diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/44622.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/44622.txt | 5459 |
1 files changed, 5459 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/44622.txt b/old/44622.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6ec6414 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44622.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5459 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of In The Days of Giants, by Abbie Farwell Brown + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: In The Days of Giants + A Book of Norse Tales + +Author: Abbie Farwell Brown + +Illustrator: E. Boyd Smith + +Release Date: January 8, 2014 [EBook #44622] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE DAYS OF GIANTS *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Charlie Howard, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + By Abbie Farwell Brown + + + SONGS OF SIXPENCE. Illustrated. + + THEIR CITY CHRISTMAS. Illustrated. + + THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL. Illustrated. + + JOHN OF THE WOODS. Illustrated. + + FRESH POSIES. Illustrated. + + FRIENDS AND COUSINS. Illustrated. + + BROTHERS AND SISTERS. Illustrated. + + THE STAR JEWELS AND OTHER WONDERS. Illustrated. + + THE FLOWER PRINCESS. Illustrated. + + THE CURIOUS BOOK OF BIRDS. Illustrated. + + A POCKETFUL OF POSIES. Illustrated. + + IN THE DAYS OF GIANTS. Illustrated. + + THE BOOK OF SAINTS AND FRIENDLY BEASTS. Illustrated. + + THE LONESOMEST DOLL. Illustrated. + + + HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY + BOSTON AND NEW YORK + + + + +IN THE DAYS OF GIANTS + + + + +[Illustration: "I AM THE GIANT SKRYMIR" (page 150)] + + + + + IN THE DAYS OF GIANTS + A BOOK OF NORSE TALES + BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY + E. BOYD SMITH + + [Illustration] + + HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY + BOSTON AND NEW YORK + + + + +COPYRIGHT 1902 BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED + + +_Published April, 1902_ + + + + +NOW I LIKE A REALLY GOOD SAGA, ABOUT GODS AND GIANTS, AND THE FIRE +KINGDOMS, AND THE SNOW KINGDOMS, AND THE AESIR MAKING MEN AND WOMEN +OUT OF TWO STICKS, AND ALL THAT. + + KINGSLEY'S HYPATIA + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + + I. The Beginning of Things 1 + II. How Odin Lost His Eye 11 + III. Kvasir's Blood 21 + IV. The Giant Builder 35 + V. The Magic Apples 50 + VI. Skadi's Choice 70 + VII. The Dwarf's Gifts 80 + VIII. Loki's Children 98 + IX. The Quest of the Hammer 110 + X. The Giantess Who Would Not 132 + XI. Thor's Visit to the Giants 146 + XII. Thor's Fishing 172 + XIII. Thor's Duel 192 + XIV. In the Giant's House 208 + XV. Balder and the Mistletoe 226 + XVI. The Punishment of Loki 243 + + + + +_Six of these Tales, namely, The Magic Apples, The Dwarf's Gifts, The +Quest of the Hammer, In the Giant's House, Balder and the Mistletoe, +and The Punishment of Loki are, by the courteous permission of the +publishers of_ The Churchman, _reprinted from that magazine._ + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + + "I am the giant Skrymir" (page 150) _Frontispiece_ + + He flapped away with her, magic apples and all 62 + + The third gift--an enormous hammer 88 + + "Ah, what a lovely maid it is!" 122 + + Each arrow overshot his head 232 + + "Kill him! Kill him!" 256 + + + + +IN THE DAYS OF GIANTS + + + + +THE BEGINNING OF THINGS + + +The oldest stories of every race of people tell about the Beginning +of Things. But the various folk who first told them were so very +different, the tales are so very old, and have changed so greatly in +the telling from one generation to another, that there are almost as +many accounts of the way in which the world began as there are nations +upon the earth. So it is not strange that the people of the North have +a legend of the Beginning quite different from that of the Southern, +Eastern, and Western folk. + +This book is made of the stories told by the Northern folk,--the +people who live in the land of the midnight sun, where summer is green +and pleasant, but winter is a terrible time of cold and gloom; where +rocky mountains tower like huge giants, over whose heads the thunder +rolls and crashes, and under whose feet are mines of precious metals. +Therefore you will find the tales full of giants and dwarfs,--spirits +of the cold mountains and dark caverns. + +You will find the hero to be Thor, with his thunderbolt hammer, who +dwells in the happy heaven of Asgard, where All-Father Odin is king, +and where Balder the beautiful makes springtime with his smile. In the +north countries, winter, cold, and frost are very real and terrible +enemies; while spring, sunshine, and warmth are near and dear friends. +So the story of the Beginning of Things is a story of cold and heat, of +the wicked giants who loved the cold, and of the good AEsir, who basked +in pleasant warmth. + +In the very beginning of things, the stories say, there were two +worlds, one of burning heat and one of icy cold. The cold world was +in the north, and from it flowed Elivagar, a river of poisonous water +which hardened into ice and piled up into great mountains, filling the +space which had no bottom. The other world in the south was on fire +with bright flame, a place of heat most terrible. And in those days +through all space there was nothing beside these two worlds of heat +and cold. + +But then began a fierce combat. Heat and cold met and strove to destroy +each other, as they have tried to do ever since. Flaming sparks from +the hot world fell upon the ice river which flowed from the place of +cold. And though the bright sparks were quenched, in dying they wrought +mischief, as they do to-day; for they melted the ice, which dripped +and dripped, like tears from the suffering world of cold. And then, +wonderful to say, these chilly drops became alive; became a huge, +breathing mass, a Frost-Giant with a wicked heart of ice. And he was +the ancestor of all the giants who came afterwards, a bad and cruel +race. + +At that time there was no earth nor sea nor heaven, nothing but the icy +abyss without bottom, whence Ymir the giant had sprung. And there he +lived, nourished by the milk of a cow which the heat had formed. Now +the cow had nothing for her food but the snow and ice of Elivagar, and +that was cold victuals indeed! One day she was licking the icy rocks, +which tasted salty to her, when Ymir noticed that the mass was taking +a strange shape. The more the cow licked it, the plainer became the +outline of the shape. And when evening came Ymir saw thrusting itself +through the icy rock a head of hair. The next day the cow went on with +her meal, and at night-time a man's head appeared above the rock. On +the third day the cow licked away the ice until forth stepped a man, +tall and powerful and handsome. This was no evil giant, for he was +good; and, strangely, though he came from the ice his heart was warm. +He was the ancestor of the kind AEsir; for All-Father Odin and his +brothers Vili and Ve, the first of the gods, were his grandsons, and as +soon as they were born they became the enemies of the race of giants. + +Now after a few giant years,--ages and ages of time as we reckon +it,--there was a great battle, for Odin and his brothers wished to +destroy all the evil in the world and to leave only good. They attacked +the wicked giant Ymir, first of all his race, and after hard fighting +slew him. Ymir was so huge that when he died a mighty river of blood +flowed from the wounds which Odin had given him; a stream so large +that it flooded all space, and the frost-giants, his children and +grandchildren, were drowned, except one who escaped with his wife in a +chest. And but for the saving of these two, that would have been the +end of the race of giants. + +All-Father and his brothers now had work to do. Painfully they dragged +the great bulk of Ymir into the bottomless space of ice, and from it +they built the earth, the sea, and the heavens. Not an atom of his +body went to waste. His blood made the great ocean, the rivers, lakes, +and springs. His mighty bones became mountains. His teeth and broken +bones made sand and pebbles. From his skull they fashioned the arching +heaven, which they set up over the earth and sea. His brain became the +heavy clouds. His hair sprouted into trees, grass, plants, and flowers. +And last of all, the AEsir set his bristling eyebrows as a high fence +around the earth, to keep the giants away from the race of men whom +they had planned to create for this pleasant globe. + +So the earth was made. And next the gods brought light for the heavens. +They caught the sparks and cinders blown from the world of heat, and +set them here and there, above and below, as sun and moon and stars. To +each they gave its name and told what its duties were to be, and how +it must perform them, day after day, and year after year, and century +after century, till the ending of all things; so that the children of +men might reckon time without mistake. + +Sol and Mani, who drove the bright chariots of the sun and moon across +the sky, were a fair sister and brother whose father named them Sun +and Moon because they were so beautiful. So Odin gave them each a pair +of swift, bright horses to drive, and set them in the sky forever. +Once upon a time,--but that was many, many years later,--Mani, the +Man in the Moon, stole two children from the earth. Hiuki and Bil +were going to a well to draw a pail of water. The little boy and girl +carried a pole and a bucket across their shoulders, and looked so +pretty that Mani thrust down a long arm and snatched them up to his +moon. And there they are to this day, as you can see on any moonlight +night,--two little black shadows on the moon's bright face, the boy and +the girl, with the bucket between them. + +The gods also made Day and Night. Day was fair, bright, and beautiful, +for he was of the warm-hearted AEsir race. But Night was dark and +gloomy, because she was one of the cold giant-folk. Day and Night had +each a chariot drawn by a swift horse, and each in turn drove about +the world in a twenty-four hours' journey. Night rode first behind her +dark horse, Hrimfaxi, who scattered dew from his bit upon the sleeping +earth. After her came Day with his beautiful horse, Glad, whose shining +mane shot rays of light through the sky. + +All these wonders the kind gods wrought that they might make a pleasant +world for men to call their home. And now the gods, or AEsir as they +were called, must choose a place for their own dwelling, for there +were many of them, a glorious family. Outside of everything, beyond +the great ocean which surrounded the world, was Jotunheim, the cold +country where the giants lived. The green earth was made for men. The +gods therefore decided to build their city above men in the heavens, +where they could watch the doings of their favorites and protect them +from the wicked giants. Asgard was to be their city, and from Asgard +to Midgard, the home of men, stretched a wonderful bridge, a bridge of +many colors. For it was the rainbow that we know and love. Up and down +the rainbow bridge the AEsir could travel to the earth, and thus keep +close to the doings of men. + +Next, from the remnants of Ymir's body the gods made the race of little +dwarfs, a wise folk and skillful, but in nature more like the giants +than like the good AEsir; for they were spiteful and often wicked, and +they loved the dark and the cold better than light and warmth. They +lived deep down below the ground in caves and rocky dens, and it was +their business to dig the precious metals and glittering gems that were +hidden in the rocks, and to make wonderful things from the treasures +of the under-world. Pouf! pouf! went their little bellows. Tink-tank! +went their little hammers on their little anvils all day and all +night. Sometimes they were friendly to the giants, and sometimes they +did kindly deeds for the AEsir. But always after men came upon the earth +they hated these new folk who eagerly sought for the gold and the +jewels which the dwarfs kept hidden in the ground. The dwarfs lost no +chance of doing evil to the race of men. + +Now the gods were ready for the making of men. They longed to have a +race of creatures whom they could love and protect and bless with all +kinds of pleasures. So Odin, with his brothers Hoenir and Loki, crossed +the rainbow bridge and came down to the earth. They were walking along +the seashore when they found two trees, an ash and an elm. These would +do as well as anything for their purpose. Odin took the two trees and +warmly breathed upon them; and lo! they were alive, a man and a woman. +Hoenir then gently touched their foreheads, and they became wise. Lastly +Loki softly stroked their faces; their skin grew pink with ruddy color, +and they received the gifts of speech, hearing, and sight. Ask and +Embla were their names, and the ash and the elm became the father and +mother of the whole human race whose dwelling was Midgard, under the +eyes of the AEsir who had made them. + +This is the story of the Beginning of Things. + + + + +HOW ODIN LOST HIS EYE + + +In the beginning of things, before there was any world or sun, moon, +and stars, there were the giants; for these were the oldest creatures +that ever breathed. They lived in Jotunheim, the land of frost and +darkness, and their hearts were evil. Next came the gods, the good +AEsir, who made earth and sky and sea, and who dwelt in Asgard, above +the heavens. Then were created the queer little dwarfs, who lived +underground in the caverns of the mountains, working at their mines of +metal and precious stones. Last of all, the gods made men to dwell in +Midgard, the good world that we know, between which and the glorious +home of the AEsir stretched Bifroest, the bridge of rainbows. + +In those days, folk say, there was a mighty ash-tree named Yggdrasil, +so vast that its branches shaded the whole earth and stretched up +into heaven where the AEsir dwelt, while its roots sank far down below +the lowest depth. In the branches of the big ash-tree lived a queer +family of creatures. First, there was a great eagle, who was wiser +than any bird that ever lived--except the two ravens, Thought and +Memory, who sat upon Father Odin's shoulders and told him the secrets +which they learned in their flight over the wide world. Near the great +eagle perched a hawk, and four antlered deer browsed among the buds +of Yggdrasil. At the foot of the tree coiled a huge serpent, who was +always gnawing hungrily at its roots, with a whole colony of little +snakes to keep him company,--so many that they could never be counted. +The eagle at the top of the tree and the serpent at its foot were +enemies, always saying hard things of each other. Between the two +skipped up and down a little squirrel, a tale-bearer and a gossip, who +repeated each unkind remark and, like the malicious neighbor that he +was, kept their quarrel ever fresh and green. + +In one place at the roots of Yggdrasil was a fair fountain called the +Urdar-well, where the three Norn-maidens, who knew the past, present, +and future, dwelt with their pets, the two white swans. This was magic +water in the fountain, which the Norns sprinkled every day upon the +giant tree to keep it green,--water so sacred that everything which +entered it became white as the film of an eggshell. Close beside this +sacred well the AEsir had their council hall, to which they galloped +every morning over the rainbow bridge. + +But Father Odin, the king of all the AEsir, knew of another fountain +more wonderful still; the two ravens whom he sent forth to bring him +news had told him. This also was below the roots of Yggdrasil, in the +spot where the sky and ocean met. Here for centuries and centuries the +giant Mimer had sat keeping guard over his hidden well, in the bottom +of which lay such a treasure of wisdom as was to be found nowhere else +in the world. Every morning Mimer dipped his glittering horn Gioell into +the fountain and drew out a draught of the wondrous water, which he +drank to make him wise. Every day he grew wiser and wiser; and as this +had been going on ever since the beginning of things, you can scarcely +imagine how wise Mimer was. + +Now it did not seem right to Father Odin that a giant should have all +this wisdom to himself; for the giants were the enemies of the AEsir, +and the wisdom which they had been hoarding for ages before the gods +were made was generally used for evil purposes. Moreover, Odin longed +and longed to become the wisest being in the world. So he resolved to +win a draught from Mimer's well, if in any way that could be done. + +One night, when the sun had set behind the mountains of Midgard, Odin +put on his broad-brimmed hat and his striped cloak, and taking his +famous staff in his hand, trudged down the long bridge to where it +ended by Mimer's secret grotto. + +"Good-day, Mimer," said Odin, entering; "I have come for a drink from +your well." + +The giant was sitting with his knees drawn up to his chin, his long +white beard falling over his folded arms, and his head nodding; for +Mimer was very old, and he often fell asleep while watching over his +precious spring. He woke with a frown at Odin's words. "You want a +drink from my well, do you?" he growled. "Hey! I let no one drink from +my well." + +"Nevertheless, you must let me have a draught from your glittering +horn," insisted Odin, "and I will pay you for it." + +"Oho, you will pay me for it, will you?" echoed Mimer, eyeing his +visitor keenly. For now that he was wide awake, his wisdom taught him +that this was no ordinary stranger. "What will you pay for a drink from +my well, and why do you wish it so much?" + +"I can see with my eyes all that goes on in heaven and upon earth," +said Odin, "but I cannot see into the depths of ocean. I lack the +hidden wisdom of the deep,--the wit that lies at the bottom of your +fountain. My ravens tell me many secrets; but I would know all. And as +for payment, ask what you will, and I will pledge anything in return +for the draught of wisdom." + +Then Mimer's keen glance grew keener. "You are Odin, of the race of +gods," he cried. "We giants are centuries older than you, and our +wisdom which we have treasured during these ages, when we were the only +creatures in all space, is a precious thing. If I grant you a draught +from my well, you will become as one of us, a wise and dangerous +enemy. It is a goodly price, Odin, which I shall demand for a boon so +great." + +Now Odin was growing impatient for the sparkling water. "Ask your +price," he frowned. "I have promised that I will pay." + +"What say you, then, to leaving one of those far-seeing eyes of yours +at the bottom of my well?" asked Mimer, hoping that he would refuse the +bargain. "This is the only payment I will take." + +Odin hesitated. It was indeed a heavy price, and one that he could ill +afford, for he was proud of his noble beauty. But he glanced at the +magic fountain bubbling mysteriously in the shadow, and he knew that he +must have the draught. + +"Give me the glittering horn," he answered. "I pledge you my eye for a +draught to the brim." + +Very unwillingly Mimer filled the horn from the fountain of wisdom and +handed it to Odin. "Drink, then," he said; "drink and grow wise. This +hour is the beginning of trouble between your race and mine." And wise +Mimer foretold the truth. + +Odin thought merely of the wisdom which was to be his. He seized the +horn eagerly, and emptied it without delay. From that moment he became +wiser than any one else in the world except Mimer himself. + +Now he had the price to pay, which was not so pleasant. When he went +away from the grotto, he left at the bottom of the dark pool one of +his fiery eyes, which twinkled and winked up through the magic depths +like the reflection of a star. This is how Odin lost his eye, and why +from that day he was careful to pull his gray hat low over his face +when he wanted to pass unnoticed. For by this oddity folk could easily +recognize the wise lord of Asgard. + +In the bright morning, when the sun rose over the mountains of Midgard, +old Mimer drank from his bubbly well a draught of the wise water that +flowed over Odin's pledge. Doing so, from his underground grotto he saw +all that befell in heaven and on earth. So that he also was wiser by +the bargain. Mimer seemed to have secured rather the best of it; for he +lost nothing that he could not spare, while Odin lost what no man can +well part with,--one of the good windows wherethrough his heart looks +out upon the world. But there was a sequel to these doings which made +the balance swing down in Odin's favor. + +Not long after this, the AEsir quarreled with the Vanir, wild enemies of +theirs, and there was a terrible battle. But in the end the two sides +made peace; and to prove that they meant never to quarrel again, they +exchanged hostages. The Vanir gave to the AEsir old Nioerd the rich, +the lord of the sea and the ocean wind, with his two children, Frey +and Freia. This was indeed a gracious gift; for Freia was the most +beautiful maid in the world, and her twin brother was almost as fair. +To the Vanir in return Father Odin gave his own brother Hoenir. And with +Hoenir he sent Mimer the wise, whom he took from his lonely well. + +Now the