BALDEE

The great god Odin was the íatlier of all the gocls. He ancl kis children dwelt in the eity of Asgard at the end of the rainbow.
Odin’s palace was as liigli as the sky and rooíed Avith pure silver. In it was a throne of gold. When Odin sat upon the throne he could see all over the world.
Eacli day he sat upon the throne to see if everything was as it should be 011 the earth. I lo loved tlie people and the animals, and all the beautilul things of earth because they were the work of his hands.
Odin liad two ravens Avliich were as swift as thought. Every day lie sent the ravens to fly over the oceans and over the land to see i£ any ỉiarm was being done. When they came back they perched upon his shoulders and whispered in his ear all that they had seen.
Besides this there was a watchman Avlio never .slept. He was called Heimdal, the Avhite god.
He stayeđ always at tbe foot of the rainbow, vvhicli was the bridg’e of the gocìs, to see that the frost giants đid not come into Asgarđ, and to listen to the sounds of earth. So sharp were bis ears tbat he could hear the grass and the wool on the sheep’s backs growing.
One day 'svhen Odin mounted his throne he saw that the earth was no longer green and beautiíul. The air was full of snowflakes and tlie ground was as harcLas iron. All was dark and cold.
The ravens, which had been sent out to see if all was well, came hurrying back to tell Odin that Hoder, the blind old god of darkness, had taken possession of the earth.
Heimdal, the watchman, called that he could 110 longer hear the mnsic of the waterfalls and birds, and all the pleasant sounds of earth. Everythmg was mute with fear o£ the terrible god o£ darkness.
Odin called the gods together, and tliey looked with pity on the great earth, whieh had been so pleasant a place.
Thor, the strong god, oữered to go with his hammer and fight Avitli the god o£ darkness, but Odin knew that Hoder could liide himselí away Hom Thor.
Then Bakler, the Beantiíul, tlie god o£ light, whom all the gođs loved, oíĩered to go. So Odin gave him his winged horse, Sleipner, and he rode away across the rainbow bridge.
As soon as the light of Balder’s sliining eyes fell upon the poor, cold earth, it brightened and stirred. But the old, blind god Hoder brought all his forces of darkuess to resist the god of light, and the earth lay as if dead.
Balđer struck no blows as Tlior, the strong god, wished to do. He did not even try to resist the god o£ darlmess. He only smiled upon tlie earth and called to it to awake.
At last the blind god turned and fled beíoie tlie light of Balder’s face. Then the streams leaped np and sang, and the birds came back and the flowers bloomed.
Everywhere the grass and the waviug grain sprang up beneath Balder’s footsteps, and the trees put out their gayest blossoms to greet him.
The squứrels and rabbits came out of the places 'svhere tliey had hidden themselves and danced and írisked Avitli joy. Never had the eartk been so beautiful.
But Hoder, tlie blind god, in his realm of dark- ness, was only Avaiting for an opportunity to take Ị)()ssession of theeartk again. So Odin permitted Balder’s mother to cross the rainbow bridge to lielp her son.
The goddess wenfc throughall the earth, begging each plant and stone and tree not to liarm her son, who had brought them nothing but blessings. And every tree and shruband tinyplant, andevery rock andpebble, and every stream and little brook promised gladly. Only the mistletoe, which grows higli up in the oak-tree and not upon the ground as other plants do, was forgotten.
Loke, AVỈIO Avas a meddlesome god, ahvays doing something wrong, found out that the mistletoe had not given the promise, and told Hoder.
Hoder tbought tliat because it was so little and weak it could not really kill the god. So he shot an arrow tipped with a tiny twig of mistle- toe at Balder.
The arrow pierceđ through and through the beautiful god, and he fell dead. Then the earth put off her green robe and grew silent and dark for a time.
But because Balder, the Beautiíul, had once lived on earth, Hoder could only make it cold half the year and darlĩ half the day.
And even now, if you listen, in the Avinter you can hear the wind moan througli the trees Avhich lling tlieir great arms in grief. And on summer mornings very early, you will find the stones and the grass Avet with Aveeping in the darkness.
But Avhen the sun shines the tears are turned
to diamonds and the eartli is glad, reinembering Balder the Good.
I heard a voice, that cried,
4 4 Balđer the Beautitul Is dead, is dead! ”
And through the misty air Passed like the mourntul cry Of sumvard-sailing cranes.
Balder the Beautitul,
God of the summer sun,
Fairest of all the Gods 1 Light from his torehead beamed,
Runes were upon his tongue,
As on the warrior1s sword.
All thmgs in earth and air Bound were by magic spell Never to do him harm;
Even the plantH and stones,
All save the mistletoe,
The sacred mistletoe!
Hoder, the bỉỉnd old God,
Whose feet are shod with silence,
Pierced through that gentle breast With his Sharp spear by fraud Made of the mistletoe,
The accursed mistletoe!
—Longpello^vv.
Used by permị88Ìon of Houghton, Mịfflin, cO Co.