Long ago in the land of Asgaard, there lived all of the gods of the northmen in great happiness. Their king, Odin, was powerful, and dangerous, with his mighty spear, Gungnir, and their queen, Frigg, was very beautiful, wise, and deep-sighted. Odin and Frigg had a son, whose name was Thor, and he was the god of thunder and of rain and of good farms and normal folk and all the people of the north loved him very much. Thor had a friend named Loki who was only half-god, for his mother had been a frost giantess. Loki was able to change his shape and was very cunning and wicked and it is a wonder that he and Thor were travel-companions and good friends at all.

         Now, mighty-handed Thor had a huge meadhall which he called Bilskirnir and in which he loved to host huge parties. One day, when it was the spring festival in Asgaard, Thor decided that he would host an especially grand party in Bilskirnir. So he invited all of the gods and goddesses who lived in Asgaard and he presented them with the best music, the finest ales, and the ripest meat taken straight from the spit. “Let us make merry! Sing, and dance, and drink, and eat!” he bellowed from his high seat at the end of the hall. “For tonight we celebrate the new year!”

         At the end of the night, everyone made ready to leave. Thor gave each of his friends and family members a wonderful gift. He gave a gilded shield to Odin, a begemmed hair-tie to Frigg, and a beautiful axe, named Jotunsban to Loki.

         The last guest to depart was the goddess Idun, who was very beautiful and who had a large garden in the centre of Asgaard. In her garden, there was an apple tree, the fruit of which kept any who ate it young forever. As Idun came to the door, she turned to Thor.

         “Lightning-lord,” she said, “you have feasted us most honourably tonight, and I thank you graciously for that. May I, therefore, in token of my appreciation, offer you a small gift?”

         Thor, who was jolly with ale, heartily agreed.

         So Idun reached into her magic sack and pulled out a tiny sapling, growing in a carven pot. “This is a seedling from my enchanted apple-tree.” she told him. “If you plant it in the centre of your farm, your crops will grow larger and more quickly than any have ever grown since the world began.”

         Thor’s eyes grew wide. “This is a princely gift!” he replied. “Thank you very much!”

         Then Idun bid him a fond farewell and returned to her garden-home.

         The next morning, Thor was very excited to plant Idun’s apple-tree. So he and his lovely wife, Sif, ordered that Thjalfi, their head servant boy, should watch over Bilskirnir while they went to Thor’s vast farm, called Grathaholt, which stood very close to the borders of Jotunheim, the giant-home. They got into Thor’s thunder-chariot and rode all the way to the farmstead in one day. Then, Thor built a circular wooden fence in the very centre of the farm and placed his tree inside the fence-ring. He also had his mighty and vicious hound, Hugahund, who could smell his way through any shape-shifter, guard it. Hugahund was so powerful that, next to the Fenris-Wolf, he was the most feared dog in Asgaard. Thor called the sapling Ever-grower, and then went out to plant his seeds for next year.

         The following morning, Thor and Sif went out to the well to draw water for the day. But as they walked alongside the home-field, they noticed that each little seed had begun to grow into a small sprig. The couple looked at one another in amazement, but neither could think of anything to say.

         At length, Sif spoke; “Well, Ever-grower is certainly doing his work!”

         And, indeed, the little tree was. Every day, the god and his wife would go to inspect the fields and every day they were astonished at the growth of their crops. By the end of the first week after the sewing, it was almost time for the harvest, and Thor was so exhausted from running this way and that, building lattices and cutting back weeds, whetting the scythes and reading the ricks, that he had not the energy to reap what he had sewn.

         Now, news spread quickly of the thunderer’s success at Grathaholt, and Loki, Thor’s old travel-companion, came to hear of it. He had been travelling about in Jotunhiem, spending time with his comrade, Gunlaugi, who was a powerful giant-chieftain. Loki’s blackened heart writhed at the idea of someone else’s good fortune, and so he determined to go and visit the god of thunder and his wife to see what hurt he might do them. He departed from Gunlaugi’s house on bad terms, for the two had been fighting and Loki spent much of his journey to Grathaholt considering how he might humiliate or harm his friend.