Vanir made Hoenir their chief, thinking that he must be very +wise because he was the brother of great Odin, who had lately become +famous for his wisdom. They did not know the secret of Mimer's well, +how the hoary old giant was far more wise than any one who had not +quaffed of the magic water. It is true that in the assemblies of +the Vanir Hoenir gave excellent counsel. But this was because Mimer +whispered in Hoenir's ear all the wisdom that he uttered. Witless Hoenir +was quite helpless without his aid, and did not know what to do or say. +Whenever Mimer was absent he would look nervous and frightened, and if +folk questioned him he always answered:-- + +"Yes, ah yes! Now go and consult some one else." + +Of course the Vanir soon grew very angry at such silly answers from +their chief, and presently they began to suspect the truth. "Odin has +deceived us," they said. "He has sent us his foolish brother with a +witch to tell him what to say. Ha! We will show him that we understand +the trick." So they cut off poor old Mimer's head and sent it to Odin +as a present. + +The tales do not say what Odin thought of the gift. Perhaps he was glad +that now there was no one in the whole world who could be called so +wise as himself. Perhaps he was sorry for the danger into which he had +thrust a poor old giant who had never done him any wrong, except to +be a giant of the race which the AEsir hated. Perhaps he was a little +ashamed of the trick which he had played the Vanir. Odin's new wisdom +showed him how to prepare Mimer's head with herbs and charms, so that +it stood up by itself quite naturally and seemed not dead. Thenceforth +Odin kept it near him, and learned from it many useful secrets which it +had not forgotten. + +So in the end Odin fared better than the unhappy Mimer, whose worst +fault was that he knew more than most folk. That is a dangerous fault, +as others have found; though it is not one for which many of us need +fear being punished. + + + + +KVASIR'S BLOOD + + +Once upon a time there lived a man named Kvasir, who was so wise that +no one could ask him a question to which he did not know the answer, +and who was so eloquent that his words dripped from his lips like notes +of music from a lute. For Kvasir was the first poet who ever lived, the +first of those wise makers of songs whom the Norse folk named _skalds_. +This Kvasir received his precious gifts wonderfully; for he was made by +the gods and the Vanir, those two mighty races, to celebrate the peace +which was evermore to be between them. + +Up and down the world Kvasir traveled, lending his wisdom to the use of +men, his brothers; and wherever he went he brought smiles and joy and +comfort, for with his wisdom he found the cause of all men's troubles, +and with his songs he healed them. This is what the poets have been +doing in all the ages ever since. Folk declare that every skald has a +drop of Kvasir's blood in him. This is the tale which is told to show +how it happened that Kvasir's blessed skill has never been lost to the +world. + +There were two wicked dwarfs named Fialar and Galar who envied Kvasir +his power over the hearts of men, and who plotted to destroy him. So +one day they invited him to dine, and while he was there, they begged +him to come aside with them, for they had a very secret question to +ask, which only he could answer. Kvasir never refused to turn his +wisdom to another's help; so, nothing suspecting, he went with them to +hear their trouble. + +Thereupon this sly pair of wicked dwarfs led him into a lonely corner. +Treacherously they slew Kvasir; and because their cunning taught them +that his blood must be precious, they saved it in three huge kettles, +and mixing it with honey, made thereof a magic drink. Truly, a magic +drink it was; for whoever tasted of Kvasir's blood was straightway +filled with Kvasir's spirit, so that his heart taught wisdom and +his lips uttered the sweetest poesy. Thus the wicked dwarfs became +possessed of a wonderful treasure. + +When the gods missed the silver voice of Kvasir echoing up from the +world below, they were alarmed, for Kvasir was very dear to them. They +inquired what had become of him, and finally the wily dwarfs answered +that the good poet had been drowned in his own wisdom. But Father Odin, +who had tasted another wise draught from Mimer's well, knew that this +was not the truth, and kept his watchful eye upon the dark doings of +Fialar and Galar. + +Not long after this the dwarfs committed another wicked deed. They +invited the giant Gilling to row out to sea with them, and when they +were a long distance from shore, the wicked fellows upset the boat and +drowned the giant, who could not swim. They rowed back to land, and +told the giant's wife how the "accident" had happened. Then there were +giant shrieks and howls enough to deafen all the world, for the poor +giantess was heartbroken, and her grief was a giant grief. Her sobs +annoyed the cruel-hearted dwarfs. So Fialar, pretending to sympathize, +offered to take her where she could look upon the spot where her dear +husband had last been seen. As she passed through the gateway, the +other dwarf, to whom his brother had made a sign, let a huge millstone +fall upon her head. That was the ending of her, poor thing, and of her +sorrow, which had so disturbed the little people, crooked in heart as +in body. + +But punishment was in store for them. Suttung, the huge son of Gilling, +learned the story of his parents' death, and presently, in a dreadful +rage, he came roaring to the home of the dwarfs. He seized one of them +in each big fist, and wading far out to sea, set the wretched little +fellows on a rock which at high tide would be covered with water. + +"Stay there," he cried, "and drown as my father drowned!" The dwarfs +screamed thereat for mercy so loudly that he had to listen before he +went away. + +"Only let us off, Suttung," they begged, "and you shall have the +precious mead made from Kvasir's blood." + +Now Suttung was very anxious to own this same mead, so at last he +agreed to the bargain. He carried them back to land, and they gave him +the kettles in which they had mixed the magic fluid. Suttung took them +away to his cave in the mountains, and gave them in charge of his fair +daughter Gunnloed. All day and all night she watched by the precious +kettles, to see that no one came to steal or taste of the mead; for +Suttung thought of it as his greatest treasure, and no wonder. + +Father Odin had seen all these deeds from his seat above the heavens, +and his eye had followed longingly the passage of the wondrous mead, +for Odin longed to have a draught of it. Odin had wisdom, he had +drained that draught from the bottom of Mimer's mystic fountain; but +he lacked the skill of speech which comes of drinking Kvasir's blood. +He wanted the mead for himself and for his children in Asgard, and it +seemed a shame that this precious treasure should be wasted upon the +wicked giants who were their enemies. So he resolved to try if it might +not be won in some sly way. + +One day he put on his favorite disguise as a wandering old man, and set +out for Giant Land, where Suttung dwelt. By and by he came to a field +where nine workmen were cutting hay. Now these were the servants of +Baugi, the brother of Suttung, and this Odin knew. He walked up to the +men and watched them working for a little while. + +"Ho!" he exclaimed at last, "your scythes are dull. Shall I whet +them for you?" The men were glad enough to accept his offer, so Odin +took a whetstone from his pocket and sharpened all the scythes most +wonderfully. Then the men wanted to buy the stone; each man would have +it for his own, and they fell to quarreling over it. To make matters +more exciting, Odin tossed the whetstone into their midst, saying:-- + +"Let him have it who catches it!" Then indeed there was trouble! The +men fought with one another for the stone, slashing right and left with +their sharp scythes until every one was killed. Odin hastened away, +and went up to the house where Baugi lived. Presently home came Baugi, +complaining loudly and bitterly because his quarrelsome servants had +killed one another, so that there was not one left to do his work. + +"What am I going to do?" he cried. "Here it is mowing time, and I have +not a single man to help me in the field!" + +Then Odin spoke up. "I will help you," he said. "I am a stout fellow, +and I can do the work of nine men if I am paid the price I ask." + +"What is the price which you ask?" queried Baugi eagerly, for he saw +that this stranger was a mighty man, and he thought that perhaps he +could do as he boasted. + +"I ask that you get for me a drink of Suttung's mead," Odin answered. + +Then Baugi eyed him sharply. "You are one of the gods," he said, "or +you would not know about the precious mead. Therefore I know that you +can do my work, the work of nine men. I cannot give you the mead. It +is my brother's, and he is very jealous of it, for he wishes it all +himself. But if you will work for me all the summer, when winter comes +I will go with you to Suttung's home and try what I can do to get a +draught for you." + +So they made the bargain, and all summer Father Odin worked in the +fields of Baugi, doing the work of nine men. When the winter came, he +demanded his pay. So then they set out for Suttung's home, which was +a cave deep down in the mountains, where it seems not hard to hide +one's treasures. First Baugi went to his brother and told him of the +agreement between him and the stranger, begging for a gift of the magic +mead wherewith to pay the stout laborer who had done the work of nine. +But Suttung refused to spare even a taste of the precious liquor. + +"This laborer of yours is one of the gods, our enemies," he said. +"Indeed, I will not give him of the precious mead. What are you +thinking of, brother!" Then he talked to Baugi till the giant was ready +to forget his promise to Odin, and to desire only the death of the +stranger who had come forward to help him. + +Baugi returned to Odin with the news that the mead was not to be had +with Suttung's consent. "Then we must get it without his consent," +declared Odin. "We must use our wits to steal it from under his nose. +You must help me, Baugi, for you have promised." + +Baugi agreed to this; but in his heart he meant to entrap Odin to his +death. Odin now took from his pocket an auger such as one uses to bore +holes. "Look, now," he said. "You shall bore a hole into the roof of +Suttung's cave, and when the hole is large enough, I will crawl through +and get the mead." + +"Very well," nodded Baugi, and he began to bore into the mountain with +all his might and main. At last he cried, "There, it is done; the +mountain is pierced through!" But when Odin blew into the hole to see +whether it did indeed go through into the cave, the dust made by the +auger flew into his face. Thus he knew that Baugi was deceiving him, +and thenceforth he was on his guard, which was fortunate. + +"Try again," said Odin sternly. "Bore a little deeper, friend Baugi." +So Baugi went at the work once more, and this time when he said the +hole was finished, Odin found that his word was true, for the dust blew +through the hole and disappeared in the cave. Now Odin was ready to try +the plan which he had been forming. + +Odin's wisdom taught him many tricks, and among them he knew the secret +of changing his form into that of any creature he chose. He turned +himself into a worm,--a long, slender, wiggly worm, just small enough +to be able to enter the hole that Baugi had pierced. In a moment he +had thrust his head into the opening, and was wriggling out of sight +before Baugi had even guessed what he meant to do. Baugi jumped forward +and made a stab at him with the pointed auger, but it was too late. +The worm's striped tail quivered in out of sight, and Baugi's wicked +attempt was spoiled. + +When Odin had crept through the hole, he found himself in a dark, +damp cavern, where at first he could see nothing. He changed himself +back into his own noble form, and then he began to hunt about for the +kettles of magic mead. Presently he came to a little chamber, carefully +hidden in a secret corner of this secret grotto,--a chamber locked and +barred and bolted on the inside, so that no one could enter by the +door. Suttung had never thought of such a thing as that a stranger +might enter by a hole in the roof! + +At the back of this tiny room stood three kettles upon the floor; and +beside them, with her head resting on her elbow, sat a beautiful +maiden, sound asleep. It was Gunnloed, Suttung's daughter, the guardian +of the mead. Odin stepped up to her very softly, and bending over, +kissed her gently upon the forehead. Gunnloed awoke with a start, and at +first she was horrified to find a stranger in the cave where it seemed +impossible that a stranger could enter. But when she saw the beauty of +Odin's face and the kind look of his eye, she was no longer afraid, but +glad that he had come. For poor Gunnloed often grew lonesome in this +gloomy cellar-home, where Suttung kept her prisoner day and night to +watch over the three kettles. + +"Dear maiden," said Odin, "I have come a long, long distance to see +you. Will you not bid me stay a little while?" + +Gunnloed looked at him kindly. "Who are you, and whence do you come so +far to see me?" she asked. + +"I am Odin, from Asgard. The way is long and I am thirsty. Shall I not +taste the liquor which you have there?" + +Gunnloed hesitated. "My father bade me never let soul taste of the +mead," she said "I am sorry for you, however, poor fellow. You look +very tired and thirsty. You may have one little sip." Then Odin kissed +her and thanked her, and tarried there with such pleasant words for +the maiden that before he was ready to go she granted him what he +asked,--three draughts, only three draughts of the mead. + +Now Odin took up the first kettle to drink, and with one draught he +drained the whole. He did the same by the next, and the next, till +before she knew it, Gunnloed found herself guarding three empty kettles. +Odin had gained what he came for, and it was time for him to be gone +before Suttung should come to seek him in the cave. He kissed fair +Gunnloed once again, with a sigh to think that he must treat her so +unfairly. Then he changed himself into an eagle, and away he flew to +carry the precious mead home to Asgard. + +Meanwhile Baugi had told the giant Suttung how Odin the worm had +pierced through into his treasure-cave; and when Suttung, who was +watching, saw the great eagle fly forth, he guessed who this eagle must +be. Suttung also put on an eagle's plumage, and a wonderful chase +began. Whirr, whirr! The two enormous birds winged their way toward +Asgard, Suttung close upon the other's flight. Over the mountains +they flew, and the world was darkened as if by the passage of heavy +storm-clouds, while the trees, blown by the breeze from their wings, +swayed, and bent almost to the ground. + +It was a close race; but Odin was the swifter of the two, and at last +he had the mead safe in Asgard, where the gods were waiting with huge +dishes to receive it from his mouth. Suttung was so close upon him, +however, that he jostled Odin even as he was filling the last dish, and +some of the mead was spilled about in every direction over the world. +Men rushed from far and near to taste of these wasted drops of Kvasir's +blood, and many had just enough to make them dizzy, but not enough +to make them wise. These folk are the poor poets, the makers of bad +verses, whom one finds to this day satisfied with their meagre, stolen +portion, scattered drops of the sacred draught. + +The mead that Odin had captured he gave to the gods, a wondrous gift; +and they in turn cherished it as their most precious treasure. It was +given into the special charge of old Bragi of the white beard, because +his taste of the magic mead had made him wise and eloquent above all +others. He was the sweetest singer of all the AEsir, and his speech +was poetry. Sometimes Bragi gave a draught of Kvasir's blood to some +favored mortal, and then he also became a great poet. He did not do +this often,--only once or twice in the memory of an old man; for the +precious mead must be made to last a long, long time, until the world +be ready to drop to pieces, because this world without its poets would +be too dreadful a place to imagine. + + + + +THE GIANT BUILDER + + +Ages and ages ago, when the world was first made, the gods decided to +build a beautiful city high above the heavens, the most glorious and +wonderful city that ever was known. Asgard was to be its name, and it +was to stand on Ida Plain under the shade of Yggdrasil, the great tree +whose roots were underneath the earth. + +First of all they built a house with a silver roof, where there were +seats for all the twelve chiefs. In the midst, and high above the +rest, was the wonder-throne of Odin the All-Father, whence he could +see everything that happened in the sky or on the earth or in the sea. +Next they made a fair house for Queen Frigg and her lovely daughters. +Then they built a smithy, with its great hammers, tongs, anvils, and +bellows, where the gods could work at their favorite trade, the making +of beautiful things out of gold; which they did so well that folk name +that time the Golden Age. Afterwards, as they had more leisure, they +built separate houses for all the AEsir, each more beautiful than the +preceding, for of course they were continually growing more skillful. +They saved Father Odin's palace until the last, for they meant this to +be the largest and the most splendid of all. + +Gladsheim, the home of joy, was the name of Odin's house, and it was +built all of gold, set in the midst of a wood whereof the trees had +leaves of ruddy gold,--like an autumn-gilded forest. For the safety of +All-Father it was surrounded by a roaring river and by a high picket +fence; and there was a great courtyard within. + +The glory of Gladsheim was its wondrous hall, radiant with gold, the +most lovely room that time has ever seen. Valhalla, the Hall of Heroes, +was the name of it, and it was roofed with the mighty shields of +warriors. The ceiling was made of interlacing spears, and there was a +portal at the west end before which hung a great gray wolf, while over +him a fierce eagle hovered. The hall was so huge that it had 540 gates, +through each of which 800 men could march abreast. Indeed, there needed +to be room, for this was the hall where every morning Odin received +all the brave warriors who had died in battle on the earth below; and +there were many heroes in those days. + +This was the reward which the gods gave to courage. When a hero had +gloriously lost his life, the Valkyries, the nine warrior daughters +of Odin, brought his body up to Valhalla on their white horses that +gallop the clouds. There they lived forever after in happiness, +enjoying the things that they had most loved upon earth. Every morning +they armed themselves and went out to fight with one another in the +great courtyard. It was a wondrous game, wondrously played. No matter +how often a hero was killed, he became alive again in time to return +perfectly well to Valhalla, where he ate a delicious breakfast with the +AEsir; while the beautiful Valkyries who had first brought him thither +waited at table and poured the blessed mead, which only the immortal +taste. A happy life it was for the heroes, and a happy life for all who +dwelt in Asgard; for this was before trouble had come among the gods, +following the mischief of Loki. + +This is how the trouble began. From the beginning of time, the giants +had been unfriendly to the AEsir, because the giants were older and +huger and more wicked; besides, they were jealous because the good AEsir +were fast gaining more wisdom and power than the giants had ever known. +It was the AEsir who set the fair brother and sister, Sun and Moon, in +the sky to give light to men; and it was they also who made the jeweled +stars out of sparks from the place of fire. The giants hated the AEsir, +and tried all in their power to injure them and the men of the earth +below, whom the AEsir loved and cared for. The gods had already built a +wall around Midgard, the world of men, to keep the giants out; built it +of the bushy eyebrows of Ymir, the oldest and hugest of giants. Between +Asgard and the giants flowed Ifing, the great river on which ice never +formed, and which the gods crossed on the rainbow bridge. But this was +not protection enough. Their beautiful new city needed a fortress. + +So the word went forth in Asgard,--"We must build us a fortress against +the giants; the hugest, strongest, finest fortress that ever was +built." + +Now one day, soon after they had announced this decision, there came a +mighty man stalking up the rainbow bridge that led to Asgard city. + +"Who goes there!" cried Heimdal the watchman, whose eyes were so keen +that he could see for a hundred miles around, and whose ears were so +sharp that he could hear the grass growing in the meadow and the wool +on the backs of the sheep. "Who goes there! No one can enter Asgard if +I say no." + +"I am a builder," said the stranger, who was a huge fellow with sleeves +rolled up to show the iron muscles of his arms. "I am a builder of +strong towers, and I have heard that