On, on they flew, the bird and Loke, across the sky, over and under and between the clouds, across the great wide sea, at last across the snow-white peaks, down, down to a castle in Jotunheim, in the land of the mighty Frost giants, the terrible, the dreaded enemies of the gods. "Let me free! Let me free!" foamed Loke, struggling against the bird, whose magic held him fast. "I will never let you free," answered the bird, throwing off his disguise and standing forth a giant foe; "I will never let you free except on one condition." "I grant it! I grant it! Whatever it is, I grant it," cried the coward, caring for nothing but to free himself. "The condition is this," continued the giant coolly: "I will let you free if you will bring me, without delay, the apples of everlasting youth--the apples that Idun guards and watches over, locked so closely in the golden casket in the city of Asgard." Loke stared. He caught his breath. To give up the apples of life--the fruit by which the gods were kept forever young and strong and beautiful,--that was too great a thing to ask even of Loke, evil as he was. "There are no such apples," answered he, trying, as cowards always do, to hide himself behind a lie. "There are no such apples." "Very well," answered the giant, opening a great dungeon door, and thrusting Loke in. "When you are ready to do what I say, you may come out; never until then." The great dungeon door creaked upon its terrible hinges and Loke was alone, a prisoner, at the mercy of the Frost giant. Loke howled and beat against the walls of the dungeon. "Are you ready to do what I asked of you?" asked the Frost giant, opening the great door the next morning. "There are no such apples," cried Loke. "On my honor as a god, I swear it!" The giant made no reply. The heavy door creaked again, and Loke was alone. "Are you ready to do what I asked of you?" asked the Frost giant, opening the great door the second morning. "Anything in all Asgard, O Giant, I promise you--anything but the apples," cried Loke. The giant made no reply. The heavy door creaked again, and Loke was alone. "Are you willing to do what I asked of you?" asked the Frost giant, opening the great door the third morning. "One of the apples, O Giant, I might steal from Idun and escape with before the fruit was missed," Loke began. The giant made no reply. The heavy door creaked again and Loke was alone. "Are you ready to do what I asked of you?" asked the Frost giant, opening the great door the fourth morning. "Yes, two of the three apples will I promise to bring you. With even one left, the gods might be content; for even then their lives would be far longer than the life of mortals." The giant made no reply. The heavy door creaked again and Loke was alone. "Are you ready to do what I asked of you?" asked the Frost giant, opening the great door the fifth morning. "Yes," answered Loke, meekly. "You are willing to bring the apples of life?" "Yes."