         Late in the afternoon of Thor and Sif’s sixth day at Grathaholt, Loki came from Asgaard to visit. He claimed that he had overheard Idun’s words when she had gifted the apple-tree to Thor, and that he was curious as to whether the sprig had worked any magic upon the farm. As they ate an early dinner, Thor and Sif told their guest all about their week and how quickly everything had grown.

         “But we are both exhausted,” concluded Thor, “and if my guess it correct, I will need to take in the harvest tomorrow or the next day. Even with all my god-strength, I do not think that I will be able to do it!”

         Now, Loki, in case you did not know, is often called the god of mischief, but this is actually a misnomer: for he was not really a mischief-maker, he was far worse. In reality, he can be more aptly called the god of ill-fortune, or the god of seemingly unprecedented failure, or the god of unexpected bad tidings. Loki truly hated to see anyone else happy or successful. It was not even that he wished to steal the accomplishments of others; it was that he simply desired with all his heart to ruin beautiful things, even when possessed by his most venerable friend. And Thor’s farm and the joy it brought him galled Loki to the very depths of his being. So he put on his warmest and kindliest smile and said:

         “My dear friend, I would be most pleased to help you, if I could.”

         “Any help you may render would be very welcome.” rejoined Thor.

         “I shall do my utmost,” replied Loki, with honeyed tones. “But first, may I see the sapling responsible for all this growth?”

         Thor, who was not very bright, looked at Loki for some time. “Loki, you are almost as a brother to me, but you have been responsible for many a misdeed and a cruel twist. I cannot trust you enough to allow you near so precious a thing as Ever-grower. Are you unable to help me without seeing the tree?”

         This made the disaster-bringer all the more furious and the blood thickened to venom in his veins. But he managed to keep his voice steady and his face calm, and he thus answered: “Of course, thunder-lord. I will be more than happy to help. Let me go off and see what I can do.” Then he rose and, taking his cloak strode out into the wester-slanting sunlight.

         When he was out of earshot of Thor and Sif, Loki cursed and spat with rage. But he soon connived a new and evil plan by which he might take Ever-grower from his friend. He mounted his horse and rode for Jotunheim, to the home of Gunlaugi. As he rode, he vented his spleen, drawing the axe Jotunsban and cutting down any beautiful plant or tree which he saw (all of the animals were wise enough to keep clear when Loki was in a temper).

         Now, just in case you were not aware, Jotunheim is a chilled land, a place where the summers are short, the growing season even shorter, and the ground hard and unyielding: where the elements seem to thwart life itself. It was the type of place where men fear to go, but where Loki was very much at home. This land suited the frost giants well because they were ancient and grew but slowly and thus did not need to eat very much. But it also meant that they had no work for a good portion of the year and lay about bickering with one another as unintelligent folk do when they are bored.

         As Loki approached Gunlaugi’s home, the giant was sitting outside with some comrade, playing chess, and hailed him. “What brings you back here so soon, jealous Aesir?” he taunted.

         Loki bit his lip until it bled, but managed to restrain himself from rudeness.

         “Is this how you would greet someone who would make you rich?” he enquired.

         At the thought of wealth Gunlaugi’s otherwise dull eyes lit up like candle flames in the starlight. “And how will one such as you make me wealthy?” he asked in a more polite tone which had only the hint of a giant-sneer.

         “You know well that I am good friends with Thor of Asgaard.” said Loki, and he drew no small amount of pleasure in watching the giants cringe at the lightning-god’s name. “Well, he is in dire need of assistance.”

         “And why should we, who have so often felt and seen the damage of his hammer, Mjollnir, help that giant-killer?” retorted Gunlaugi, irritated that he had been hopeful at one of Loki’s cruel offers.

         “Because he had obtained, through treachery, no doubt,” answered Loki, “a farm not far from here named Grathaholt, which is so profitable, that he cannot harvest all of the produce himself. Even the strength of Thor cannot match the abundance of the earth on his farm.”