the folk of Asgard need one to +help them raise a fair fortress in their city." + +Heimdal looked at the stranger narrowly, for there was that about him +which his sharp eyes did not like. But he made no answer, only blew +on his golden horn, which was so loud that it sounded through all the +world. At this signal all the AEsir came running to the rainbow bridge, +from wherever they happened to be, to find out who was coming to +Asgard. For it was Heimdal's duty ever to warn them of the approach of +the unknown. + +"This fellow says he is a builder," quoth Heimdal. "And he would fain +build us a fortress in the city." + +"Ay, that I would," nodded the stranger. "Look at my iron arm; look at +my broad back; look at my shoulders. Am I not the workman you need?" + +"Truly, he is a mighty figure," vowed Odin, looking at him approvingly. +"How long will it take you alone to build our fortress? We can allow +but one stranger at a time within our city, for safety's sake." + +"In three half-years," replied the stranger, "I will undertake to build +for you a castle so strong that not even the giants, should they swarm +hither over Midgard,--not even they could enter without your leave." + +"Aha!" cried Father Odin, well pleased at this offer. "And what reward +do you ask, friend, for help so timely?" + +The stranger hummed and hawed and pulled his long beard while he +thought. Then he spoke suddenly, as if the idea had just come into his +mind. "I will name my price, friends," he said; "a small price for so +great a deed. I ask you to give me Freia for my wife, and those two +sparkling jewels, the Sun and Moon." + +At this demand the gods looked grave; for Freia was their dearest +treasure. She was the most beautiful maid who ever lived, the light and +life of heaven, and if she should leave Asgard, joy would go with her; +while the Sun and Moon were the light and life of the AEsir's children, +men, who lived in the little world below. But Loki the sly whispered +that they would be safe enough if they made another condition on their +part, so hard that the builder could not fulfill it. After thinking +cautiously, he spoke for them all. + +"Mighty man," quoth he, "we are willing to agree to your price--upon +one condition. It is too long a time that you ask; we cannot wait three +half-years for our castle; that is equal to three centuries when one is +in a hurry. See that you finish the fort without help in one winter, +one short winter, and you shall have fair Freia with the Sun and Moon. +But if, on the first day of summer, one stone is wanting to the walls, +or if any one has given you aid in the building, then your reward is +lost, and you shall depart without payment." So spoke Loki, in the name +of all the gods; but the plan was his own. + +At first the stranger shook his head and frowned, saying that in so +short a time no one unaided could complete the undertaking. At last +he made another offer. "Let me have but my good horse to help me, and +I will try," he urged. "Let me bring the useful Svadilfoeri with me to +the task, and I will finish the work in one winter of short days, or +lose my reward. Surely, you will not deny me this little help, from one +four-footed friend." + +Then again the AEsir consulted, and the wiser of them were doubtful +whether it were best to accept the stranger's offer so strangely made. +But again Loki urged them to accept. "Surely, there is no harm," he +said. "Even with his old horse to help him, he cannot build the castle +in the promised time. We shall gain a fortress without trouble and with +never a price to pay." + +Loki was so eager that, although the other AEsir did not like this +crafty way of making bargains, they finally consented. Then in the +presence of the heroes, with the Valkyries and Mimer's head for +witnesses, the stranger and the AEsir gave solemn promise that the +bargain should be kept. + +On the first day of winter the strange builder began his work, and +wondrous was the way he set about it. His strength seemed as the +strength of a hundred men. As for his horse Svadilfoeri, he did more +work by half than even the mighty builder. In the night he dragged +the enormous rocks that were to be used in building the castle, rocks +as big as mountains of the earth; while in the daytime the stranger +piled them into place with his iron arms. The AEsir watched him with +amazement; never was seen such strength in Asgard. Neither Tyr the +stout nor Thor the strong could match the power of the stranger. The +gods began to look at one another uneasily. Who was this mighty one who +had come among them, and what if after all he should win his reward? +Freia trembled in her palace, and the Sun and Moon grew dim with fear. + +Still the work went on, and the fort was piling higher and higher, +by day and by night. There were but three days left before the end of +winter, and already the building was so tall and so strong that it was +safe from the attacks of any giant. The AEsir were delighted with their +fine new castle; but their pride was dimmed by the fear that it must be +paid for at all too costly a price. For only the gateway remained to be +completed, and unless the stranger should fail to finish that in the +next three days, they must give him Freia with the Sun and Moon. + +The AEsir held a meeting upon Ida Plain, a meeting full of fear and +anger. At last they realized what they had done; they had made a +bargain with one of the giants, their enemies; and if he won the prize, +it would mean sorrow and darkness in heaven and upon earth. "How did +we happen to agree to so mad a bargain?" they asked one another. "Who +suggested the wicked plan which bids fair to cost us all that we most +cherish?" Then they remembered that it was Loki who had made the plan; +it was he who had insisted that it be carried out and they blamed him +for all the trouble. + +"It is your counsels, Loki, that have brought this danger upon us," +quoth Father Odin, frowning. "You chose the way of guile, which is not +our way. It now remains for you to help us by guile, if you can. But if +you cannot save for us Freia and the Sun and Moon, you shall die. This +is my word." All the other AEsir agreed that this was just. Thor alone +was away hunting evil demons at the other end of the world, so he did +not know what was going on, and what dangers were threatening Asgard. + +Loki was much frightened at the word of All-Father. "It was my fault," +he cried, "but how was I to know that he was a giant? He had disguised +himself so that he seemed but a strong man. And as for his horse,--it +looks much like that of other folk. If it were not for the horse, he +could not finish the work. Ha! I have a thought! The builder shall not +finish the gate; the giant shall not receive his payment. I will cheat +the fellow." + +Now it was the last night of winter, and there remained but a few +stones to put in place on the top of the wondrous gateway. The giant +was sure of his prize, and chuckled to himself as he went out with his +horse to drag the remaining stones; for he did not know that the AEsir +had guessed at last who he was, and that Loki was plotting to outwit +him. Hardly had he gone to work when out of the wood came running a +pretty little mare, who neighed to Svadilfoeri as if inviting the tired +horse to leave his work and come to the green fields for a holiday. + +Svadilfoeri, you must remember, had been working hard all winter, with +never a sight of four-footed creature of his kind, and he was very +lonesome and tired of dragging stones. Giving a snort of disobedience, +off he ran after this new friend towards the grassy meadows. Off went +the giant after him, howling with rage, and running for dear life, as +he saw not only his horse but his chance of success slipping out of +reach. It was a mad chase, and all Asgard thundered with the noise of +galloping hoofs and the giant's mighty tread. The mare who raced ahead +was Loki in disguise, and he led Svadilfoeri far out of reach, to a +hidden meadow that he knew; so that the giant howled and panted up and +down all night long, without catching even a sight of his horse. + +Now when the morning came the gateway was still unfinished, and night +and winter had ended at the same hour. The giant's time was over, and +he had forfeited his reward. The AEsir came flocking to the gateway, and +how they laughed and triumphed when they found three stones wanting to +complete the gate! + +"You have failed, fellow," judged Father Odin sternly, "and no price +shall we pay for work that is still undone. You have failed. Leave +Asgard quickly; we have seen all we want of you and of your race." + +Then the giant knew that he was discovered, and he was mad with rage. +"It was a trick!" he bellowed, assuming his own proper form, which +was huge as a mountain, and towered high beside the fortress that he +had built. "It was a wicked trick. You shall pay for this in one way +or another. I cannot tear down the castle which, ungrateful ones, I +have built you, stronger than the strength of any giant. But I will +demolish the rest of your shining city!" Indeed, he would have done so +in his mighty rage; but at this moment Thor, whom Heimdal had called +from the end of the earth by one blast of the golden horn, came rushing +to the rescue, drawn in his chariot of goats. Thor jumped to the ground +close beside the giant, and before that huge fellow knew what had +happened, his head was rolling upon the ground at Father Odin's feet; +for with one blow Thor had put an end to the giant's wickedness and had +saved Asgard. + +"This is the reward you deserve!" Thor cried. "Not Freia nor the Sun +and Moon, but the death that I have in store for all the enemies of the +AEsir." + +In this extraordinary way the noble city of Asgard was made safe and +complete by the addition of a fortress which no one, not even the giant +who built it, could injure, it was so wonder-strong. But always at the +top of the gate were lacking three great stones that no one was mighty +enough to lift. This was a reminder to the AEsir that now they had the +race of giants for their everlasting enemies. And though Loki's trick +had saved them Freia, and for the world the Sun and Moon, it was the +beginning of trouble in Asgard which lasted as long as Loki lived to +make mischief with his guile. + + + + +THE MAGIC APPLES + + +It is not very amusing to be a king. Father Odin often grew tired of +sitting all day long upon his golden throne in Valhalla above the +heavens. He wearied of welcoming the new heroes whom the Valkyries +brought him from wars upon the earth, and of watching the old heroes +fight their daily deathless battles. He wearied of his wise ravens, and +the constant gossip which they brought him from the four corners of +the world; and he longed to escape from every one who knew him to some +place where he could pass for a mere stranger, instead of the great +king of the AEsir, the mightiest being in the whole universe, of whom +every one was afraid. + +Sometimes he longed so much that he could not bear it. Then--he would +run away. He disguised himself as a tall old man, with white hair and a +long gray beard. Around his shoulders he threw a huge blue cloak, that +covered him from top to toe, and over his face he pulled a big slouch +hat, to hide his eyes. For his eyes Odin could not change--no magician +has ever learned how to do that. One was empty; he had given the eye to +the giant Mimer in exchange for wisdom. + +Usually Odin loved to go upon these wanderings alone; for an adventure +is a double adventure when one meets it single-handed. It was a fine +game for Odin to see how near he could come to danger without feeling +the grip of its teeth. But sometimes, when he wanted company, he would +whisper to his two brothers, Hoenir and red Loki. They three would creep +out of the palace by the back way; and, with a finger on the lip to +Heimdal, the watchman, would silently steal over the rainbow bridge +which led from Asgard into the places of men and dwarfs and giants. + +Wonderful adventures they had, these three, with Loki to help make +things happen. Loki was a sly, mischievous fellow, full of his pranks +and his capers, not always kindly ones. But he was clever, as well as +malicious; and when he had pushed folk into trouble, he could often +help them out again, as safe as ever. He could be the jolliest of +companions when he chose, and Odin liked his merriment and his witty +talk. + +One day Loki did something which was no mere jest nor easily forgiven, +for it brought all Asgard into danger. And after that Father Odin and +his children thought twice before inviting Loki to join them in any +journey or undertaking. This which I am about to tell was the first +really wicked deed of which Loki was found guilty, though I am sure his +red beard had dabbled in secret wrongs before. + +One night the three high gods, Odin, Hoenir, and Loki, stole away from +Asgard in search of adventure. Over mountains and deserts, great rivers +and stony places, they wandered until they grew very hungry. But there +was no food to be found--not even a berry or a nut. + +Oh, how footsore and tired they were! And oh, how faint! The worst of +it ever is that--as you must often have noticed--the heavier one's feet +grow, the lighter and more hollow becomes one's stomach; which seems a +strange thing, when you think of it. If only one's feet became as light +as the rest of one feels, folk could fairly fly with hunger. Alas! +this is not so. + +The three AEsir drooped and drooped, and seemed on the point of +starving, when they came to the edge of a valley. Here, looking down, +they saw a herd of oxen feeding on the grass. + +"Hola!" shouted Loki. "Behold our supper!" Going down into the valley, +they caught and killed one of the oxen, and, building a great bonfire, +hung up the meat to roast. Then the three sat around the fire and +smacked their lips, waiting for the meat to cook. They waited for a +long time. + +"Surely, it is done now," said Loki, at last; and he took the meat +from the fire. Strange to say, however, it was raw as ere the fire was +lighted. What could it mean? Never before had meat required so long a +time to roast. They made the fire brighter and re-hung the beef for a +thorough basting, cooking it even longer than they had done at first. +When again they came to carve the meat, they found it still uneatable. +Then, indeed, they looked at one another in surprise. + +"What can this mean?" cried Loki, with round eyes. + +"There is some trick!" whispered Hoenir, looking around as if he +expected to see a fairy or a witch meddling with the food. + +"We must find out what this mystery betokens," said Odin thoughtfully. +Just then there was a strange sound in the oak-tree under which they +had built their fire. + +"What is that?" Loki shouted, springing to his feet. They looked up +into the tree, and far above in the branches, near the top, they spied +an enormous eagle, who was staring down at them, and making a queer +sound, as if he were laughing. + +"Ho-ho!" croaked the eagle. "I know why your meat will not cook. It is +all my doing, masters." + +The three AEsir stared in surprise. Then Odin said sternly: "Who are +you, Master Eagle? And what do you mean by those rude words?" + +"Give me my share of the ox, and you shall see," rasped the eagle, in +his harsh voice. "Give me my share, and you will find that your meat +will cook as fast as you please." + +Now the three on the ground were nearly famished. So, although it +seemed very strange to be arguing with an eagle, they cried, as if in +one voice: "Come down, then, and take your share." They thought that, +being a mere bird, he would want but a small piece. + +The eagle flapped down from the top of the tree. Dear me! What a mighty +bird he was! Eight feet across the wings was the smallest measure, +and his claws were as long and strong as ice-hooks. He fanned the air +like a whirlwind as he flew down to perch beside the bonfire. Then in +his beak and claws he seized a leg and both shoulders of the ox, and +started to fly away. + +"Hold, thief!" roared Loki angrily, when he saw how much the eagle was +taking. "That is not your share; you are no lion, but you are taking +the lion's share of our feast. Begone, Scarecrow, and leave the meat as +you found it!" Thereat, seizing a pole, he struck at the eagle with all +his might. + +Then a strange thing happened. As the great bird flapped upward with +his prey, giving a scream of malicious laughter, the pole which Loki +still held stuck fast to the eagle's back, and Loki was unable to let +go of the other end. + +"Help, help!" he shouted to Odin and to Hoenir, as he felt himself +lifted off his feet. But they could not help him. "Help, help!" he +screamed, as the eagle flew with him, now high, now low, through brush +and bog and briar, over treetops and the peaks of mountains. On and on +they went, until Loki thought his arm would be pulled out, like a weed +torn up by the roots. The eagle would not listen to his cries nor pause +in his flight, until Loki was almost dead with pain and fatigue. + +"Hark you, Loki," screamed the eagle, going a little more slowly; "no +one can help you except me. You are bewitched, and you cannot pull away +from this pole, nor loose the pole from me, until I choose. But if you +will promise what I ask, you shall go free." + +Then Loki groaned: "O eagle, only let me go, and tell me who you really +are, and I will promise whatever you wish." + +The eagle answered: "I am the giant Thiasse, the enemy of the AEsir. But +you ought to love me, Loki, for you yourself married a giantess." + +Loki moaned: "Oh, yes! I dearly love all my wife's family, great +Thiasse. Tell me what you want of me?" + +"I want this," quoth Thiasse gruffly. "I am growing old, and I want the +apples which Idun keeps in her golden casket, to make me young again. +You must get them for me." + +Now these apples were the fruit of a magic tree, and were more +beautiful to look at and more delicious to taste than any fruit that +ever grew. The best thing about them was that whoever tasted one, be +he ever so old, grew young and strong again. The apples belonged to +a beautiful lady named Idun, who kept them in a golden casket. Every +morning the AEsir came to her to be refreshed and made over by a bite +of her precious fruit. That is why in Asgard no one ever waxed old or +ugly. Even Father Odin, Hoenir, and Loki, the three travelers who had +seen the very beginning of everything, when the world was made, were +still sturdy and young. And so long as Idun kept her apples safe, the +faces of the family who sat about the table of Valhalla would be rosy +and fair like the faces of children. + +"O friend giant!" cried Loki. "You know not what you ask! The apples +are the most precious treasure of Asgard, and Idun keeps watch over +them as if they were dearer to her than life itself. I never could +steal them from her, Thiasse; for at her call all Asgard would rush to +the rescue, and trouble would buzz about my ears like a hive of bees +let loose." + +"Then you must steal Idun herself, apples and all. For the apples I +must have, and you have promised, Loki, to do my bidding." + +Loki sniffed and thought, thought and sniffed again. Already his +mischievous heart was planning how he might steal Idun away. He could +hardly help laughing to think how angry the AEsir would be when they +found their beauty-medicine gone forever. But he hoped that, when he +had done this trick for Thiasse, now and then the giant would let him +have a nibble of the magic apples; so that Loki himself would remain +young long after the other AEsir were grown old and feeble. This thought +suited Loki's malicious nature well. + +"I think I can manage it for you, Thiasse," he said craftily. "In a +week I promise to bring Idun and her apples to you. But you must not +forget the great risk which I am running, nor that I am your relative +by marriage. I may have a favor to ask in return, Thiasse." + +Then the eagle gently dropped Loki from his claws. Falling on a soft +bed of moss, Loki jumped up and ran back to his traveling companions, +who were glad and surprised to see him again. They had feared that the +eagle was carrying him away to feed his young eaglets in some far-off +nest. Ah, you may be sure that Loki did not tell them who the eagle +really was, nor confess the wicked promise which he had made about Idun +and her apples. + +After that the three went back to Asgard, for they had had adventure +enough for one day. + +The days flew by, and the time came when Loki must fulfill his promise +to Thiasse. So one morning he strolled out into the meadow where Idun +loved to roam among the flowers. There he found her, sitting by a tiny +spring, and holding her precious casket of apples on her lap. She was +combing her long golden hair, which fell from under a wreath of spring +flowers, and she was very beautiful. Her green robe was embroidered +with buds and blossoms of silk in many colors, and she wore a golden +girdle about her waist. She smiled as Loki came, and tossed him a posy, +saying: "Good-morrow, red Loki. Have you come for a bite of my apples? +I see a wrinkle over each of your eyes which I can smooth away." + +"Nay, fair lady," answered Loki politely, "I have just nibbled of +another apple, which I found this morning. Verily, I think it is +sweeter