To Beat a God

The poems of his valiant deeds were sung throughout the halls of Asgard.
He had already gained a seat in the Great Hall. He was to be a leader of immortal armies.
The Gods themselves spoke his name. His wisdom and cunning was the stuff of legends. It was said that he could face any changes and prevail.

With him leading the immortals, there was no way they could lose in the coming  battle of Ragnarok. This caught the attention of one God who became jealous that this mere mortals cunning and intelligence were being spoken of so highly.
So he set out to prove that no mortal could be as smart as a God. Sitting under a large oak tree on a hill, overlooking a farming village that he had designed, young Ragnor Haakonson was pondering how to increase the crops yield.

As he looked over the fields, there appeared before him a tall, thin man, pale skinned with flowing brown hair. He spoke. " Hello Ragnor. Do you know who I am?"
Ragnor stood and faced the man. "Of course.
You are Loki." He was surprised that a God would appear to him, let alone know his name. "I am Loki and I have a challenge for you," the man said.

 Ragnor looked at him in confusion. "A challenge?"
"It is a simple thing," said Loki.
"Come up with a task, any task, that I as a God cannot complete and I will give you all you desire.
 Fail this and I shall take your wisdom and cunning."
"I must come up with a task you cannot complete?" Ragnor wondered aloud.
 "Yes," said Loki.
 "But I shall allow you three questions first. Come, it should not be hard for a mortal of your intelligence!"
"Very well," said Ragnor.
 "But I do not need riches.
 I accept for the challenge itself I cannot turn away from." Loki inclined his head. "Then you may ask your questions and choose a task.
" Ragnor took his time. He remembered that Loki was the God of trickery and so asked, as his first question, if Loki would promise to tell the truth on the following two questions. Loki looked amused.
"Certainly I shall tell you the truth," he said.
 "What is  your next question?" Ragnor tried to consider what question would best help in this task but his mind was wandering to the crops and how to expand their numbers in the short growing season.
 Loki was becoming a little impatient. "Come mortal, use your wits. What is your next question?" Ragnor sighed and looked at him. "Is there anywhere in the world you have not been?"
He asked. Loki's mouth curled.
"I am a God. There is nowhere that I have not been, from the Halls of Valhalla to Hel. What is your next question mortal?"
 Ragnor tried to think some more but his thoughts slid back to the crops.
If he could use the more fertile earth closer to the river banks it should increase the size of the crops.
 But then if the river flooded.....

"Your third question!" Loki snapped in impatience as he paced in front of Ragnor. "Oh yes. Sorry," said Ragnor. "Is there anywhere in the world you can not get back from?" "No," Loki responded. " No, there is nowhere in the world I can not go to or get back from. And now your task for me?" Ragnor looked out at the crops, up at the oak tree, down at the ground... "Come, come!" exclaimed Loki. "What is your great task for me? What is there I cannot do? Or are you just not as smart as you pretend to be?"

 Ragnor looked up at him. "Get lost." And Loki disappeared in a puff of smoke.