         The giants, who had now gathered round to hear Loki’s news, looked at the new-comer doubtfully. “How does this involve my followers and me?” demanded Gunlaugi.

         “Do you not see?” said Loki, sounding as earnest as he could. “If you offer to help, Thor will pay you royally. You can earn enough money and take home enough food in payment for your labours that you will never need to work again. You can relax here in Jotunheim and enjoy life after just several summers’ work!”

         “And how do you know that Thor will be willing to pay us such a sum?”

         “Because, dear Gunlaugi, I have just come from Grathaholt, and he is truly desperate for farmhands. He will gladly pay you whatever you ask, if he is able to bring in the harvest. Only, do not ask about payment immediately, for he does not know how much he will reap and you do not want to be stinted. Rather, wait until the harvest-feast, when he is merry with ale and looking gladly upon his crop and then ask him. Thor is a fool when in a generous frame of mind.”

         Gunlaugi thought for some time. Then said: “We will come with you, if, you can obtain for us permission and the promise of protection from our king, who lives in Utaard.”

         “Why should such a great Jotun-chief as yourself require the permission of the king of Utgaard?” goaded Loki.

         “There are two reasons, betrayer-Loki.” answered the giant, getting to his feet and striding with false confidence to Loki, who was still mounted. “The first is that the Utgaard-king is wise, and he may see through any trap you have set. And the second is that I would be loath to incur his wrath for departing giantland without his leave.”

         “Very well,” said Loki with a sigh, “I shall ride for Utgaard and return as soon as I may.

         So Loki rode off, all the more frustrated now, for his own innate will to deceive others had caused him this additional trial. After several hours he passed through the gates of Utgaard and, dismounting, entered the king’s great hall.

         When the Utgaard-king saw Loki he rose to his feet. “What brings you to my hall, Loki half-giant?” he asked.

         Loki approached the dias and made a great display of bowing very low to the king and showing much obeisance. “Great and mighty king of Utgaard, lord of all giants, and master of all Jotunheim, thank you for your kind and kingly welcome. I come because I would help my dear kindred-lord!”

         “Bah!” scoffed the giant-king. “Every time you have come offering a peace-flower it has turned out to have poisoned thorns concealed beneath its leaves. Only if I were of mind to cause myself hurt would I ask for your help!”

         “Dear king,” replied Loki, “it appears that you assume that I am coming to harm you, but this could not be further from the truth. I come on behalf of two friends with a proposal I am confident will be to our mutual benefit!”

         The Utgaard-king looked a Loki sidelong. “Be gone, Loki, I have no time for your trickery.”

         “Please,” said Loki, his voice now somewhat shrill with fear that his plan might not work, “hear me out. I am, after all, half Jotun. Am I not, on account of the blood in my veins entitled to an audience with your most noble person?”

         The Utgaard-king pondered this, but, being a giant, he was, by Loki’s standards, rather dim-witted and could find no counter-argument. “State your business, then, and be hasty about it.”

         So Loki opened his mouth and said; “You know well, great king, that the winters in Jotunheim are long and dark, and that idle men are most apt to cause trouble.”

         The giant nodded his agreement.

         “And you then know that Gunlaugi, my comrade of old, has a significant following of giants under his sole command, do you not?”

         Once more, the giant-king nodded his agreement.

         “Well, I was just with Gunlaugi, and it seemed to me that he and his followers were ill-tempered and unhappy, the types who might start a problem if an excuse came along; like a tinderbox set too close to an open flame.”

         The Utgaard-king looked hard and Loki, grimacing at the effort to read the god. But he was unable.

         “However, my travel-companion, Thor, is in need of a great many farmhands, for a bout of good weather has caused many of his crops to ripen early. If you would but let me take Gunlaugi and his giants to go to the homestead of that god of thunder, they would be far away from Jotunheim and too busy to consider any insurrection against you. Moreover, were they to prove themselves duplicitous, they would surely be more likely to cause trouble for Thor, the giant-killer, and this would be to your great benefit, as it would mean that someone else was belabouring Thor. Moreover, if you will offer Gunlaugi your kind and benevolent goodwill and protection in this matter, I will see to it personally that you receive a tribute from the farm in recognition of your willingness to lend out your subjects. Truly, if you can find any malice or evil in my words, please tell me here, in the sight of your entire court.”