and more magical than yours." + +Idun was hurt and surprised. + +"That cannot be, Loki," she cried. "There are no apples anywhere like +mine. Where found you this fine fruit?" and she wrinkled up her little +nose scornfully. + +"Oho! I will not tell any one the place," chuckled Loki, "except that +it is not far, in a little wood. There is a gnarled old apple-tree, and +on its branches grow the most beautiful red-cheeked apples you ever +saw. But you could never find it." + +"I should like to see these apples, Loki, if only to prove how far +less good they are than mine. Will you bring me some?" + +"That I will not," said Loki teasingly. "Oh, no! I have my own magic +apples now, and folk will be coming to me for help instead of to you." + +Idun began to coax him, as he had guessed that she would: "Please, +please, Loki, show me the place!" + +At first he would not, for he was a sly fellow, and knew how to lead +her on. At last, he pretended to yield. + +"Well, then, because I love you, Idun, better than all the rest, I +will show you the place, if you will come with me. But it must be a +secret--no one must ever know." + +All girls like secrets. + +"Yes--yes!" cried Idun eagerly. "Let us steal away now, while no one is +looking." + +This was just what Loki hoped for. + +"Bring your own apples," he said, "that we may compare them with mine. +But I know mine are better." + +"I know mine are the best in all the world," returned Idun, pouting. "I +will bring them, to show you the difference." + +Off they started together, she with the golden casket under her arm; +and Loki chuckled wickedly as they went. He led her for some distance, +further than she had ever strayed before, and at last she grew +frightened. + +"Where are you taking me, Loki?" she cried. "You said it was not far. I +see no little wood, no old apple-tree." + +"It is just beyond, just a little step beyond," he answered. So on +they went. But that little step took them beyond the boundary of +Asgard--just a little step beyond, into the space where the giants +lurked and waited for mischief. + +Then there was a rustling of wings, and _whirr-rr-rr_! Down came +Thiasse in his eagle dress. Before Idun suspected what was happening, +he fastened his claws into her girdle and flapped away with her, magic +apples and all, to his palace in Jotunheim, the Land of Giants. + +[Illustration: HE FLAPPED AWAY WITH HER, MAGIC APPLES AND ALL] + +Loki stole back to Asgard, thinking that he was quite safe, and that +no one would discover his villainy. At first Idun was not missed. +But after a little the gods began to feel signs of age, and went +for their usual bite of her apples. Then they found that she had +disappeared, and a great terror fell upon them. Where had she gone? +Suppose she should not come back! + +The hours and days went by, and still she did not return. Their fright +became almost a panic. Their hair began to turn gray, and their limbs +grew stiff and gouty so that they hobbled down Asgard streets. Even +Freia, the loveliest, was afraid to look in her mirror, and Balder the +beautiful grew pale and haggard. The happy land of Asgard was like a +garden over which a burning wind had blown,--all the flower-faces were +faded and withered, and springtime was turned into yellow fall. + +If Idun and her apples were not quickly found, the gods seemed likely +to shrivel and blow away like autumn leaves. They held a council to +inquire into the matter, endeavoring to learn who had seen Idun last, +and whither she had gone. It turned out that one morning Heimdal had +seen her strolling out of Asgard with Loki, and no one had seen her +since. Then the gods understood; Loki was the last person who had been +with her--this must be one of Loki's tricks. They were filled with +anger. They seized and bound Loki and brought him before the council. +They threatened him with torture and with death unless he should tell +the truth. And Loki was so frightened that finally he confessed what he +had done. + +Then indeed there was horror in Asgard. Idun stolen away by a wicked +giant! Idun and her apples lost, and Asgard growing older every minute! +What was to be done? Big Thor seized Loki and threw him up in the air +again and again, so that his heels touched first the moon and then the +sea; you can still see the marks upon the moon's white face. "If you do +not bring Idun back from the land of your wicked wife, you shall have +worse than this!" he roared. "Go and bring her _now_." + +"How can I do that?" asked Loki, trembling. + +"That is for you to find," growled Thor. "Bring her you must. Go!" + +Loki thought for a moment. Then he said:-- + +"I will bring her back if Freia will loan me her falcon dress. The +giant dresses as an eagle. I, too, must guise me as a bird, or we +cannot outwit him." + +Then Freia hemmed and hawed. She did not wish to loan her feather +dress, for it was very precious. But all the AEsir begged; and finally +she consented. + +It was a beautiful great dress of brown feathers and gray, and in it +Freia loved to skim like a falcon among the clouds and stars. Loki put +it on, and when he had done so he looked exactly like a great brown +hawk. Only his bright black eyes remained the same, glancing here and +there, so that they lost sight of nothing. + +With a whirr of his wings Loki flew off to the north, across mountains +and valleys and the great river Ifing, which lay between Asgard and +Giant Land. And at last he came to the palace of Thiasse the giant. + +It happened, fortunately, that Thiasse had gone fishing in the sea, and +Idun was left alone, weeping and broken-hearted. Presently she heard a +little tap on her window, and, looking up, she saw a great brown bird +perching on the ledge. He was so big that Idun was frightened and gave +a scream. But the bird nodded pleasantly and croaked: "Don't be afraid, +Idun. I am a friend. I am Loki, come to set you free." + +"Loki! Loki is no friend of mine. He brought me here," she sobbed. "I +don't believe you came to save me." + +"That is indeed why I am here," he replied, "and a dangerous business +it is, if Thiasse should come back before we start for home." + +"How will you get me out?" asked Idun doubtfully. "The door is locked, +and the window is barred." + +"I will change you into a nut," said he, "and carry you in my claws." + +"What of the casket of apples?" queried Idun. "Can you carry that also?" + +Then Loki laughed long and loudly. + +"What welcome to Asgard do you think I should receive without the +apples?" he cried. "Yes, we must take them, indeed." + +Idun came to the window, and Loki, who was a skillful magician, turned +her into a nut and took her in one claw, while in the other he seized +the casket of apples. Then off he whirred out of the palace grounds and +away toward Asgard's safety. + +In a little while Thiasse returned home, and when he found Idun and +her apples gone, there was a hubbub, you may be sure! However, he lost +little time by smashing mountains and breaking trees in his giant rage; +that fit was soon over. He put on his eagle plumage and started in +pursuit of the falcon. + +Now an eagle is bigger and stronger than any other bird, and usually in +a long race he can beat even the swift hawk who has an hour's start. +Presently Loki heard behind him the shrill scream of a giant eagle, and +his heart turned sick. But he had crossed the great river, and already +was in sight of Asgard. The aged AEsir were gathered on the rainbow +bridge watching eagerly for Loki's return; and when they spied the +falcon with the nut and the casket in his talons, they knew who it was. +A great cheer went up, but it was hushed in a moment, for they saw the +eagle close after the falcon; and they guessed that this must be the +giant Thiasse, the stealer of Idun. + +Then there was a great shouting of commands, and a rushing to and fro. +All the gods, even Father Odin and his two wise ravens, were busy +gathering chips into great heaps on the walls of Asgard. As soon as +Loki, with his precious burden, had fluttered weakly over the wall, +dropping to the ground beyond, the gods lighted the heaps of chips +which they had piled, and soon there was a wall of fire, over which +the eagle must fly. He was going too fast to stop. The flames roared +and crackled, but Thiasse flew straight into them, with a scream of +fear and rage. His feathers caught fire and burned, so that he could +no longer fly, but fell headlong to the ground inside the walls. Then +Thor, the thunder-lord, and Tyr, the mighty war-king, fell upon him and +slew him, so that he could never trouble the AEsir any more. + +There was great rejoicing in Asgard that night, for Loki changed Idun +again to a fair lady; whereupon she gave each of the eager gods a bite +of her life-giving fruit, so that they grew young and happy once more, +as if all these horrors had never happened. + +Not one of them, however, forgot the evil part which Loki had played +in these doings. They hid the memory, like a buried seed, deep in their +hearts. Thenceforward the word of Loki and the honor of his name were +poor coin in Asgard; which is no wonder. + + + + +SKADI'S CHOICE + + +The giant Thiasse, whom Thor slew for the theft of Idun and the magic +apples, had a daughter, Skadi, who was a very good sort of girl, as +giantesses go. Most of them were evil-tempered, spiteful, and cruel +creatures, who desired only to do harm to the gods and to all who +were good. But Skadi was different. Stronger than the hatred of her +race for the AEsir, stronger even than her wish to be revenged for her +father's death, was her love for Balder the beautiful, the pride of all +the gods. If she had not been a giantess, she might have hoped that +he would love her also; but she knew that no one who lived in Asgard +would ever think kindly of her race, which had caused so much trouble +to Balder and his brothers. After her father was killed by the AEsir, +however, Skadi had a wise idea. + +Skadi put on her helm and corselet and set out for Asgard, meaning +to ask a noble price to pay for the sorrow of Thiasse's death. The +gods, who had all grown young and boyish once again, were sitting in +Valhalla merrily enjoying a banquet in honor of Idun's safe return, +when Skadi, clattering with steel, strode into their midst. Heimdal the +watchman, astonished at the sight, had let this maiden warrior pass him +upon the rainbow bridge. The AEsir set down their cups hastily, and the +laughter died upon their lips; for though she looked handsome, Skadi +was a terrible figure in her silver armor and with her spear as long as +a ship's mast brandished in her giant hand. + +The nine Valkyries, Odin's maiden warriors, hurried away to put on +their own helmets and shields; for they would not have this other +maiden, ten times as huge, see them meekly waiting at table, while they +had battle-dresses as fine as hers to show the stranger. + +"Who are you, maiden, and what seek you here?" asked Father Odin. + +"I am Skadi, the daughter of Thiasse, whom your folk have slain," +answered she, "and I come here for redress." + +At these words the coward Loki, who had been at the killing of Thiasse, +skulked low behind the table; but Thor, who had done the killing, +straightened himself and clenched his fists tightly. He was not afraid +of any giant, however fierce, and this maiden with her shield and spear +only angered him. + +"Well, Skadi," quoth Odin gravely, "your father was a thief, and died +for his sins. He stole fair Idun and her magic apples, and for that +crime he died, which was only just. Yet because our righteous deed has +left you an orphan, Skadi, we will grant you a recompense, so you shall +be at peace with us; for it is not fitting that the AEsir should quarrel +with women. What is it you ask, O Skadi, as solace for the death of +Thiasse?" + +Skadi looked like an orphan who was well able to take care of herself; +and this indeed her next words showed her to be. "I ask two things," +she said, without a moment's hesitation: "I ask the husband whom I +shall select from among you; and I ask that you shall make me laugh, +for it is many days since grief has let me enjoy a smile." + +At this strange request the AEsir looked astonished, and some of them +seemed rather startled; for you can fancy that none of them wanted a +giantess, however handsome, for his wife. They put their heads together +and consulted long whether or not they should allow Skadi her two +wishes. + +"I will agree to make her laugh," grinned Loki; "but suppose she should +choose me for her husband! I am married to one giantess already." + +"No fear of that, Loki," said Thor; "you were too near being the cause +of her father's death for her to love you overmuch. Nor do I think that +she will choose me; so I am safe." + +Loki chuckled and stole away to think up a means of making Skadi laugh. + +Finally, the gods agreed that Skadi should choose one of them for her +husband; but in order that all might have a fair chance of missing this +honor which no one coveted, she was to choose in a curious way. All the +AEsir were to stand in a row behind the curtain which was drawn across +the end of the hall, so that only their feet were seen by Skadi; and by +their feet alone Skadi was to select him who was to be her husband. + +Now Skadi was very ready to agree to this, for she said to herself, +"Surely, I shall know the feet of Balder, for they will be the most +beautiful of any." + +Amid nervous laughter at this new game, the AEsir ranged themselves in +a row behind the purple curtain, with only their line of feet showing +below the golden border. There were Father Odin, Thor the Thunderer, +and Balder his brother; there was old Nioerd the rich, with his fair son +Frey; there were Tyr the bold, Bragi the poet, blind Hoed, and Vidar the +silent; Vali and Ull the archers, Forseti the wise judge, and Heimdal +the gold-toothed watchman. Loki alone, of all the AEsir, was not there; +and Loki was the only one who did not shiver as Skadi walked up and +down the hall looking at the row of feet. + +Up and down, back and forth, went Skadi, looking carefully; and among +all those sandaled feet there was one pair more white and fair and +beautiful than the rest. + +"Surely, these are Balder's feet!" she thought, while her heart thumped +with eagerness under her silver corselet. "Oh, if I guess aright, dear +Balder will be my husband!" + +She paused confidently before the handsomest pair of feet, and, +pointing to them with her spear, she cried, "I choose here! Few +blemishes are to be found in Balder the beautiful." + +A shout of laughter arose behind the curtain, and forth slunk--not +young Balder, but old Nioerd the rich, king of the ocean wind, the +father of those fair twins, Frey and Freia. Skadi had chosen the +handsome feet of old Nioerd, and thenceforth he must be her husband. + +Nioerd was little pleased; but Skadi was heart-broken. Her face grew +longer and sadder than before when he stepped up and took her hand +sulkily, saying, "Well, I am to be your husband, then, and all my +riches stored in Noatun, the home of ships, are to be yours. You would +have chosen Balder, and I wish that this luck had been his! However, it +cannot be helped now." + +"Nay," answered Skadi, frowning, "the bargain is not yet complete. No +one of you has made me laugh. I am so sad now, that it will be a merry +jest indeed which can wring laughter from my heavy heart." She sighed, +looking at Balder. But Balder loved only Nanna in all the world. + +Just then, out came Loki, riding on one of Thor's goat steeds; and the +red-bearded fellow cut up such ridiculous capers with the gray-bearded +goat that soon not only Skadi, but all the AEsir and Nioerd himself were +holding their sides with laughter. + +"Fairly won, fairly won!" cried Skadi, wiping the tears from her eyes. +"I am beaten. I shall not forget that it is Loki to whom I owe this +last joke. Some day I shall be quits with you, red joker!" And this +threat she carried out in the end, on the day of Loki's punishment. + +Skadi was married to old Nioerd, both unwilling; and they went to live +among the mountains in Skadi's home, which had once been Thiasse's +palace, where he had shut Idun in a prison cell. As you can imagine, +Nioerd and Skadi did not live happily ever after, like the good prince +and princess in the story-book. For, in the first place, Skadi was a +giantess; and there are few folk, I fancy, who could live happily with +a giantess. In the second place, she did not love Nioerd, nor did he +love Skadi, and neither forgot that Skadi's choosing had been sorrow +to them both. But the third reason was the most important of all; and +this was because Skadi and Nioerd could not agree upon the place which +should be their home. For Nioerd did not like the mountain palace of +Skadi's people,--the place where roaring winds rushed down upon the sea +and its ships. The sea with its ships was his friend, and he wanted to +dwell in Noatun, where he had greater wealth than any one else in the +world,--where he could rule the fresh sea-wind and tame the wild ocean, +granting the prayers of fisher-folk and the seafarers, who loved his +name. + +Finally, they agreed to dwell first in one place, then in the other, +so that each might be happy in turn. For nine days they tarried +in Thrymheim, and then they spent three in Noatun. But even this +arrangement could not bring peace. One day they had a terrible quarrel. +It was just after they had come down from Skadi's mountain home for +their three days in Nioerd's sea palace, and he was so glad to be back +that he cried,-- + +"Ah, how I hate your hills! How long the nine nights seemed, with the +wolves howling until dawn among the dark mountains of Giant Land! What +a discord compared to the songs of the swans who sail upon my dear, +dear ocean!" Thus rudely he taunted his wife; but Skadi answered him +with spirit. + +"And I--I cannot sleep by your rolling sea-waves, where the birds are +ever calling, calling, as they come from the woods on the shore. Each +morning the sea-gull's scream wakes me at some unseemly hour. I will +not stay here even for three nights! I will not stay!" + +"And I will have no more of your windy mountain-tops," roared Nioerd, +beside himself with rage. "Go, if you wish! Go back to Thrymheim! I +shall not follow you, be sure!" + +So Skadi went back to her mountains alone, and dwelt in the empty +house of Thiasse, her father. She became a mighty huntress, swift on +the skees and ice-runners which she strapped to her feet. Day after +day she skimmed over the snow-crusted mountains, bow in hand, to hunt +the wild beasts which roamed there. "Skee-goddess," she was called; +and never again did she come to Asgard halls. Quite alone in the cold +country, she hunted hardily, keeping ever in her heart the image of +Balder the beautiful, whom she loved, but whom she had lost forever by +her unlucky choice. + + + + +THE DWARF'S GIFTS + + +Red Loki had been up to mischief again! Loki, who made quarrels and +brought trouble wherever he went. He had a wicked heart, and he loved +no one. He envied Father Odin his wisdom and his throne above the +world. He envied Balder his beauty, and Tyr his courage, and Thor his +strength. He envied all the good AEsir who were happy; but he would +not take the trouble to be good himself. So he was always unhappy, +spiteful, and sour. And if anything went wrong in Asgard, the kingdom +of the gods, one was almost sure to find Loki at the bottom of the +trouble. + +Now Thor, the strongest of all the gods, was very proud of his wife's +beautiful hair, which fell in golden waves to her feet, and covered +her like a veil. He loved it better than anything, except Sif herself. +One day, while Thor was away from home, Loki stole into Thrudheim, +the realm of clouds, and cut off all Sif's golden hair, till her head +was as round and fuzzy as a yellow dandelion. Fancy how angry Thor +was when he came rattling home that night in his thunder-chariot and +found Sif so ugly to look at! He stamped up and down till the five +hundred and forty floors of his cloud palace shook like an earthquake, +and lightning flashed from his blue eyes. The people down in the world +below cried: "Dear, dear! What a terrible thunderstorm! Thor must +be very angry about something. Loki has been up to mischief, it is +likely." You see, they also knew Loki and his tricks. + +At last Thor calmed himself a little. "Sif, my love," he said, "you +shall be beautiful again. Red Loki shall make you so, since his was the +unmaking. The villain! He shall pay for this!" + +Then, without more ado, off set Thor to find red Loki. He went in his +thunder-chariot, drawn by two goats, and the clouds rumbled and the +lightning flashed wherever he went; for Thor was the mighty god of +thunder. At last he came upon the sly rascal, who was trying to hide. +Big Thor seized him by the throat. + +"You scoundrel!" he cried, "I will break every bone in your body if you +do not put back Sif's beautiful hair upon her head." + +"Ow--ow! You hurt me!" howled Loki. "Take off your big hand, Thor. What +is done, is done. I cannot put back Sif's hair. You know that very +well." + +"Then you must get her another head of hair," growled Thor. "That you +can do. You must find for her hair of real gold, and it must grow upon +her head as if it were her own. Do this, or you shall die." + +"Where shall I get this famous hair?" whined Loki, though he knew well +enough. + +"Get it of the black elves," said Thor; "they are cunning jewelers, and +they are your friends. Go, Loki, and go quickly, for I long to see Sif +as beautiful as ever." + +Then Loki of the burning beard slunk away to the hills where, far under +ground, the dwarfs have their furnaces and their workshops. Among great +heaps of gold and silver and shining jewels, which they have dug up out +of the earth, the little crooked men in brown blink and chatter and +scold one another; for they are ugly fellows--the dwarfs. _Tink-tank!