"It hurts us," said Odin, "that we should be forced to treat one of our own kind in this way. Perhaps even now-tell us that you do regret your past wickedness, that you are sorry for the trouble you have caused the gods, that you grieve sometimes for Balder's death." “I grieve,” said Loki, "only that I have caused so little trouble among the gods; I regret only that the days for pitting my cleverness against your stupidity are at an end-for I ask for no mercy. As for Balder's death, it has been my chief cause for rejoicing as I have dwelt here in this solitary place." Shocked by his hardness, the gods led him away to the punishment which they had planned for him. The other gods met them by the way, and troops of dwarfs and elves and human beings and animals sprang up on every side, and followed them. And in the hearts of all these followers there was joy, for Loki had never done them anything but harm; and besides, had he not slain Balder, the beautiful, the beloved? But in the hearts of the gods there was pain, for Loki was of their own number, and far back in the beginnings of time, before he had become wicked, he had been their great pride, by reason of his cleverness. They passed, a noisy procession, to a dark, underground cavern, a damp, slimy place, where snakes looked out from their holes, and toads sat upon the stones. Here were three sharp-pointed rocks, which Thor pierced with holes; and to these rocks they bound the wretched Loki with chains of adamant. "Here he shall stay," said Odin, "until the last great day shall come for gods and men." A giantess, whose son Loki had killed, came with a great serpent, which she fastened directly over Loki's head; and from the serpent's mouth dripped poison, which fell, drop by drop, upon Loki's upturned face. His wife, Sigyn, could not bear to see her husband in such agony, so she took her stand beside him, cup in hand, and caught the poison as it fell. There through the ages on ages she stood, relieving Loki's pain, and trying to cheer him, for whom there was no cheer. When the cup was filled and she had to go to the cavern's mouth to empty it, then the venom fell on Loki's face, and in his terrible pain he struggled and writhed until the earth shook. And all the people, startled at their work or from their sleep, cried, "Loki's earthquake!" TH SEVEN TIMES ONE By JEAN INGELOW HERE'S no dew left on the daisies and clover, I've said my "seven times" over and over- I am so old, so old I can write a letter; The lambs play always, they know no better; O moon! in the night I have seen you sailing You were bright! ah, bright! but your light is failing You are nothing now but a bow. You moon, have you done something wrong in heaven, That God has hidden your face? I hope if you have you will soon be forgiven, O velvet bee, you're a dusty fellow, O columbine, open your folded wrapper, And show me your nest with the young ones in it; I am old! you may trust me, linnet, linnet- Sit together, building blocks; Shuffle-Shoon is old and gray, Amber-Locks a little child. *From "Love-Songs of Childhood"; Copyright, 1894, by Eugene Field; published by Charles Scribner's Sons. But together at their play Age and Youth are reconciled, "When I grow to be a man," With a gateway broad and grand; There a soldier guard shall stand; And the tower shall be so high, Folks will wonder, by and by!" Shuffle-Shoon quoth: "Yes, I know; Thus I builded long ago! Here a gate and there a wall, Here a window, there a door; Here a steeple wondrous tall Riseth ever more and more! But the years have leveled low What I builded long ago!" So they gossip at their play, Side by side, they build their blocks- |