         The king of Utgaard thought for some time. He did not like the idea of trusting Loki in any matter, but he could see no possible downside for himself in what Loki wished. Moreover he was eager to see that Gunlaugi was as far from Utgaard as possible, as he had no liking for that giant and his uncultured group of runagate followers.

         At length he made answer: “You may do as you have suggested. But, if anything untoward should befall my people or me, then let the word go out that it shall be entirely upon your head, half-kindred!”

         “I would have it no other way, my lord.” replied Loki with another bow.

         The Utgaard-king then sent for a block of wood and had it stamped with his seal of approval and given to the half-god. With that he dismissed him.

         Loki left the hall with the block under his left arm and rode with all speed back to Gunlaugi. As he galloped along, he cursed Utgaard-Loki and swore that he would avenge himself for the insults and mistrust he had received from the Jotun-king. He showed the giant-chief the block, but did not tell him of the promise to give a portion of the farm’s earnings to the Utgaard-king.

         That very night, Loki brought the frost-giants to Grathaholt. It was still dark when they arrived -the coldest part of the night, just before dawn- and Loki told the host to remain outside, while he went in and awoke Thor.

         The betrayer of gods entered the farmstead and went to Thor’s chamber. He banged on the door until Thor, groggy with sleep (and perhaps with drink as well), came and answered his knocking.

         “What do you want at this dreadful hour of the night?” he mumbled.

         “Lord of Thunder, I have found a solution to your labour problem!”

         This caught Thor’s attention, for he was very sore from his week’s labours. “What have you concocted, half-god?”

         Loki lead Thor out of the farmstead and then showed him the large gathering of Jotuns. Immediately, Thor turned to grab Mjollnir, but Loki took him by the arm. “Thor!” he shrieked, “Gunlaugi is a friend of mine, and these are his hench-giants. They have agreed to help you in return for a cut of the harvest.”

         “I do not trust frost giants, and I do not trust you!” Thor growled under his breath, his face so close to Loki’s that the condensation from his halitus wetted Loki’s face.

         “But this is different, my lord.” whispered Loki. “These giants are in need of work, and you are in dire straits if you cannot enlist some help.”

         “Then I shall find more trustworthy help.” snarled the son of Odin.

         “From whom?” hissed Loki. “You need help this very night, or at the latest tomorrow night, otherwise your crops will fail and all of your work will have been for nought. Moreover, word has been bruited abroad about your impending harvest: I have heard that Idun is very excited to see it. Would you disappoint her? Would you risk embarrassment before all of Asgaard just to avoid consorting with these honest work-folk?”

         Thor stared at his travel-companion, but his mind was simple at the best of times and had been further slowed by his fatigue. “Alright, you rascal,” he said begrudgingly, “they can work, but they will need to hide during the day. Yet, because I would not trust the Jotuns, I shall keep the same hours that they do.”

         “Of course.” replied Loki. “They shall begin tomorrow night. For the time being, we must find each some lodgement away from the sun’s cruel rays.”

         “I suppose so,” said Thor, rubbing his eyes “let us see what we can do to accommodate them.”

         So it was that the Jotuns came to work for Thor. The giants were eager to prove their worth, and so worked hard, spending their days in the barn or in dark corners where the sunlight could not reach them, hidden under heavy blankets which Sif knitted for this purpose. Gunlaugi was so exhausted by his working that he had no time to consider any misdeeds or mischief. Thor and his wife made it a point to stay up during the night to watch over the giants, but they never observed any evidence of treachery or deceit among their labourers.

         Loki, for his part, spent much time looking very busy, but was rarely actually doing very much. If Thor had been more observant, he would have noticed that the half-jotun always had one eye on the fence-circle wherein Ever-grower stood and seemed to be nearby, watching, more often than not when Thor would enter the circle alone to tend to his precious tree.

