Once long, long, ago, when gods and goddesses traveled about more freely, Odin, the king of Heaven, wanted to go camping on Earth. His little brother, Loki, god of fire, begged to go along, and swore to stay out of trouble. So together, Odin and Loki crossed on a rainbow that curved from Heaven down to a green mountainside. That night, when Loki began to cook supper, his fire wouldn't stay lit. Then he saw the problem. From his perch on a branch above, an eagle was fanning down cold air. "If you want a hot supper, promise me some," called the eagle. "All right, all right," agreed the hungry god, planning to throw just a scrap to the bird. But when Odin and Loki sat down to eat, the eagle landed and gobbled up most of the food. Loki grabbed a stick and smacked the eagle, but then the stick stuck to the eagle, and Loki's hands stuck to the stick. The eagle shot up into the sky heading straight north, trailing Loki along. Now Loki saw that the eagle was no eagle, but Heaven's worst enemy, the Frost Giant, in disguise. "Let me go!" yelled Loki."On one condition!" roared the Frost Giant. "Just ask," begged Loki. "Bring Iduna and one of her apples outside Heaven's gate." Nothing was worse to ask, for Iduna is the goddess of springtime, and head gardener of the heavenly orchard where the apples of immortality grow. Iduna's apples are what keep the gods and goddesses forever young. What was Loki thinking? Yet through chattering teeth, he made the terrible promise. Then the Frost Giant dropped Loki back on the ground, sore and shivering. Loki waited until Iduna's mate, Braggi, left Heaven with his harp. Braggi, the god of music and poetry, loves every moment with Iduna. But Braggi's job - keeping Earth's melodies in harmony - calls him away quite often. Then Loki snuck into the heavenly orchard where Iduna was dancing among her apple trees, her green skirts flowing, her long braids flying. "Iduna, there's something I must tell you," teased Loki. "What is it, Loki?" "I found an apple tree with apples sweeter than yours." "Sweeter? Impossible! Where?" "Just beyond Heaven's gate. Bring one of your apples, and taste for yourself." Iduna hurried after Loki, carrying her ripest, roundest, reddest apple in a crystal bowl. No sooner had she set one foot outside Heaven's gate than down stormed the Frost Giant in an avalanche of ice and snow. He swept up Iduna, then raced back across the sky to his frozen fortress far in the north. There he locked Iduna away in an ice cave. "Now give me the apple!" the Frost Giant roared, for only if Iduna gives you an apple of her own free will can you gain its magic powers. But the goddess of springtime refused. Again and again, the Frost Giant demanded the apple. Again and again, the goddess refused. In a fit of rage, the Frost Giant thrust his fist into the bowl to grab the apple for himself. That instant, the crystal bowl shattered, and the apple shriveled to dust. Odin called for a council of all Heaven. Everyone came except for Loki. Where was that troublemaker? What had he done this time? When Loki was dragged out of hiding, he confessed his terrible trick. "The Frost Giant forced me," Loki whimpered. "He said he only wanted one apple." "Silence!" Odin ordered Loki, "Bring back Iduna - or be known forever as the traitor who put all Heaven and Earth at risk." Hot with shame, Loki wandered off to a far edge of Heaven to think of a plan. Suddenly he heard a great mewing. Six gray cats came around a cloud pulling the cart of Freya, the goddess of love. Cats and cart stopped. Freya took pity on Loki. Trouble seemed to be glued to him. Freya had an idea. She took off her magic flying-and-shape-shifting cloak of falcon feathers, and wrapped it around Loki's shoulders. "Fly as a falcon to the Frost Giant's land. When you find Iduna, wrap my cloak around her, too, and hurry back to Heaven as fast as you can. Go" So, wrapped in Freya's cloak, Loki flew away as a falcon to the Frost Giant's land, found the ice cave where Iduna was trapped, and slipped between the bars. Loki threw the magic cloak around Iduna. Together, they raced back across the sky. All too soon, though, Iduna and Loki heard the Frost Giant howling after them, and hurling huge hailstones. Ahead, all along the walls of Heaven, the gods and goddesses were watching and waiting, sickly, gray and bent. At the sight of Iduna and Loki with the Frost Giant gaining on them, the heavenly family used the last of their strength to light bonfires atop the walls of Heaven. Loki's strength was fading, too, so Iduna sang a song of spring to cheer him on. Loki and Iduna leapt out of Freya's cape. Iduna danced right into Braggi's arms. The sun burst through the clouds. Apple blossoms perfumed the air again, and soon ripe red apples covered the trees of Heaven. Iduna handed an apple to every god and goddess, restoring them all to health and happiness. Earth grew green again. Harmony reigned once more. Loki was forgiven, but his fiery temper and fierce deceits had caused such trouble, that he was known to all forever after as "Trickster Loki," so that gods and mortals alike might stay wise to the risks of his ways. In a last burst of speed, Iduna and Loki flew through the flames and skidded to a stop at the feet of the gods and goddesses. Unable to stop himself in time, the Frost Giant hit the walls of Heaven, and shattered into pieces which quickly melted away.