_ +_tink-tank!_ go their little hammers all day long and all night long, +while they make wonderful things such as no man has ever seen, though +you shall hear about them. + +They had no trouble to make a head of hair for Sif. It was for them +a simple matter, indeed. The dwarfs work fast for such a customer as +Loki, and in a little while the golden wires were beaten out, and drawn +out, made smooth and soft and curly, and braided into a thick golden +braid. But when Loki came away, he carried with him also two other +treasures which the clever dwarfs had made. One was a golden spear, and +the other was a ship. + +Now these do not sound so very wonderful. But wait until you hear! +The spear, which was named Gungnir, was bewitched, so that it made +no difference if the person who held it was clumsy and careless. For +it had this amazing quality, that no matter how badly it was aimed, +or how unskillfully it was thrown, it was sure to go straight to the +mark--which is a very obliging and convenient thing in one's weapon, as +you will readily see. + +And Skidbladnir--this was the harsh name of the ship--was even more +wonderful. It could be taken to pieces and folded up so small that it +would go into one's pocket. But when it was unfolded and put together, +it would hold all the gods of Asgard for a sea-journey. Besides all +this, when the sails were set, the ship was sure always to have a fair +wind, which would make it skim along like a great bird, which was the +best part of the charm, as any sailor will tell you. + +Now Loki felt very proud of these three treasures, and left the hill +cave stretching his neck and strutting like a great red turkey cock. +Outside the gate, however, he met Brock, the black dwarf, who was the +brother of Sindri, the best workman in all the underworld. + +"Hello! what have you there?" asked Brock of the big head, pointing at +the bundles which Loki was carrying. + +"The three finest gifts in the world," boasted Loki, hugging his +treasures tight. + +"Pooh!" said Brock, "I don't believe it. Did my brother Sindri make +them?" + +"No," answered Loki; "they were made by the black elves, the sons of +Ivaldi. And they are the most precious gifts that ever were seen." + +"Pooh!" again puffed Brock, wagging his long beard crossly. "Nonsense! +Whatever they be, my brother Sindri can make three other gifts more +precious; that I know." + +"Can he, though?" laughed Loki. "I will give him my head if he can." + +"Done!" shouted the dwarf. "Let me see your famous gifts." So Loki +showed him the three wonders: the gold hair for Sif, the spear, and the +ship. But again the dwarf said: "Pooh! These are nothing. I will show +you what the master-smith can do, and you shall lose your bragging red +head, my Loki." + +Now Loki began to be a little uneasy. He followed Brock back to the +smithy in the mountain, where they found Sindri at his forge. Oh, yes! +He could beat the poor gifts of which Loki was so proud. But he would +not tell what his own three gifts were to be. + +First Sindri took a pig's skin and laid it on the fire. Then he went +away for a little time; but he set Brock at the bellows and bade him +blow--blow--blow the fire until Sindri should return. Now when Sindri +was gone, Loki also stole away; for, as usual, he was up to mischief. +He had the power of changing his shape and of becoming any creature he +chose, which was often very convenient. Thus he turned himself into +a huge biting fly. Then he flew back into the smithy where Brock was +blow--blow--blowing. Loki buzzed about the dwarf's head, and finally +lighted on his hand and stung him, hoping to make him let go the +bellows. But no! Brock only cried out, "Oh-ee!" and kept on blowing for +dear life. Now soon back came Sindri to the forge and took the pigskin +from the fire. Wonder of wonders! It had turned into a hog with golden +bristles; a live hog that shone like the sun. Brock was not satisfied, +however. + +"Well! I don't think much of that," he grumbled. + +"Wait a little," said Sindri mysteriously. "Wait and see." Then he went +on to make the second gift. + +This time he put a lump of gold into the fire. And when he went away, +as before, he bade Brock stand at the bellows to blow--blow--blow +without stopping. Again, as before, in buzzed Loki the gadfly as soon +as the master-smith had gone out. This time he settled on Brock's +swarthy neck, and stung him so sorely that the blood came and the dwarf +roared till the mountain trembled. Still Brock did not let go the +handle of the bellows, but blew and howled--blew and howled with pain +till Sindri returned. And this time the dwarf took from the fire a fine +gold ring, round as roundness. + +"Um! I don't think so much of that," said Brock, again disappointed, +for he had expected some wonderful jewel. But Sindri wagged his head +wisely. + +"Wait a little," he said. "We shall see what we shall see." He heaved +a great lump of iron into the fire to make the third gift. But this +time when he went away, leaving Brock at the bellows, he charged him +to blow--blow--blow without a minute's rest, or everything would be +spoiled. For this was to be the best gift of all. + +Brock planted himself wide-legged at the forge and blew--blew--blew. +But for the third time Loki, winged as a fly, came buzzing into the +smithy. This time he fastened viciously below Brock's bushy eyebrow, +and stung him so cruelly that the blood trickled down, a red river, +into his eyes and the poor dwarf was blinded. With a howl Brock raised +his hand to wipe away the blood, and of course in that minute the +bellows stood still. Then Loki buzzed away with a sound that seemed +like a mocking laugh. At the same moment in rushed Sindri, panting with +fright, for he had heard that sound and guessed what it meant. + +"What have you done?" he cried. "You have let the bellows rest! You +have spoiled everything!" + +"Only a little moment, but one little moment," pleaded Brock, in a +panic. "It has done no harm, has it?" + +Sindri leaned anxiously over the fire, and out of the flames he drew +the third gift--an enormous hammer. + +"Oh!" said Brock, much disappointed, "only an old iron hammer! I don't +think anything of _that_. Look how short the handle is, too." + +[Illustration: THE THIRD GIFT--AN ENORMOUS HAMMER] + +"That is your fault, brother," returned the smith crossly. "If you +had not let the bellows stand still, the handle would have been +long enough. Yet as it is--we shall see, we shall see. I think it will +at least win for you red Loki's head. Take the three gifts, brother, +such as they are, and bear them to Asgard. Let all the gods be judges +between you and Loki, which gifts are best, his or yours. But stay--I +may as well tell you the secrets of your three treasures, or you will +not know how to make them work. Your toy that is not wound up is of no +use at all." Which is very true, as we all know. Then he bent over and +whispered in Brock's ear. And what he said pleased Brock so much that +he jumped straight up into the air and capered like one of Thor's goats. + +"What a clever brother you are, to be sure!" he cried. + +At that moment Loki, who had ceased to be a gadfly, came in grinning, +with his three gifts. "Well, are you ready?" he asked. Then he caught +sight of the three gifts which Brock was putting into his sack. + +"Ho! A pig, a ring, and a stub-handled hammer!" he shouted. "Is that +all you have? Fine gifts, indeed! I was really growing uneasy, but +now I see that my head is safe. Let us start for Asgard immediately, +where I promise you that I with my three treasures shall be thrice +more welcome than you with your stupid pig, your ugly ring, and your +half-made hammer." + +So together they climbed to Asgard, and there they found the AEsir +sitting in the great judgment hall on Ida Plain. There was Father Odin +on his high throne, with his two ravens at his head and his two wolves +at his feet. There was Queen Frigg by his side; and about them were +Balder the beautiful, Frey and Freia, the fair brother and sister; the +mighty Thor, with Sif, his crop-haired wife, and all the rest of the +great AEsir who lived in the upper world above the homes of men. + +"Brother AEsir," said Loki, bowing politely, for he was a smooth rascal, +"we have come each with three gifts, the dwarf and I; and you shall +judge which be the most worthy of praise. But if I lose,--I, your +brother,--I lose my head to this crooked little dwarf." So he spoke, +hoping to put the AEsir on his side from the first. For his head was a +very handsome one, and the dwarf was indeed an ill-looking fellow. The +gods, however, nodded gravely, and bade the two show what their gifts +might be. + +Then Loki stepped forward to the foot of Odin's throne. And first he +pulled from his great wallet the spear Gungnir, which could not miss +aim. This he gave to Odin, the all-wise. And Odin was vastly pleased, +as you may imagine, to find himself thenceforth an unequaled marksman. +So he smiled upon Loki kindly and said: "Well done, brother." + +Next Loki took out the promised hair for Sif, which he handed Thor with +a grimace. Now when the golden locks were set upon her head, they grew +there like real hair, long and soft and curling--but still real gold. +So that Sif was more beautiful than ever before, and more precious, +too. You can fancy how pleased Thor was with Loki's gift. He kissed +lovely Sif before all the gods and goddesses, and vowed that he forgave +Loki for the mischief which he had done in the first place, since he +had so nobly made reparation. + +Then Loki took out the third gift, all folded up like a paper boat; +and it was the ship Skidbladnir,--I am sorry they did not give it a +prettier name. This he presented to Frey the peaceful. And you can +guess whether or not Frey's blue eyes laughed with pleasure at such a +gift. + +Now when Loki stepped back, all the AEsir clapped their hands and vowed +that he had done wondrous well. + +"You will have to show us fine things, you dwarf," quoth Father Odin, +"to better the gifts of red Loki. Come, what have you in the sack you +bear upon your shoulders?" + +Then the crooked little Brock hobbled forward, bent almost double under +the great load which he carried. "I have what I have," he said. + +First, out he pulled the ring Draupnir, round as roundness and shining +of gold. This the dwarf gave to Odin, and though it seemed but little, +yet it was much. For every ninth night out of this ring, he said, would +drop eight other rings of gold, as large and as fair. Then Odin clapped +his hands and cried: "Oh, wondrous gift! I like it even better than the +magic spear which Loki gave." And all the other AEsir agreed with him. + +Then out of the sack came grunting Goldbristle, the hog, all of +gold. Brock gave him to Frey, to match the magic ship of Loki. This +Goldbristle was so marvelously forged that he could run more swiftly +than any horse, on air or water. Moreover, he was a living lantern. +For on the darkest night he bristled with light like a million-pointed +star, so that one riding on his back would light the air and the sea +like a firefly, wherever he went. This idea pleased Frey mightily, for +he was the merriest of the gods, and he laughed aloud. + +"'Tis a wondrous fine gift," he said. "I like old Goldbristle even +better than the compressible boat. For on this lusty steed I can ride +about the world when I am tending the crops and the cattle of men and +scattering the rain upon them. Master dwarf, I give my vote to you." +And all the other AEsir agreed with him. + +Then out of the sack Brock drew the third gift. It was the +short-handled hammer named Mioelnir. And this was the gift which Sindri +had made for Thor, the mightiest of the gods; and it was the best gift +of all. For with it Thor could burst the hardest metal and shatter +the thickest mountain, and nothing could withstand its power. But it +never could hurt Thor himself; and no matter how far or how hard it was +thrown, it would always fly back into Thor's own hand. Last of all, +whenever he so wished, the great hammer would become so small that he +could put it in his pocket, quite out of sight. But Brock was sorry +that the handle was so short--all owing to his fault, because he had +let the bellows rest for that one moment. + +When Thor had this gift in his hand, he jumped up with a shout of +joy. "'Tis a wondrous fine gift," he cried, "with short handle or +with long. And I prize it even more than I prize the golden hair of +Sif which Loki gave. For with it I shall fight our enemies, the Frost +Giants and the mischievous Trolls and the other monsters--Loki's +friends. And all the AEsir will be glad of my gift when they see what +deeds I shall do therewith. Now, if I may have my say, I judge that the +three gifts made by Sindri the dwarf are the most precious that may be. +So Brock has gained the prize of Loki's red head,--a sorry recompense +indeed for gifts so masterly." Then Thor sat down. And all the other +AEsir shouted that he had spoken well, and that they agreed with him. + +So Loki was like to lose his head. He offered to pay instead a huge +price, if Brock would let him go. But Brock refused. "The red head of +Loki for my gift," he insisted, and the gods nodded that it must be so, +since he had earned his wish. + +But when Loki saw that the count was all against him, his eyes grew +crafty. "Well, take me, then--if you can!" he shouted. And off he shot +like an arrow from a bow. For Loki had on magic shoes, with which he +could run over sea or land or sky; and the dwarf could never catch him +in the world. Then Brock was furious. He stood stamping and chattering, +tearing his long beard with rage. + +"I am cheated!" he cried. "I have won--but I have lost." Then he turned +to Thor, who was playing with his hammer, bursting a mountain or two +and splitting a tree here and there. "Mighty Thor," begged the dwarf, +"catch me the fellow who has broken his word. I have given you the best +gift,--your wonderful hammer. Catch me, then, the boasting red head +which I have fairly bought." + +Then Thor stopped his game and set out in pursuit of Loki, for he was +ever on the side of fairness. No one, however fleet, can escape when +Thor follows, for his is the swiftness of a lightning flash. So he soon +brought Loki back to Ida Plain, and gave him up a prisoner to the dwarf. + +"I have you now, boaster," said Brock fiercely, "and I will cut off +your red head in the twinkling of an eye." But just as he was about to +do as he said, Loki had another sly idea. + +"Hold, sirrah dwarf," he said. "It is true that you have won my head, +but not the neck, not an inch of the neck." And all the gods agreed +that this was so. Then Brock was puzzled indeed, for how could he cut +off Loki's head without an inch of the neck, too? But this he must not +do, or he knew the just AEsir would punish him with death. So he was +forced to be content with stopping Loki's boasting in another way. He +would sew up the bragging lips. + +He brought a stout, strong thread and an awl to bore the holes. And +in a twinkling he had stitched up the lips of the sly one, firm and +fast. So for a time, at least, he put an end to Loki's boasting and his +taunts and his lies. + +It is a pity that those mischief-making lips were not fastened up +forever; for that would have saved much of the trouble and sorrow which +came after. But at last, after a long time, Loki got his lips free, and +they made great sorrow in Asgard for the gods and on earth for men, as +you shall hear. + +Now this is the end of the tale which tells of the dwarf's gifts, and +especially of Thor's hammer, which was afterwards to be of such service +to him and such bane to the enemies of the AEsir. And that also you +shall hear before all is done. + + + + +LOKI'S CHILDREN + + +Red Loki, the wickedest of all the AEsir, had done something of which +he was very much ashamed. He had married a giantess, the ugliest, +fiercest, most dreadful giantess that ever lived; and of course he +wanted no one to find out what he had done, for he knew that Father +Odin would be indignant with him for having wedded one of the enemies +of the AEsir, and that none of his brothers would be grateful to him for +giving them a sister-in-law so hideous. + +But at last All-Father found out the secret that Loki had been hiding +for years. Worst of all, he found that Loki and the giantess had three +ugly children hidden away in the dark places of the earth,--three +children of whom Loki was even more ashamed than of their mother, +though he loved them too. For two of them were the most terrible +monsters which time had ever seen. Hela his daughter was the least ugly +of the three, though one could scarcely call her attractive. She was +half black and half white, which must have looked very strange; and +she was not easily mistaken by any one who chanced to see her, you can +well understand. She was fierce and grim to see, and the very sight of +her caused terror and death to him who gazed upon her. + +But the other two! One was an enormous wolf, with long fierce teeth +and flashing red eyes. And the other was a scaly, slimy, horrible +serpent, huger than any serpent that ever lived, and a hundred times +more ferocious. Can you wonder that Loki was ashamed of such children +as these? The wonder is, how he could find anything about them to love. +But Loki's heart loved evil in secret, and it was the evil in these +three children of his which made them so ugly. + +Now when Odin discovered that three such monsters had been living +in the world without his knowledge, he was both angry and anxious, +for he knew that these children of mischievous Loki and his wicked +giantess-wife were dangerous to the peace of Asgard. He consulted the +Norns, the three wise maidens who lived beside the Urdar-well, and who +could see into the future to tell what things were to happen in coming +years. And they bade him beware of Loki's children; they told him +that the three monsters would bring great sorrow upon Asgard, for the +giantess their mother would teach them all her hatred of Odin's race, +while they would have their father's sly wisdom to help them in all +mischief. So Odin knew that his fears had warned him truly. Something +must be done to prevent the dangers which threatened Asgard. Something +must be done to keep the three out of mischief. + +Father Odin sent for all the gods, and bade them go forth over the +world, find the children of Loki in the secret places where they were +hidden, and bring them to him. Then the AEsir mounted their horses and +set out on their difficult errand. They scoured Asgard, Midgard the +world of men, Utgard and Jotunheim where the giants lived. And at last +they found the three horrible creatures hiding in their mother's cave. +They dragged them forth and took them up to Asgard, before Odin's high +throne. + +Now All-Father had been considering what should be done with the +three monsters, and when they came, his mind was made up. Hela, the +daughter, was less evil than the other two, but her face was dark and +gloomy, and she brought death to those who looked upon her. She must be +prisoned out of sight in some far place, where her sad eyes could not +look sorrow into men's lives and death into their hearts. So he sent +her down, down into the dark, cold land of Niflheim, which lay below +one root of the great tree Yggdrasil. Here she must live forever and +ever. And, because she was not wholly bad, Odin made her queen of that +land, and for her subjects she was to have all the folk who died upon +the earth,--except the heroes who perished in battle; for these the +Valkyries carried straight to Valhalla in Asgard. But all who died of +sickness or of old age, all who met their deaths through accident or +men's cruelty, were sent to Queen Hela, who gave them lodgings in her +gloomy palace. Vast was her kingdom, huge as nine worlds, and it was +surrounded by a high wall, so that no one who had once gone thither +could ever return. And here thenceforth Loki's daughter reigned among +the shadows, herself half shadow and half light, half good and half +bad. + +But the Midgard serpent was a more dangerous beast even than Death. +Odin frowned when he looked upon this monster writhing before his +throne. He seized the scaly length in his mighty arms and hurled it +forth over the wall of Asgard. Down, down went the great serpent, +twisting and twirling as he fell, while all the sky was black with +the smoke from his nostrils, and the sound of his hissing made every +creature tremble. Down, down he fell with a great splash into the +deep ocean which surrounded the world. There he lay writhing and +squirming, growing always larger and larger, until he was so huge that +he stretched like a ring about the whole earth, with his tail in his +mouth, and his wicked eyes glaring up through the water towards Asgard +which he hated. Sometimes he heaved himself up, great body and all, +trying to escape from the ocean which was his prison. At those times +there were great waves in the sea, snow and stormy winds and rain upon +the earth, and every one would be filled with fear lest he escape and +bring horrors to pass. But he was never able to drag out his whole +hideous length. For the evil in him had grown with his growth; and a +weight of evil is the heaviest of all things to lift. + +The third monster was the Fenris wolf, and this was the most dreadful +of the three. He was so terrible that at first Father Odin decided not +to let him out of his sight. He lived in Asgard then, among the AEsir. +Only Tyr the brave had courage enough to give him food. Day by day he +grew huger and huger, fiercer and fiercer, and finally, when All-Father +saw how mighty he had become, and how he bid fair to bring destruction +upon all Asgard if he were allowed to prowl and growl about as he saw +fit, Odin resolved to have the beast chained up. The AEsir then went +to their smithies and forged a long, strong chain which they thought +no living creature could break. They took it to the wolf to try its +strength, and he, looking sidewise, chuckled to himself and let them +do what they would with him. But as soon as he stretched himself, the +chain burst into a thousand pieces, as if it were made of twine. Then +the AEsir hurried away and made another chain, far, far stronger than +the first. + +"If you can break this, O Fenrir," they said, "you will be famous +indeed." + +Again the wolf blinked at his chain; again he chuckled and let them +fasten him without a struggle, for he knew that his own strength had +been increased since he broke the other; but as soon as the chain +was fastened, he shook his great shoulders, kicked his mighty legs, +and--snap!