         Throughout the spring and then throughout all the summer, things continued in this way. The farm was immensely fruitful and yielded up a bountiful harvest almost every week. When they were not tending the crops, Thor and the giants were kept busy building silos and granaries and as they worked, the Jotuns’ greed began to grow.

         But staying awake all night was not becoming for a god who was used to the enjoyment of the sun’s light, and Thor became weary of living in darkness. Loki, who was ever-watchful, perceived this and, as they were finishing up the night’s labour one dawn, he said to Thor: “Friend, let us watch the sun rise, for I sense that you miss its warm rays.”

         “That I do, half-god.” replied Thor. So the two of them sat against the side of the barn and let the light which spread out from the horizon warm their tired bodies. As they sat enjoying this moment, Loki said:

         “You know, it has been several months now, and the frost-giants have proven themselves trustworthy, you should allow me to watch over them for several nights, while you enjoy the daylight.”

         At first Thor was apprehensive, but eventually he agreed. And so it was that he and Sif began to stay awake during the days, sleeping during the nights. Now, as summer drew to its end, Thor began to consider how much and in what way he might pay the giants for their labours.

         When Loki became aware of this thought, he came to Thor.

         “I have noticed worry in your face, of late.” he said, “What is the matter?”

         “It is no concern of yours.” replied the god resolutely.

         “Have I not helped you very much this year?” enquired Loki, pleadingly. “Was it not I who called the Jotuns to help? Was it not I who have been watching over them as they work, that you might sleep during the nights? Come now, I have twice proven my worth to you. Allow me to do it a third time.”

         “Very well,” said Thor, “I am considering how much I shall remunerate the giants for their labours. They have worked hard, but I do not wish to offer too much wealth to those of such base and carnal minds as they.”

         Loki made a show of pondering the matter for several moments before suggesting “What if you were to host a large feast here at the farm. You could invite all of the giants and give them the night off. Offer them rich food and strong drink until they are very pleased and in the best of tempers. Then, when they are at their most charitable, give them a low offer of pay. They will be so pleased with the food and drink and the comforts of the party, that they will be more likely to accept whatever you offer to pay them.”

         Thor looked at his companion. “Perhaps you have changed your ways, Loki. You have been very hard-working and well-tempered these past months, and you have been an invaluable aid to me. Perhaps you are truly becoming a noble Aesir.”

         Loki smiled, “I will begin arranging matters for the feast.”

         Several weeks later the feast began. Everyone was very merry and ate and drank his fill. Thor and Gunlaugi laughed as neither thought he ever would with the other and a great many songs were sung. Loki busied himself in the kitchen bringing out fresh plates of meats and cheeses, pickled fish and breads, and directing the bearing of meads and ales.

         Almost everything went perfectly, except that it seemed that Loki had stocked the wood pile with somewhat punky branches so that the fire smoked rather a lot. Thor and several others coughed badly and their eyes stung with the fumes.

         As he passed the high seat, Loki leaned forward and said to the thunder-god, “I will go and get more wood as soon as I can, but I am rather preoccupied with all this serving. I hope that this horrid smoke does not impact our dealing with the giants.”

         “No matter, friend,” said Thor, jovially, “I shall go and get it!”

         “Thank you lord, there is a stack of very nicely aged timbers by the fence encircling Ever-grower!” replied Loki, and then hurried off to the kitchen.

         Thor had some trouble in getting past all his guests who wanted, several times, to drink his health, but he did eventually manage to escape the hall.

         In the meantime, Loki had raced through the kitchen and then darted out a side door and into the night. Once out of sight, he changed his shape, taking on the form of a frost giant. He then went and hid in the shadows which were cast by the circular fence.

         A Thor teetered out of the door of the main hall and crossed the small lawn toward the circular fence which protected Ever-grower, he noticed a form moving in the shadows. He froze and watched. There, he saw a Jotun-shape flit up to the gate which led in to the precious tree and begin to try the lock. Thor was unarmed, but the blood began to boil in his heart.

