And they answered,--

"In the deep sea-caves
By the sounding shore,
In the dashing waves
When the wild storms roar,
In her cold green bowers
In the northern fiords,
She lurks and she glowers,
She grasps and she hoards,
And she spreads her strong net for her prey."

Loki waited to hear no more; but he sprang into the air, and
the magic shoes carried him onwards over the water in search
of the Ocean-queen. He had not gone far when his sharp eyes
espied her, lurking near a rocky shore against which the
breakers dashed with frightful fury. Half hidden in the deep
dark water, she lay waiting and watching; and she spread her
cunning net upon the waves, and reached out with her long
greedy fingers to seize whatever booty might come near her.

When the wary queen saw Loki, she hastily drew in her net,
and tried to hide herself in the shadows of an overhanging
rock. But Loki called her by name, and said,--

"Sister Ran, fear not! I am your friend Loki, whom once you
served as a guest in AEgir's gold-lit halls."

Then the Ocean-queen came out into the bright moonlight, and
welcomed Loki to her domain, and asked, "Why does Loki thus