--the links of the chain went whirling far and wide, and once +more the fierce beast was free. + +Then the AEsir were alarmed for fear that they would never be able to +make a chain mighty enough to hold the wolf, who was growing stronger +every minute; but they sent Skirnir, Frey's trusty messenger, to the +land of the dwarfs for help. "Make us a chain," was the message he bore +from the AEsir,--"make us a chain stronger than any chain that was ever +forged; for the Fenris wolf must be captured and bound, or all the +world must pay the penalty." + +The dwarfs were the finest workmen in the world, as the AEsir knew; for +it was they who made Thor's hammer, and Odin's spear, and Balder's +famous ship, besides many other wondrous things that you remember. So +when Skirnir gave them the message, they set to work with their little +hammers and anvils, and before long they had welded a wonderful chain, +such as no man had ever before seen. Strange things went to the making +of it,--the sound of a cat's footsteps, the roots of a mountain, a +bear's sinews, a fish's breath, and other magic materials that only the +dwarfs knew how to put together; and the result was a chain as soft and +twistable as a silken cord, but stronger than an iron cable. With this +chain Skirnir galloped back to Asgard, and with it the gods were sure +of chaining Fenrir; but they meant to go about the business slyly, so +that the wolf should not suspect the danger which was so near. + +"Ho, Fenrir!" they cried. "Here is a new chain for you. Do you think +you can snap this as easily as you did the last? We warn you that it +is stronger than it looks." They handed it about from one to another, +each trying to break the links, but in vain. The wolf watched them +disdainfully. + +"Pooh! There is little honor in breaking a thread so slender!" he said. +"I know that I could snap it with one bite of my big teeth. But there +may be some trick about it; I will not let it bind my feet,--not I." + +"Oho!" cried the AEsir. "He is afraid! He fears that we shall bind +him in cords that he cannot loose. But see how slender the chain is. +Surely, if you could burst the chain of iron, O Fenrir, you could break +this far more easily." Still the wolf shook his head, and refused to +let them fasten him, suspecting some trick. "But even if you find that +you cannot break our chain," they said, "you need not be afraid. We +shall set you free again." + +"Set me free!" growled the wolf. "Yes, you will set me free at the end +of the world,--not before! I know your ways, O AEsir; and if you are +able to bind me so fast that I cannot free myself, I shall wait long to +have the chain made loose. But no one shall call me coward. If one of +you will place his hand in my mouth and hold it there while the others +bind me, I will let the chain be fastened." + +The gods looked at one another, their mouths drooping. Who would do +this thing and bear the fury of the angry wolf when he should find +himself tricked and captured? Yet this was their only chance to bind +the monster and protect Asgard from danger. At last bold Tyr stepped +forward, the bravest of all the AEsir. "Open your mouth, Fenrir," he +cried, with a laugh. "I will pledge my hand to the trial." + +Then the wolf yawned his great jaws, and Tyr thrust in his good right +hand, knowing full well that he was to lose it in the game. The AEsir +stepped up with the dwarfs' magic chain, and Fenrir let them fasten +it about his feet. But when the bonds were drawn tight, he began to +struggle; and the more he tugged, the tighter drew the chain, so that +he soon saw himself to be entrapped. Then how he writhed and kicked, +howled and growled, in his terrible rage! How the heavens trembled +and the earth shook below! The AEsir set up a laugh to see him so +helpless--all except Tyr; for at the first sound of laughter the wolf +shut his great mouth with a click, and poor brave Tyr had lost the +right hand which had done so many heroic deeds in battle, and which +would never again wave sword before the warriors whom he loved and +would help to win the victory. But great was the honor which he won +that day, for without his generous deed the Fenris wolf could never +have been captured. + +And now the monster was safely secured by the strong chain which the +dwarfs had made, and all his struggles to be free were in vain, for +they only bound the silken rope all the tighter. The AEsir took one end +of the chain and fastened it through a big rock which they planted far +down in the earth, as far as they could drive it with a huge hammer +of stone. Into the wolf's great mouth they thrust a sword crosswise, +so that the hilt pierced his lower jaw while the point stuck through +the upper one; and there in the heart of the world he lay howling and +growling, but quite unable to move. Only the foam which dripped from +his angry jaws trickled away and over the earth until it formed a +mighty river; from his wicked mouth also came smoke and fire, and the +sound of his horrible growls. And when men hear this and see this they +run away as fast as they can, for they know that danger still lurks +near where the Fenris wolf lies chained in the depths of the earth; and +here he will lie until Ragnaroek,--until the end of all things. + + + + +THE QUEST OF THE HAMMER + + +One morning Thor the Thunderer awoke with a yawn, and stretching out +his knotted arm, felt for his precious hammer, which he kept always +under his pillow of clouds. But he started up with a roar of rage, so +that all the palace trembled. The hammer was gone! + +Now this was a very serious matter, for Thor was the protector of +Asgard, and Mioelnir, the magic hammer which the dwarf had made, was his +mighty weapon, of which the enemies of the AEsir stood so much in dread +that they dared not venture near. But if they should learn that Mioelnir +was gone, who could tell what danger might not threaten the palaces of +heaven? + +Thor darted his flashing eye into every corner of Cloud Land in search +of the hammer. He called his fair wife, Sif of the golden hair, to aid +in the search, and his two lovely daughters, Thrude and Lora. They +hunted and they hunted; they turned Thrudheim upside down, and set the +clouds to rolling wonderfully, as they peeped and pried behind and +around and under each billowy mass. But Mioelnir was not to be found. +Certainly, some one had stolen it. + +Thor's yellow beard quivered with rage, and his hair bristled on end +like the golden rays of a star, while all his household trembled. + +"It is Loki again!" he cried. "I am sure Loki is at the bottom of this +mischief!" For since the time when Thor had captured Loki for the dwarf +Brock and had given him over to have his bragging lips sewed up, Loki +had looked at him with evil eyes; and Thor knew that the red rascal +hated him most of all the gods. + +But this time Thor was mistaken. It was not Loki who had stolen the +hammer,--he was too great a coward for that. And though he meant, +before the end, to be revenged upon Thor, he was waiting until a safe +chance should come, when Thor himself might stumble into danger, and +Loki need only to help the evil by a malicious word or two; and this +chance came later, as you shall hear in another tale. + +Meanwhile Loki was on his best behavior, trying to appear very kind and +obliging; so when Thor came rumbling and roaring up to him, demanding, +"What have you done with my hammer, you thief?" Loki looked surprised, +but did not lose his temper nor answer rudely. + +"Have you indeed missed your hammer, brother Thor?" he said, mumbling, +for his mouth was still sore where Brock had sewed the stitches. "That +is a pity; for if the giants hear of this, they will be coming to try +their might against Asgard." + +"Hush!" muttered Thor, grasping him by the shoulder with his iron +fingers. "That is what I fear. But look you, Loki: I suspect your hand +in the mischief. Come, confess." + +Then Loki protested that he had nothing to do with so wicked a deed. +"But," he added wheedlingly, "I think I can guess the thief; and +because I love you, Thor, I will help you to find him." + +"Humph!" growled Thor. "Much love you bear to me! However, you are a +wise rascal, the nimblest wit of all the AEsir, and it is better to +have you on my side than on the other, when giants are in the game. +Tell me, then: who has robbed the Thunder-Lord of his bolt of power?" + +Loki drew near and whispered in Thor's ear. "Look, how the storms +rage and the winds howl in the world below! Some one is wielding your +thunder-hammer all unskillfully. Can you not guess the thief? Who but +Thrym, the mighty giant who has ever been your enemy and your imitator, +and whose fingers have long itched to grasp the short handle of mighty +Mioelnir, that the world may name him Thunder-Lord instead of you. But +look! What a tempest! The world will be shattered into fragments unless +we soon get the hammer back." + +Then Thor roared with rage. "I will seek this impudent Thrym!" he +cried. "I will crush him into bits, and teach him to meddle with the +weapon of the AEsir!" + +"Softly, softly," said Loki, smiling maliciously. "He is a shrewd +giant, and a mighty. Even you, great Thor, cannot go to him and pluck +the hammer from his hand as one would slip the rattle from a baby's +pink fist. Nay, you must use craft, Thor; and it is I who will teach +you, if you will be patient." + +Thor was a brave, blunt fellow, and he hated the ways of Loki, his lies +and his deceit. He liked best the way of warriors,--the thundering +charge, the flash of weapons, and the heavy blow; but without the +hammer he could not fight the giants hand to hand. Loki's advice seemed +wise, and he decided to leave the matter to the Red One. + +Loki was now all eagerness, for he loved difficulties which would set +his wit in play and bring other folk into danger. "Look, now," he said. +"We must go to Freia and borrow her falcon dress. But you must ask; for +she loves me so little that she would scarce listen to me." + +So first they made their way to Folkvang, the house of maidens, where +Freia dwelt, the loveliest of all in Asgard. She was fairer than fair, +and sweeter than sweet, and the tears from her flower-eyes made the +dew which blessed the earth-flowers night and morning. Of her Thor +borrowed the magic dress of feathers in which Freia was wont to clothe +herself and flit like a great beautiful bird all about the world. She +was willing enough to lend it to Thor when he told her that by its aid +he hoped to win back the hammer which he had lost; for she well knew +the danger threatening herself and all the AEsir until Mioelnir should be +found. + +"Now will I fetch the hammer for you," said Loki. So he put on the +falcon plumage, and, spreading his brown wings, flapped away up, up, +over the world, down, down, across the great ocean which lies beyond +all things that men know. And he came to the dark country where there +was no sunshine nor spring, but it was always dreary winter; where +mountains were piled up like blocks of ice, and where great caverns +yawned hungrily in blackness. And this was Jotunheim, the land of the +Frost Giants. + +And lo! when Loki came thereto he found Thrym the Giant King sitting +outside his palace cave, playing with his dogs and horses. The dogs +were as big as elephants, and the horses were as big as houses, but +Thrym himself was as huge as a mountain; and Loki trembled, but he +tried to seem brave. + +"Good-day, Loki," said Thrym, with the terrible voice of which he was +so proud, for he fancied it was as loud as Thor's. "How fares it, +feathered one, with your little brothers, the AEsir, in Asgard halls? +And how dare you venture alone in this guise to Giant Land?" + +"It is an ill day in Asgard," sighed Loki, keeping his eye warily upon +the giant, "and a stormy one in the world of men. I heard the winds +howling and the storms rushing on the earth as I passed by. Some mighty +one has stolen the hammer of our Thor. Is it you, Thrym, greatest of +all giants,--greater than Thor himself?" + +This the crafty one said to flatter Thrym, for Loki well knew the +weakness of those who love to be thought greater than they are. + +Then Thrym bridled and swelled with pride, and tried to put on the +majesty and awe of noble Thor; but he only succeeded in becoming an +ugly, puffy monster. + +"Well, yes," he admitted. "I have the hammer that belonged to your +little Thor; and now how much of a lord is he?" + +"Alack!" sighed Loki again, "weak enough he is without his magic +weapon. But you, O Thrym,--surely your mightiness needs no such aid. +Give me the hammer, that Asgard may no longer be shaken by Thor's grief +for his precious toy." + +But Thrym was not so easily to be flattered into parting with his +stolen treasure. He grinned a dreadful grin, several yards in width, +which his teeth barred like jagged boulders across the entrance to a +mountain cavern. + +"Mioelnir the hammer is mine," he said, "and I am Thunder-Lord, +mightiest of the mighty. I have hidden it where Thor can never find +it, twelve leagues below the sea-caves, where Queen Ran lives with +her daughters, the white-capped Waves. But listen, Loki. Go tell the +AEsir that I will give back Thor's hammer. I will give it back upon one +condition,--that they send Freia the beautiful to be my wife." + +"Freia the beautiful!" Loki had to stifle a laugh. Fancy the AEsir +giving their fairest flower to such an ugly fellow as this! But he +only said politely, "Ah, yes; you demand our Freia in exchange for the +little hammer? It is a costly price, great Thrym. But I will be your +friend in Asgard. If I have my way, you shall soon see the fairest +bride in all the world knocking at your door. Farewell!" + +So Loki whizzed back to Asgard on his falcon wings; and as he went he +chuckled to think of the evils which were likely to happen because of +his words with Thrym. First he gave the message to Thor,--not sparing +of Thrym's insolence, to make Thor angry; and then he went to Freia +with the word for her,--not sparing of Thrym's ugliness, to make her +shudder. The spiteful fellow! + +Now you can imagine the horror that was in Asgard as the AEsir listened +to Loki's words. "My hammer!" roared Thor. "The villain confesses that +he has stolen my hammer, and boasts that he is Thunder-Lord! Gr-r-r!" + +"The ugly giant!" wailed Freia. "Must I be the bride of that hideous +old monster, and live in his gloomy mountain prison all my life?" + +"Yes; put on your bridal veil, sweet Freia," said Loki maliciously, +"and come with me to Jotunheim. Hang your famous starry necklace about +your neck, and don your bravest robe; for in eight days there will be a +wedding, and Thor's hammer is to pay." + +Then Freia fell to weeping. "I cannot go! I will not go!" she cried. "I +will not leave the home of gladness and Father Odin's table to dwell +in the land of horrors! Thor's hammer is mighty, but mightier the love +of the kind AEsir for their little Freia! Good Odin, dear brother Frey, +speak for me! You will not make me go?" + +The AEsir looked at her and thought how lonely and bare would Asgard be +without her loveliness; for she was fairer than fair, and sweeter than +sweet. + +"She shall not go!" shouted Frey, putting his arms about his sister's +neck. + +"No, she shall not go!" cried all the AEsir with one voice. + +"But my hammer," insisted Thor. "I must have Mioelnir back again." + +"And my word to Thrym," said Loki, "that must be made good." + +"You are too generous with your words," said Father Odin sternly, for +he knew his brother well. "Your word is not a gem of great price, for +you have made it cheap." + +Then spoke Heimdal, the sleepless watchman who sits on guard at the +entrance to the rainbow bridge which leads to Asgard; and Heimdal was +the wisest of the AEsir, for he could see into the future, and knew how +things would come to pass. Through his golden teeth he spoke, for his +teeth were all of gold. + +"I have a plan," he said. "Let us dress Thor himself like a bride in +Freia's robes, and send him to Jotunheim to talk with Thrym and to win +back his hammer." + +But at this word Thor grew very angry. "What! dress me like a girl!" +he roared. "I should never hear the last of it! The AEsir will mock me, +and call me 'maiden'! The giants, and even the puny dwarfs, will have a +lasting jest upon me! I will not go! I will fight! I will die, if need +be! But dressed as a woman I will not go!" + +But Loki answered him with sharp words, for this was a scheme after his +own heart. "What, Thor!" he said. "Would you lose your hammer and keep +Asgard in danger for so small a whim? Look, now: if you go not, Thrym +with his giants will come in a mighty army and drive us from Asgard; +then he will indeed make Freia his bride, and moreover he will have you +for his slave under the power of his hammer. How like you this picture, +brother of the thunder? Nay, Heimdal's plan is a good one, and I myself +will help to carry it out." + +Still Thor hesitated; but Freia came and laid her white hand on his +arm, and looked up into his scowling face pleadingly. + +"To save me, Thor," she begged. And Thor said he would go. + +Then there was great sport among the AEsir, while they dressed Thor +like a beautiful maiden. Brunhilde and her sisters, the nine Valkyrie, +daughters of Odin, had the task in hand. How they laughed as they +brushed and curled his yellow hair, and set upon it the wondrous +headdress of silk and pearls! They let out seams, and they let down +hems, and set on extra pieces, to make it larger, and so they hid his +great limbs and knotted arms under Freia's fairest robe of scarlet; but +beneath it all he would wear his shirt of mail and his belt of power +that gave him double strength. Freia herself twisted about his neck her +famous necklace of starry jewels, and Queen Frigg, his mother, hung at +his girdle a jingling bunch of keys, such as was the custom for the +bride to wear at Norse weddings. Last of all, that Thrym might not see +Thor's fierce eyes and the yellow beard, that ill became a maiden, they +threw over him a long veil of silver white which covered him to the +feet. And there he stood, as stately and tall a bride as even a giant +might wish to see; but on his hands he wore his iron gloves, and they +ached for but one thing,--to grasp the handle of the stolen hammer. + +[Illustration: "AH, WHAT A LOVELY MAID IT IS!"] + +"Ah, what a lovely maid it is!" chuckled Loki; "and how glad will Thrym +be to see this Freia come! Bride Thor, I will go with you as your +handmaiden, for I would fain see the fun." + +"Come, then," said Thor sulkily, for he was ill pleased, and wore his +maiden robes with no good grace. "It is fitting that you go; for I like +not these lies and maskings, and I may spoil the mummery without you at +my elbow." + +There was loud laughter above the clouds when Thor, all veiled and +dainty seeming, drove away from Asgard to his wedding, with maid Loki +by his side. Thor cracked his whip and chirruped fiercely to his twin +goats with golden hoofs, for he wanted to escape the sounds of mirth +that echoed from the rainbow bridge, where all the AEsir stood watching. +Loki, sitting with his hands meekly folded like a girl, chuckled as he +glanced up at Thor's angry face; but he said nothing, for he knew it +was not good to joke too far with Thor, even when Mioelnir was hidden +twelve leagues below the sea in Ran's kingdom. + +So off they dashed to