         His mind loosened with ale, he roared and ran toward the figure. “Traitor! I trusted and employed you, you filthy bandit! And this is how you would repay me?”

         At this, the Jotun, turning as if to notice Thor, shot off into the deeper shadows amongst the outlying buildings. Thor pursued him through the silos and various outlying buildings for some way before the creature turned back toward the great hall. At this point Thor, who was slowed by the vast amount of food and drink in his stomach lost sight of his quarry. But he was able just to espy between several buildings, the figure tearing across the lawn and toward the great hall.

         As you have, no doubt, guessed, the frost giant whom Thor had seen was really Loki in disguise. When he had alluded the god of thunder and ensured that his pursuer had seen him heading for the meadhall, he turned back toward the great hall and returned to his Loki-form. Then, he entered the kitchen and waited. It was only a few moments later that he heard the great doors to the hall crash open and Thor’s bellowing over a sudden hush.

         Feigning shock, Loki ran out of the kitchen. “What is going on in here?” he yelled at Thor.

         Thor was barring the door, and abruptly turned and jaunted, red-faced and with battle-fury in his eyes to the dias. There, he grabbed Mjollnir and wheeled to face all those gathered in horrible silence in the hall.

         “You filthy traitors!” he spat. “You have merely gained my trust in the hopes of stealing my tree! You should all die for this!”

         There was a pause, and then Gunlaugi stood up and said, “I beg your pardon, thunder-master, but we have no idea what you mean by that, and we are most certainly not traitors. Indeed, we have laboured hard for you all summer without payment save for food and shelter!”

         “LIES!” roared Thor so that the entire hall shook.

         But Gunlaugi was not one to cower before danger and he was all the more brave for having been somewhat drunk. “Perhaps if you spent more being a good host and less time snooping about you would not have such delusions!” he challenged. “Loki has done all of the work of serving us and making us comfortable both tonight and before now, while you laze about and reap the benefits of our labour! Thunder-thief! Give us our due portion of the harvest this instant!”

         At this, Thor could contain himself no longer. Lifting his mighty hammer, Mjollnir, he smote Gunlaugi down and splattered his brains across the hall. “Be gone from my farmstead, you foul and two-faced people! I shall not keep such treacherous folk about me, nor do I see any need to remunerate you for you work, when you have so slighted me!”

         The giants all rose to their feet and, reaching for their arms, rushed at Thor. He struck them back and did great damage among them until, at last, those few who were still unmaimed fled. All the while, Loki, in false alarm, called for order.

         When every last Jotun was either dead upon the floor or had fled the farm Thor turned to Loki. “You have brought this upon me. I knew we should not have welcomed the Jotuns here. Now, I only hope that they do not return to reke their revenge!”

         “Please send me not from your service!” begged Loki. “For my intentions were ever to aid you!”

         “I shall decide what to do when the sun has arisen.” spat Thor. “Be gone from my sight until then!”

         Loki did as he was told immediately. He went swiftly out of doors by way of the kitchen and then, mounting his horse made pursuit of the giants. He found them on the marches of Jotunheim. “Brothers!” he called. “Brothers! Will you run away from Thor as dogs who have been beaten with sticks?”

         The giants turned. “We have not the strength to do battle with the mighty Thor, so long as Mjollnir is in his hand!” they replied. “We do not wish to die, but we are very sore, both for the loss of our comrades, and for the slights which we have suffered!”

         “Then let me help you, for I can see that you have been wronged!” said Loki. “I shall ride swiftly into Jotunheim and gather a contingent of Giant-friends who will gladly come to your aid! Only turn back now and make ready an attack on Thor’s farm!”

         “And why should we trust you who are the cause of all this trouble and who seem always to be the cause of misery?” they yelled.

         “Surely you do not think it is I who have caused this?” enquired Loki with false puzzlement. “Thor’s delusions cannot possibly be of my doing. Was it not I who sued for peace as he attacked you? Was it not I who served you graciously throughout this last evening? Was it not I who brought you this wonderous opportunity for wealth and even petitioned the Utgaard-king in your favour?”

