that this must have been Loki, Laufey’s son, he who has ever wrought such harm to the gods.

THE PUNISHMENT OF LOKI.

The gods were so angry with Loki that he had to run away and hide himself in the mountains, and there he built a house which had four doors, so that he could see around him on every side.  He would often in the day-time change himself into a salmon and hide in the water called Franangursfors, and he thought over what trick the gods might devise to capture him there.  One day while he sat in his house, he took flax and yarn, and with it made meshes like those of a net, a fire burning in front of him.  Then he became aware that the gods were near at hand, for Odin had seen out of Hlidskjalf where he was.  Loki sprang up, threw his work into the fire, and went to the river.  When the gods came to the house, the first that entered was Kvasir, who was the most acute of them all.  In the hot embers he saw the ashes of a net, such as is used in fishing, and he told the gods of it, and they made a net like that which they saw in the ashes.  When it was ready they went to the river and cast the net in, Thor holding one end and the rest of the gods the other, and so they drew it.  Loki travelled in front of it and lay down between two stones so that the net went over him, but the gods felt that something living had been against the net.  Then they cast the net a second time, binding up in it a weight so that nothing could pass under it.  Loki travelled before it till he saw the sea in front of him.  Then he leapt over the top of the net and again made his way up the stream.  The gods saw this, so they once more dragged the stream, while Thor waded in the middle of it.  So they went to the sea.

Then Loki saw in what a dangerous situation he was.  He must risk his life if he swam out to sea.  The only other alternative was to leap over the net.  That he did, jumping as quickly as he could over the top cord.