Jotunheim, where Thrym was waiting and longing +for his beautiful bride. Thor's goats thundered along above the sea and +land and people far below, who looked up wondering as the noise rolled +overhead. "Hear how the thunder rumbles!" they said. "Thor is on a long +journey to-night." And a long journey it was, as the tired goats found +before they reached the end. + +Thrym heard the sound of their approach, for his ear was eager. "Hola!" +he cried. "Some one is coming from Asgard,--only one of Odin's children +could make a din so fearful. Hasten, men, and see if they are bringing +Freia to be my wife." + +Then the lookout giant stepped down from the top of his mountain, and +said that a chariot was bringing two maidens to the door. + +"Run, giants, run!" shouted Thrym, in a fever at this news. "My bride +is coming! Put silken cushions on the benches for a great banquet, +and make the house beautiful for the fairest maid in all space! Bring +in all my golden-horned cows and my coal-black oxen, that she may see +how rich I am, and heap all my gold and jewels about to dazzle her +sweet eyes! She shall find me richest of the rich; and when I have +her,--fairest of the fair,--there will be no treasure that I lack,--not +one!" + +The chariot stopped at the gate, and out stepped the tall bride, hidden +from head to foot, and her handmaiden muffled to the chin. "How afraid +of catching cold they must be!" whispered the giant ladies, who were +peering over one another's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the bride, +just as the crowd outside the awning does at a wedding nowadays. + +Thrym had sent six splendid servants to escort the maidens: these were +the Metal Kings, who served him as lord of them all. There was the +Gold King, all in cloth of gold, with fringes of yellow bullion, most +glittering to see; and there was the Silver King, almost as gorgeous in +a suit of spangled white; and side by side bowed the dark Kings of Iron +and Lead, the one mighty in black, the other sullen in blue; and after +them were the Copper King, gleaming ruddy and brave, and the Tin King, +strutting in his trimmings of gaudy tinsel which looked nearly as well +as silver but were more economical. And this fine troop of lackey kings +most politely led Thor and Loki into the palace, and gave them of the +best, for they never suspected who these seeming maidens really were. + +And when evening came there was a wonderful banquet to celebrate the +wedding. On a golden throne sat Thrym, uglier than ever in his finery +of purple and gold. Beside him was the bride, of whose face no one had +yet caught even a glimpse; and at Thrym's other hand stood Loki, the +waiting-maid, for he wanted to be near to mend the mistakes which Thor +might make. + +Now the dishes at the feast were served in a huge way, as befitted the +table of giants: great beeves roasted whole, on platters as wide across +as a ship's deck; plum-puddings as fat as feather-beds, with plums as +big as footballs; and a wedding cake like a snow-capped haymow. The +giants ate enormously. But to Thor, because they thought him a dainty +maiden, they served small bits of everything on a tiny gold dish. Now +Thor's long journey had made him very hungry, and through his veil +he whispered to Loki, "I shall starve, Loki! I cannot fare on these +nibbles. I must eat a goodly meal as I do at home." And forthwith he +helped himself to such morsels as might satisfy his hunger for a little +time. You should have seen the giants stare at the meal which the +dainty bride devoured! + +For first under the silver veil disappeared by pieces a whole roast ox. +Then Thor made eight mouthfuls of eight pink salmon, a dish of which +he was very fond. And next he looked about and reached for a platter +of cakes and sweetmeats that was set aside at one end of the table for +the lady guests, and the bride ate them all. You can fancy how the +damsels drew down their mouths and looked at one another when they saw +their dessert disappear; and they whispered about the table, "Alack! +if our future mistress is to sup like this day by day, there will be +poor cheer for the rest of us!" And to crown it all, Thor was thirsty, +as well he might be; and one after another he raised to his lips and +emptied three great barrels of mead, the foamy drink of the giants. +Then indeed Thrym was amazed, for Thor's giant appetite had beaten that +of the giants themselves. + +"Never before saw I a bride so hungry," he cried, "and never before one +half so thirsty!" + +But Loki, the waiting-maid, whispered to him softly, "The truth is, +great Thrym, that my dear mistress was almost starved. For eight days +Freia has eaten nothing at all, so eager was she for Jotunheim." + +Then Thrym was delighted, you may be sure. He forgave his hungry bride, +and loved her with all his heart. He leaned forward to give her a kiss, +raising a corner of her veil; but his hand dropped suddenly, and he +started up in terror, for he had caught the angry flash of Thor's eye, +which was glaring at him through the bridal veil. Thor was longing for +his hammer. + +"Why has Freia so sharp a look?" Thrym cried. "It pierces like +lightning and burns like fire." + +But again the sly waiting-maid whispered timidly, "Oh, Thrym, be not +amazed! The truth is, my poor mistress's eyes are red with wakefulness +and bright with longing. For eight nights Freia has not known a wink of +sleep, so eager was she for Jotunheim." + +Then again Thrym was doubly delighted, and he longed to call her his +very own dear wife. "Bring in the wedding gift!" he cried. "Bring in +Thor's hammer, Mioelnir, and give it to Freia, as I promised; for when I +have kept my word she will be mine,--all mine!" + +Then Thor's big heart laughed under his woman's dress, and his fierce +eyes swept eagerly down the hall to meet the servant who was bringing +in the hammer on a velvet cushion. Thor's fingers could hardly wait +to clutch the stubby handle which they knew so well; but he sat quite +still on the throne beside ugly old Thrym, with his hands meekly folded +and his head bowed like a bashful bride. + +The giant servant drew nearer, nearer, puffing and blowing, strong +though he was, beneath the mighty weight. He was about to lay it at +Thor's feet (for he thought it so heavy that no maiden could lift it or +hold it in her lap), when suddenly Thor's heart swelled, and he gave a +most unmaidenly shout of rage and triumph. With one swoop he grasped +the hammer in his iron fingers; with the other arm he tore off the +veil that hid his terrible face, and trampled it under foot; then he +turned to the frightened king, who cowered beside him on the throne. + +"Thief!" he cried. "Freia sends you _this_ as a wedding gift!" And he +whirled the hammer about his head, then hurled it once, twice, thrice, +as it rebounded to his hand; and in the first stroke, as of lightning, +Thrym rolled dead from his throne; in the second stroke perished the +whole giant household,--these ugly enemies of the AEsir; and in the +third stroke the palace itself tumbled together and fell to the ground +like a toppling play-house of blocks. + +But Loki and Thor stood safely among the ruins, dressed in their +tattered maiden robes, a quaint and curious sight; and Loki, full of +mischief now as ever, burst out laughing. + +"Oh, Thor! if you could see"--he began; but Thor held up his hammer and +shook it gently as he said,-- + +"Look now, Loki: it was an excellent joke, and so far you have done +well,--after your crafty fashion, which likes me not. But now I have +my hammer again, and the joke is done. From you, nor from another, I +brook no laughter at my expense. Henceforth we will have no mention of +this masquerade, nor of these rags which now I throw away. Do you hear, +red laugher?" + +And Loki heard, with a look of hate, and stifled his laughter as best +he could; for it is not good to laugh at him who holds the hammer. + +Not once after that was there mention in Asgard of the time when Thor +dressed him as a girl and won his bridal gift from Thrym the giant. + +But Mioelnir was safe once more in Asgard, and you and I know how it +came there; so some one must have told. I wonder if red Loki whispered +the tale to some outsider, after all? Perhaps it may be so, for now he +knew how best to make Thor angry; and from that day when Thor forbade +his laughing, Loki hated him with the mean little hatred of a mean +little soul. + + + + +THE GIANTESS WHO WOULD NOT + + +Of all the AEsir who sat in the twelve seats about Father Odin's +wonder-throne none was so dear to the people of Midgard, the world of +men, as Frey. For Frey, the twin brother of Freia the fair, was the god +who sent sunshine and rain upon the earth that men's crops might grow +and ripen, and the fruits become sweet and mellow. He gave men cattle, +and showed them how to till the fields; and it was he who spread peace +and prosperity over the world. For he was lord of the Light-Elves, +the spirits of the upper air, who were more beautiful than the sun. +And these were his servants whom he sent to answer the prayers of the +men who loved him. Frey was more beautiful, too, than any of the AEsir +except young Balder. This was another reason why he was so beloved by +all. But there came a time when Frey found some one who would not love +him; and that was a new experience for him, a punishment for the only +wrong he ever committed. + +You remember that Father Odin had a wonderful throne in the +silver-roofed house, a throne whence he could see everything that was +happening in all the world? Well, no one was allowed to sit upon this +throne except All-Father himself, for he would not have the others +spying into affairs which only the King of Asgard was wise enough to +understand. But one day, when Odin was away from home, Frey had such +a longing to climb up where he might gaze upon all the world which he +loved, that he could not resist the temptation. He stole up to the +great throne when no one was looking, and mounting the steps, seated +himself upon All-Father's wonder-seat. + +Oh, marvelous, grand, and beautiful! He looked off into the heavens, +and there he saw all the AEsir busy about their daily work. He looked +above, into the shining realm of clear air. And there he saw his +messengers, the pretty little Light-Elves, flying about upon their +errands of help for men. Some were carrying seeds for the farmers to +plant. Some were watering the fields with their little water-pots, +making the summer showers. Some were pinching the cheeks of the apples +to make them red, and others were reeling silk for the corn-tassels. +Then Frey looked down upon the earth, where men were scurrying around +like little ants, improving the blessings which his servants were +sending, and often stopping their work to give thanks to their beloved +Frey. And this made his kind heart glad. + +Next he turned his gaze down into the depths of the blue ocean which +flowed about Midgard like a great river. And down in the sea-caves he +saw the mermaids playing, Queen Ran and her daughters the white-capped +Waves, with their nets ready to catch the sailors who might be drowned +at sea. And he saw King OEgir, among the whales and dolphins, with all +the myriad wondrous creatures who lived in his watery empire. But +Frey's father, old Nioerd, lord of the ocean wind, would have been more +interested than he in such a sight. + +Last of all Frey bent his eyes upon the far, cold land of Jotunheim, +beyond the ocean, where the giants lived; and as he did so, a beam +of brightness dazzled him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again; and +lo! the flash was from the bright arms of a beautiful maiden, who was +passing from her father's hall to her own little bower. When she raised +her arms to open the door, the air and water reflected their brightness +so that the whole world was flooded with light, and one shaft shot +straight into the heart of Frey, making him love her and long for her +more than for anything he had ever seen. But because he knew that she +must be a giant's daughter, how could he win her for his bride? Frey +descended from Odin's throne very sadly, very hopelessly, and went home +with a heavy heart which would let him neither eat nor sleep. This was +the penalty which came for his disobedience in presuming to sit upon +Odin's sacred throne. + +For hours no one dared speak to Frey, he looked so gloomy and +forbidding, quite unlike his own gay self. Nioerd his father was greatly +worried, and knew not what to do; at last he sent for Skirnir, who was +Frey's favorite servant, and bade him find out what was the matter. +Skirnir therefore went to his master, whom he found sitting all alone +in his great hall, looking as if there were no more joy for him. + +"What ails you, master?" asked Skirnir. "From the beginning of time +when we were very young we two have lived together, and I have served +you with loving care. You ought, then, to have confidence in me and +tell me all your troubles." + +"Ah, Skirnir, my faithful friend," sighed Frey, "how shall I tell you +my sorrow? The sun shines every day, but no longer brings light to my +sad heart. And all because I saw more than was good for me!" + +So then he told Skirnir all the matter: how he had stolen into Odin's +seat, and what he had seen from there; how he loved a giant's daughter +whose arms were more bright than silver moonbeams. + +"Oh, Skirnir, I love her very dearly," he cried; "but because our races +are enemies she would never marry me, I know, even if her father would +allow it. Therefore is it that I am so sad." + +But Skirnir did not seem to think the case so hopeless. "Give me but +your swift horse," he said, "which can bear me even through flames +of fire and thick smoke; give me also your magic wand and your sword, +which if he be brave who carries it, will smite by itself any giant who +comes in its way,--and I will see what I can do for you." + +Then Skirnir rode forth upon his dangerous errand; for a visit to Giant +Land was ever a perilous undertaking, as you may well imagine. As +Skirnir rode, he patted his good horse's neck and said to him, "Dark it +is, friend, and we have to go over frosty mountains and among frosty +people this night. Bear me well, good horse; for if you fail me the +giants will catch us both, and neither of us will return to bring the +news to our master Frey." + +After a long night of hard riding over mountain and desolate snowfield, +Skirnir came to that part of Jotunheim where the giant Gymir dwelt. +This was the father of Gerd, the maiden whom Frey had seen and loved. +But first he had to ride through a hedge of flame, which the horse +passed bravely. Now when he came to the house of Gymir, he found a pack +of fierce dogs chained about the door to keep strangers away. + +"H'm!" thought Skirnir, "I like this little indeed. I must find out +whether there be not some other entrance." So he looked around, and +soon he saw a herdsman sitting on a little hill, tending his cattle. +Skirnir rode up to him. + +"Ho, friend," he cried. "Tell me, how am I to pass these growling curs +so that I may speak with the young maiden who dwells in this house?" + +"Are you mad, or are you a spirit who is not afraid of death!" +exclaimed the herdsman. "Know you not that you can never enter there? +That is Gymir's dwelling, and he lets no one speak with his fair and +good daughter." + +"If I choose to die, you need not weep for me," quoth Skirnir boldly. +"But I do not think that I am yet to die. The Norn-maidens spun my fate +centuries ago, and they only can tell what is to be." Now Skirnir's +voice was loud and the hoof-beats of his horse were mighty. For this +was one of the magic steeds of Asgard, used to bearing Frey himself +on his broad back. And not without much noise had all these things +been said and done. From her room in Gymir's mansion Gerd heard the +stranger's voice, and to her waiting-maid she said, "What are these +sounds that I hear? The earth is trembling and all the house shakes." + +Then the servant ran to look out of the window, and in a minute +she popped in her head, crying, "Here is a mighty stranger who has +dismounted from his horse and leads him by the bridle to crop the +grass." + +Gerd was curious to see who this stranger might be; for her father kept +her close and she saw few visitors. + +"Bid him enter our hall," she said, "and give him a horn of bright +mead to drink. I will see him, though I fear it is the slayer of my +brother." For Gerd was the sister of Thiasse whom Thor slew. + +So Skirnir came into the hall, and Gerd received him coldly. "Who are +you?" she asked. "Which of the wise AEsir are you? For I know that only +one of the mighty ones from Asgard would have the courage and the power +to pass through the raging flames that surround my father's land." + +"I come from Frey, O maiden," said Skirnir, "from Frey, whom all folk +love. I come to beg that you also will love him and consent to be his +wife. For Frey has seen your beauty, and you are very dear to him." + +Gerd laughed carelessly. "I have heard of your fair Frey," she said, +"and how he is more dear to all than sunshine and the sweet smell of +flowers. But he is not dear to me. I do not wish the love of Frey, nor +any of that race of giant-killers. Tell him that I will not be his +bride." + +"Stay, be not so hasty," urged Skirnir. "We have more words to exchange +before I start for home. Look, I will give you eleven golden apples +from Asgard's magic tree if you will go with me to Frey's dwelling." + +Gerd would hear nothing of the golden apples. Then Skirnir promised her +the golden ring, Draupnir, which the dwarfs had made for Odin, out of +which every ninth night dropped eight other rings as large and bright. +But neither would Gerd listen to word of this generous gift. "I have +gold enough in my father's house," she said disdainfully. "With such +trifles you cannot tempt me to marry your Frey." + +Then Skirnir was very angry, and he began to storm and threaten. "I +will strike you with the bright sword which I hold in my hand!" he +cried. "It is Frey's magic sword, under which even that stout old giant +your father must sink if he comes within its reach." But again Gerd +laughed, though with less mirth in her laughter. "I will tame you with +Frey's magic wand!" he threatened, "the wand with which he rules the +Light-Elves, and changes folk into strange shapes. You shall vanish +from the sight of men, and pass your life on the eagle's mount far +above the sky, where you shall sit all day, too sad to eat. And when +you come thence, after countless ages, you will be a hideous monster at +which all creatures will stare in mockery and scorn." + +These were dreadful words, and Gerd no longer laughed when she heard +them. But she was obstinate. "I do not love Frey," she said, "and I +will not be his bride." + +Then Skirnir was angry indeed, and his fury blazed out in threats most +horrible. "If you will not marry my dear master," he cried, "you shall +be the most unhappy girl that ever lived. You shall cry all day long +and never see joy again. You shall marry a hideous old three-headed +giant, and from day to day you shall ever be in terror of some still +more dreadful fate to come!" + +Now Gerd began to tremble, for she saw that Frey's servant meant every +word that he spoke. But she was not ready to yield. "Go back to the +land of Elves," she taunted; "I will not be their Queen at any cost." + +Now Skirnir grasped the magic wand, and waving it over her, spoke his +last words of threat and anger. "The gods are angry with you, evil +maiden!" he cried. "Odin sees your obstinacy from his throne, and +will punish you for your cruelty to kind Frey. Frey himself, instead +of loving, will shun you when the gods arm themselves to destroy you +and all your race. Listen, Giants, Dwarfs, Light-Elves, Men, and +all friends of the AEsir! I forbid any one to have aught to do with +this wicked girl,--only the old giant who shall carry her to his +gloomy castle, barred and bolted and grated across. Misery, pain, and +madness--this, Gerd, is the fate which I wave over you with my wand, +unless speedily you repent and do my will." + +Poor Gerd gasped and trembled under this dreadful doom. Her willfulness +was quite broken, and now she sought only to make Skirnir unsay the +words of horror. "Hold!" she cried; "be welcome, youth, in the name of +your powerful master, Frey. I cannot afford to be enemy of such as he. +Drink this icy cup of welcome filled with the giant's mead, and take +with it my consent to be the bride of Frey. But alas! I never thought +to be a friend to one of Asgard's race." + +"You shall never repent, fair Gerd," said Skirnir gently. For now that +he had won his will, he was all smiles and friendliness. "And when you +see my dear master, you will be glad indeed that you did not insist +upon wedding the old three-headed giant. For Frey is fair,--ay, as fair +as are you yourself. And that is saying much, sweet lady." + +So Gerd promised that in nine days she would come to be the bride of +Frey. And the more she thought it over, the less unpleasant seemed the +idea. So that before the time was passed, she was almost as eager as +Frey for their happy meeting; not quite so eager, for you must remember +that she had not yet seen him and knew not all his glory, while he knew +what it was to long and long