         The giants grumbled amongst themselves for several minutes. Then said, “We shall do as you have suggested.” With that, they departed back toward Thor’s farm where they hid themselves to avoid the light of day which was just then dawning.

         Loki, for his part rode off to Utgaard where he found the king. Once more he entered the hall and bowed very low, making all the same shows of obeisance as he had some months earlier.

         “Lord Utgaard-king!” he said, “a terrible thing has happened! Thor has been thrown into a fit of rage, prompted by some drink-based delusion. He has killed Gunlaugi and has refused to pay both those who worked for him and you from the profit of his farm! I have been unable to talk any sense into him whatsoever, and I know not what to do!”

         The Utgaard-king looked at Loki for some time. “I believe that your distress is real,” he said at last, “but it occurs to me that you have often been involved in events which seem to end this way.”

         “Sire,” pleaded Loki, “you may think what you will of me, I do not mind. But, think about poor Gunlaugi and your other kindred, who now lie dead upon the floor of Thor’s thatched mead-baarn: can you not take pity upon them?”

         “How can I, a king of the living, take pity or revenge upon the dead? They are no longer a part of my realm! If Thor has been unwilling to pay, then I am much disappointed. But I am not surprised. Dealings with Asgaard have often ended this way.”

         “You may have pity and mercy upon them,” spoke Loki, “as a good king does, by honouring their survivors. What of those who were not killed by Thor? Do they not deserve compensation both for their labours and for the insults they bore? And what of the wives and children of the dead? Do you they not deserve some compensation?”

         “A man must understand the danger when he goes to work.” replied the giant-king. ‘Yet, I cannot deny that my people have been wronged. Therefore, I shall order the following: that any here present, with their supporters, may venture with Loki half-kindred to Thor’s farm and reclaim what they can by plunder or by reasoned trade. However, I shall hold non by any oath on this matter and I shall require this of non. Moreover, I shall ask for no part in the loot taken, although it is doubtless that any share given to me would certainly glean the giver some favour in my sight.”

         With that, he dismissed Loki who, bowing low and thanking the king, looked smuggly about the hall. He made eye contact with many of the giants, as if challenging them to come with him. And many did just that. When the treasonous half-god left Jotunheim he had a large number of mounted giants following behind him.

         Of course the giants could not travel during the day, so Loki gave them directions and then returned to Thor’s farm. He arrived as the sun first lit the sky and found Thor sitting on a rough bench outside the hall.

         “My lord,” he said, “what can I do to help you and to make amends for my mistake?”

         “Be gone from my sight! I wish for no more of your advice!” Thor replied bitterly.

         “Please, good friend, how may I help? Perhaps I might send word to Asgaard that our fellows should come and aid you in taking all that has been reaped back to Asgaard so that it cannot be stolen.”

         “All-Father would have seen us  from Air-Throne and sent his help by now if any had cared.” replied the sullen Thor.

         “Not so!” said Loki, “For I have heard it said that he has been very busy of late. Please, let me do what I can to ease your loss!”

         “You may go, but I hold out little hope.” mutter Thor. “I shall have to defend this farm myself! Now, be gone from my sight. For I must sleep now. The giants cannot attack by daylight, so that is when I shall take my rest.”

         With that he turned and went into the great hall, weary with the effort a of having been awake all night.

         Loki, in the meantime, returned to the giants who were hiding and waited with them. When dusk came they all crept from their hiding places. The trickster explained to both groups that they must attack from several sides and bring many torches to set the farmstead ablaze. “That way,” he explained, “the lord of thunder will not know which way to turn. In his confusion, you may find safety!”

         “Will we not be burning our own silos of grains then?” enquired one sharper giant.

         “I shall cast a spell upon the silos to ensure that they do not burn as easily as the rest of the out-buildings.” Loki reassured him.

         Then, he divided the giants into four battalions and, leading the largest one himself, ordered them to attack as soon as they were ready. “It does not matter who attacks first,” he said, “for once one has begun the first fire, then the others will do the same. Thor is slow-witted and will not know which way to turn. This will be our advantage.”

         The giants attacked from all sides and in the dimness it was difficult to see what was happening. As the chaos and bloodlust of battle began to take hold, fires started to burn in all quarters of the farm. Then Loki ran off and, hiding in a shadow, changed his shape to appear in Aesir-fashioned garb. He ran to Thor and cried: “Friend, I am here to help you! But I warn you, there are too many of them for us to defend the whole of Grathaholt! What part of the farm would you that we made safe?”

         As that betrayer of gods had predicted, Thor bellowed back: “Make safe the fence-ring of Ever-grower! Little else is of importance!”

         So Loki stood on one side of the fence, holding Jotunsban in his hands, his face concealed under his helm, while Thor stood on the other and they hewed down the Jotuns left and right, as a reaper cuts down the barley in late summer.

It was not long before the entire farm was ablaze. Thor raced back and forth striking giants down in huge numbers so that they bodies formed piles about him. As the bloodlust and the thrill of the hunt gripped his simple mind, he began to stray further and further from Ever-grower. The giants, for their part, ran into the burning buildings, grabbing whatever loot they might set hand upon. Many of them, weighed down by their treasure, never left the burning houses. They set the hall ablaze. They lit Thor’s barn, and destroyed the farming equipment.

         In the confusion, Loki lit the fence encircling Ever-grower on fire. When Thor saw this he raged all the more and made it his sole purpose to protect that perimeter. But Loki, who was far more clever than anyone else present (except possibly Sif), quickly hacked at the side of the fence, creating a gaping wound in the defence.

         In the centre of the ring of fire the Hugahund was cowering and yelping, and trying to keep his distance from the blaze. When the beast saw the opening in the fence, he charged forward and, forgetting even to smell the dark-armoured figure who had made the aperture, he fled across the lawn.

         Loki reached down, took hold of the sapling by the base of its trunk and rent it from the earth. Then he took the form of a massive raven and flew away through the smoke. Below him, the fires raged. He had not set an spell upon the silos and, he observed with delight as he flew away, they were all ablaze.

         As the battle wore on the sun began to crest the horizon. But the Jotuns, now excited by greed and the hope of more plunder did not see it, for its was concealed by the light of the many fires. When the sun’s rays came down and touched them, they all, one by one were turned to stone. Not one of them escaped alive.

         When all was at last settled, Thor stood, blackened with soot and surrounded by the ruination of the previous night. The charred forms of stone Jotuns stood all about him, frozen in the positions they had last taken. He was not in any way concerned by the death of so many frost-giants, for he had no love of them, although the destruction of his farm was saddening. But it was not until he saw the ring of ashes and the hole in the earth where Ever-grower had been that he was truly doleful. He wept bitterly at his own greed and hubris and even gentle Sif and the simple loyalty of Hugahund could not comfort him.

         Then the three of them returned to Asgaard and Thor swore that he would never again trust any frost-giant and that he would also never farm.

         After he had fled the destruction of the Battle of Thor’s Farm (as it came to be known), Loki had come to a mountain top and there stopped. He had taken his own form and then examined Ever-grower.

         “What shall I do with you?” he mused. He knew that he could not bring it to any of his own landholdings, for the other gods and goddesses of Asgaard would notice very soon. And he could not bring it to Utgaard, for he did not wish to make the giants any more powerful at the risk of the wrath of the Aesir. At length he took a flint and, striking a small fire, he burnt it. Then, he took the ashes and placed them into a small poke which he kept tied to his belt. When he had done this, he climbed down the mountain, found his mount, and returned to Asgaard.

         None knew of this treachery save only Odin and the Nurns, but Odin was not of mind to reveal this to any: he still fostered hope that Loki might prove to be of some expedience to him, and he was glad of the temperance of Thor’s arrogance.

         And that is the story of how Loki, who was unable to destroy Idun’s apples entirely, was able to secretly spite many of his close friends all at once. It was not until many, many years later when he was chained that the shape-shifter ever admitted to what he had done.