for what he had once seen. + +Indeed, when Skirnir galloped back to Frey as fast as the good horse +could take him, still Frey chided him for being slow. And when +the faithful fellow told the good news of the bride who was to be +his master's in nine short days, still Frey frowned and grumbled +impatiently. + +"How can I wait to see her?" he cried. "One day is long; two days are a +century; nine days seem forever. Oh, Skirnir, could you not have done +better than that for your dear master?" + +But Skirnir forgave Frey for his impatience, for he knew that +thenceforward his master would love all the better him who had done so +nobly to win the beloved bride. + +When Gerd married Frey and went with him to live in Elf Land, where he +and she were king and queen, they were the happiest folk that the world +ever saw. And Gerd was as grateful to Skirnir as Frey himself. For she +could not help thinking of that dreadful old three-headed giant whom +but for him she might have married, instead of her beautiful, kind Frey. + +So you see that sometimes one is happier in the end if she is not +allowed to have her own way. + + + + +THOR'S VISIT TO THE GIANTS + + +Nowadays, since their journey to get the stolen hammer, Thor and Loki +were good friends, for Loki seemed to have turned over a new leaf and +to be a very decent sort of fellow; but really he was the same sly +rascal at heart, only biding his time for mischief. However, in this +tale he behaves well enough. + +It was a long time since Thor had slain any giants, and he was growing +restless for an adventure. "Come, Loki," he said one day, "let us fare +forth to Giant Land and see what news there is among the Big Folk." + +Loki laughed, saying, "Let us go, Thor. I know I am safe with you;" +which was a piece of flattery that happened to be true. + +So they mounted the goat chariot as they had done so many times before +and rumbled away out of Asgard. All day they rode; and when evening +came they stopped at a little house on the edge of a forest, where +lived a poor peasant with his wife, his son, and daughter. + +"May we rest here for the night, friend?" asked Thor; and noting their +poverty, he added, "We bring our own supper, and ask but a bed to +sleep in." So the peasant was glad to have them stay. Then Thor, who +knew what he was about, killed and cooked his two goats, and invited +the family of peasants to sup with him and Loki; but when the meal was +ended, he bade them carefully save all the bones and throw them into +the goatskins which he had laid beside the hearth. Then Thor and Loki +lay down to sleep. + +In the morning, very early, before the rest were awake, Thor rose, +and taking his hammer, Mioelnir, went into the kitchen, where were the +remains of his faithful goats. Now the magic hammer was skillful, not +only to slay, but to restore, when Thor's hand wielded it. He touched +with it the two heaps of skin and bones, and lo! up sprang the goats, +alive and well, and as good as new. No, not quite as good as new. What +was this? Thor roared with anger, for one of the goats was lame in one +of his legs, and limped sorely. "Some one has meddled with the bones!" +he cried. "Who has touched the bones that I bade be kept so carefully?" + +Thialfi, the peasant's son, had broken one of the thigh-bones in order +to get at the sweet marrow, and this Thor soon discovered by the lad's +guilty face; then Thor was angry indeed. His knuckles grew white as he +clenched the handle of Mioelnir, ready to hurl it and destroy the whole +unlucky house and family; but the peasant and the other three fell +upon their knees, trembling with fear, and begged him to spare them. +They offered him all that they owned,--they offered even to become his +slaves,--if he would but spare their wretched lives. + +They looked so miserable that Thor was sorry for them, and resolved at +last to punish them only by taking away Thialfi, the son, and Roeskva, +the daughter, thenceforth to be his servants. And this was not so bad +a bargain for Thor, for Thialfi was the swiftest of foot of any man in +the whole world. + +So he left the goats behind, and fared forth with his three attendants +straight towards the east and Jotunheim. Thialfi carried Thor's wallet +with their scanty store of food. They crossed the sea and came at +last to a great forest, through which they tramped all day, until +once more it was night; and now they must find a place in which all +could sleep safely until morning. They wandered about here and there, +looking for some sign of a dwelling, and at last they came to a big, +queer-shaped house. Very queer indeed it was; for the door at one end +was as broad as the house itself! They entered, and lay down to sleep; +but at midnight Thor was wakened by a terrible noise. The ground shook +under them like an earthquake, and the house trembled as if it would +fall to pieces. Thor arose and called to his companions that there was +danger about, and that they must be on guard. Groping in the dark, +they found a long, narrow chamber on the right, where Loki and the two +peasants hid trembling, while Thor guarded the doorway, hammer in hand. +All night long the terrible noises continued, and Thor's attendants +were frightened almost to death; but early in the morning Thor stole +forth to find out what it all meant. And lo! close at hand in the +forest lay an enormous giant, sound asleep and snoring loudly. Then +Thor understood whence all their night's terror had proceeded, for the +giant was so huge that his snoring shook even the trees of the forest, +and made the mountains tremble. So much the better! Here at last was +a giant for Thor to tackle. He buckled his belt of power more tightly +to increase his strength, and laid hold of Mioelnir to hurl it at the +giant's forehead; but just at that moment the giant waked, rose slowly +to his feet, and stood staring mildly at Thor. He did not seem a fierce +giant, so Thor did not kill him at once. "Who are you?" asked Thor +sturdily. + +"I am the giant Skrymir, little fellow," answered the stranger, "and +well I know who you are, Thor of Asgard. But what have you been doing +with my glove?" + +Then the giant stooped and picked up--what do you think?--the queer +house in which Thor and his three companions had spent the night! Loki +and the two others had run out of their chamber in affright when they +felt it lifted; and their chamber was the thumb of the giant's glove. +That was a giant indeed, and Thor felt sure that they must be well upon +their way to Giant Land. + +When Skrymir learned where they were going, he asked if he might not +wend with them, and Thor said that he was willing. Now Skrymir untied +his wallet and sat down under a tree to eat his breakfast, while Thor +and his party chose another place, not far away, for their picnic. When +all had finished, the giant said, "Let us put our provisions together +in one bag, my friends, and I will carry it for you." This seemed fair +enough, for Thor had so little food left that he was not afraid to risk +losing it; so he agreed, and Skrymir tied all the provisions in his +bag and strode on before them with enormous strides, so fast that even +Thialfi could scarcely keep up with him. + +The day passed, and late in the evening Skrymir halted under a great +oak-tree, saying, "Let us rest here. I must have a nap, and you must +have your dinner. Here is the wallet,--open it and help yourselves." +Then he lay down on the moss, and was soon snoring lustily. + +Thor tried to open the wallet, in vain; he could not loosen a single +knot of the huge thongs that fastened it. He strained and tugged, +growing angrier and redder after every useless attempt. This was too +much; the giant was making him appear absurd before his servants. He +seized his hammer, and bracing his feet with all his might, struck +Skrymir a blow on his head. Skrymir stirred lazily, yawned, opened one +eye, and asked whether a leaf had fallen on his forehead, and whether +his companions had dined yet. Thor bit his lip with vexation, but he +answered that they were ready for bed; so he and his three followers +retired to rest under another oak. + +But Thor did not sleep that night. He lay thinking how he had been +put to shame, and how Loki had snickered at the sight of Thor's vain +struggles with the giant's wallet, and he resolved that it should not +happen again. At about midnight, once more he heard the giant's snore +resounding like thunder through the forest. Thor arose, clenching +Mioelnir tight, and stole over to the tree where Skrymir slept; then +with all his might he hurled the hammer and struck the giant on the +crown of his head, so hard that the hammer sank deep into his skull. At +this the giant awoke with a start, exclaiming, "What is that? Did an +acorn fall on my head? What are you doing there, Thor?" + +Thor stepped back quickly, answering that he had waked up, but that it +was only midnight, so they might all sleep some hours longer. "If I can +only give him one more blow before morning," he thought, "he will never +see daylight again." So he lay watching until Skrymir had fallen asleep +once more, which was near daybreak; then Thor arose as before, and +going very softly to the giant's side, smote him on the temple so sore +that the hammer sank into his skull up to the very handle. "Surely, he +is killed now," thought Thor. + +But Skrymir only raised himself on his elbow, stroked his chin, and +said, "There are birds above me in the tree. Methinks that just now a +feather fell upon my head. What, Thor! are you awake? I am afraid you +slept but poorly this night. Come, now, it is high time to rise and +make ready for the day. You are not far from our giant city,--Utgard we +call it. Aha! I have heard you whispering together. You think that I +am big; but you will see fellows taller still when you come to Utgard. +And now I have a piece of advice to give you. Do not pride yourselves +overmuch upon your importance. The followers of Utgard's king think +little of such manikins as you, and will not bear any nonsense, I +assure you. Be advised; return homeward before it is too late. If you +will go on, however, your way lies there to the eastward. Yonder is my +path, over the mountains to the north." + +So saying, Skrymir hoisted his wallet upon his shoulders, and turning +back upon the path that led into the forest, left them staring after +him and hoping that they might never see his big bulk again. + +Thor and his companions journeyed on until noon, when they saw in +the distance a great city, on a lofty plain. As they came nearer, +they found the buildings so high that the travelers had to bend back +their necks in order to see the tops. "This must be Utgard, the giant +city," said Thor. And Utgard indeed it was. At the entrance was a great +barred gate, locked so that no one might enter. It was useless to try +to force a passage in; even Thor's great strength could not move it on +its hinges. But it was a giant gate, and the bars were made to keep out +other giants, with no thought of folk so small as these who now were +bent upon finding entrance by one way or another. It was not dignified, +and noble Thor disliked the idea. Yet it was their only way; so one +by one they squeezed and wriggled between the bars, until they stood +in a row inside. In front of them was a wonderful great hall with the +door wide open. Thor and the three entered, and found themselves in the +midst of a company of giants, the very hugest of their kind. At the end +of the hall sat the king upon an enormous throne. Thor, who had been in +giant companies ere now, went straight up to the throne and greeted +the king with civil words. But the giant merely glanced at him with a +disagreeable smile, and said,-- + +"It is wearying to ask travelers about their journey. Such little +fellows as you four can scarcely have had any adventures worth +mentioning. Stay, now! Do I guess aright? Is this manikin Thor of +Asgard, or no? Ah, no! I have heard of Thor's might. You cannot really +be he, unless you are taller than you seem, and stronger too. Let us +see what feats you and your companions can perform to amuse us. No one +is allowed here who cannot excel others in some way or another. What +can you do best?" + +At this word, Loki, who had entered last, spoke up readily: "There is +one thing that I can do,--I can eat faster than any man." For Loki was +famished with hunger, and thought he saw a way to win a good meal. + +Then the king answered, "Truly, that is a noble accomplishment of +yours, if you can prove your words true. Let us make the test." So he +called forth from among his men Logi,--whose name means "fire,"--and +bade him match his powers with the stranger. + +Now a trough full of meat was set upon the floor, with Loki at one end +of it and the giant Logi at the other. Each began to gobble the meat +as fast as he could, and it was not a pretty sight to see them. Midway +in the trough they met, and at first it would seem as if neither had +beaten the other. Loki had indeed done wondrous well in eating the meat +from the bones so fast; but Logi, the giant, had in the same time eaten +not only meat but bones also, and had swallowed his half of the trough +into the bargain. Loki was vanquished at his own game, and retired +looking much ashamed and disgusted. + +The king then pointed at Thialfi, and asked what that young man could +best do. Thialfi answered that of all men he was the swiftest runner, +and that he was not afraid to race with any one whom the king might +select. + +"That is a goodly craft," said the king, smiling; "but you must be a +swift runner indeed if you can win a race from my Hugi. Let us go to +the racing-ground." + +They followed him out to the plain where Hugi, whose name means +"thought," was ready to race with young Thialfi. In the first run Hugi +came in so far ahead that when he reached the goal he turned about and +went back to meet Thialfi. "You must do better than that, Thialfi, if +you hope to win," said the king, laughing, "though I must allow that no +one ever before came here who could run so fast as you." + +They ran a second race; and this time when Hugi reached the goal there +was a long bow-shot between him and Thialfi. + +"You are truly a good runner," exclaimed the king. "I doubt not that +no man can race like you; but you cannot win from my giant lad, I +think. The last time shall show." Then they ran for the third time, and +Thialfi put forth all his strength, speeding like the wind; but all +his skill was in vain. Hardly had he reached the middle of the course +when he heard the shouts of the giants announcing that Hugi had won the +goal. Thialfi, too, was beaten at his own game, and he withdrew, as +Loki had done, shamefaced and sulky. + +There remained now only Thor to redeem the honor of his party, for +Roeskva the maiden was useless here. Thor had watched the result of +these trials with surprise and anger, though he knew it was no fault +of Loki or of Thialfi that they had been worsted by the giants. And +Thor was resolved to better even his own former great deeds. The king +called to Thor, and asked him what he thought he could best do to prove +himself as mighty as the stories told of him. Thor answered that he +would undertake to drink more mead than any one of the king's men. At +this proposal the king laughed aloud, as if it were a giant joke. He +summoned his cup-bearer to fetch his horn of punishment, out of which +the giants were wont to drink in turn. And when they returned to the +hall, the great vessel was brought to the king. + +"When any one empties this horn at one draught, we call him a famous +drinker," said the king. "Some of my men empty it in two trials; but no +one is so poor a manikin that he cannot empty it in three. Take the +horn, Thor, and see what you can do with it." + +Now Thor was very thirsty, so he seized the horn eagerly. It did not +seem to him so very large, for he had drunk from other mighty vessels +ere now. But indeed, it was deep. He raised it to his lips and took +a long pull, saying to himself, "There! I have emptied it already, I +know." Yet when he set the horn down to see how well he had done, he +found that he seemed scarcely to have drained a drop; the horn was +brimming as before. The king chuckled. + +"Well, you have drunk but little," he said. "I would never have +believed that famous Thor would lower the horn so soon. But doubtless +you will finish all at a second draught." + +Instead of answering, Thor raised the horn once more to his lips, +resolved to do better than before. But for some reason the tip of the +horn seemed hard to raise, and when he set the vessel down again his +heart sank, for he feared that he had drunk even less than at his first +trial. Yet he had really done better, for now it was easy to carry the +horn without spilling. The king smiled grimly. "How now, Thor!" he +cried. "You have left too much for your third trial. I fear you will +never be able to empty the little horn in three draughts, as the least +of my men can do. Ho, ho! You will not be thought so great a hero here +as the folk deem you in Asgard, if you cannot play some other game more +skillfully than you do this one." + +At this speech Thor grew very angry. He raised the horn to his mouth +and drank lustily, as long as he was able. But when he looked into the +horn, he found that some drops still remained. He had not been able to +empty it in three draughts. Angrily he flung down the horn, and said +that he would have no more of it. + +"Ah, Master Thor," taunted the king, "it is now plain that you are not +so mighty as we thought you. Are you inclined to try some other feats? +For indeed, you are easily beaten at this one." + +"I will try whatever you like," said Thor; "but your horn is a wondrous +one, and among the AEsir such a draught as mine would be called far from +little. Come, now,--what game do you next propose, O King?" + +The king thought a moment, then answered carelessly, "There is a little +game with which my youngsters amuse themselves, though it is so simple +as to be almost childish. It is merely the exercise of lifting my cat +from the ground. I should never have dared suggest such a feat as this +to you, Thor of Asgard, had I not seen that great tasks are beyond your +skill. It may be that you will find this hard enough." So he spoke, +smiling slyly, and at that moment there came stalking into the hall a +monstrous gray cat, with eyes of yellow fire. + +"Ho! Is this the creature I am to lift?" queried Thor. And when they +said that it was, he seized the cat around its gray, huge body and +tugged with all his might to lift it from the floor. Then the wretched +cat, lengthening and lengthening, arched its back like the span of a +bridge; and though Thor tugged and heaved his best, he could manage to +lift but one of its huge feet off the floor. The other three remained +as firmly planted as iron pillars. + +"Oho, oho!" laughed the king, delighted at this sight. "It is just as I +thought it would be. Poor little Thor! My cat is too big for him." + +"Little I may seem in this land of monsters," cried Thor wrathfully, +"but now let him who dares come hither and try a hug with me." + +"Nay, little Thor," said the king, seeking to make him yet more angry, +"there is not one of my men who would wrestle with you. Why, they would +call it child's play, my little fellow. But, for the joke of it, call +in my old foster-mother, Elli. She has wrestled with and worsted many +a man who seemed no weaker than you, O Thor. She shall try a fall with +you." + +Now in came the old crone, Elli, whose very name meant "age." She +was wrinkled and gray, and her back was bent nearly double with the +weight of the years which she carried, but she chuckled when she saw +Thor standing with bared arm in the middle of the floor. "Come and be +thrown, dearie," she cried in her cracked voice, grinning horribly. + +"I will not wrestle with a woman!" exclaimed Thor, eyeing her with pity +and disgust, for she was an ugly creature to behold. But the old woman +taunted him to his face and the giants clapped their hands, howling +that he was "afraid." So there was no way but that Thor must grapple +with the hag. + +The game began. Thor rushed at the old woman and gripped her tightly +in his iron arms, thinking that as soon as she screamed with the pain +of his mighty hug, he would give over. But the crone seemed not to +mind it at all. Indeed, the more he crushed her old ribs together the +firmer and stronger she stood. Now in her turn the witch attempted +to trip up Thor's heels, and it was wonderful to see her power and +agility. Thor soon began to totter, great Thor, in the hands of a poor +old woman! He struggled hard, he braced himself, he turned and twisted. +It was no use; the old woman's arms were as strong as knotted oak. In +a few moments Thor sank upon one knee, and that was a sign that he was +beaten. The king signaled for them to stop. "You need wrestle no more, +Thor," he said, with a curl to his lip, "we see what sort of fellow +you are. I thought that old Elli would have no difficulty in bringing +to his knees him who could not lift my cat. But come, now, night is +almost here. We will think no more of contests. You and your companions +shall sup with us as welcome guests and bide here till the morrow." + +Now as soon as the king had pleased himself in proving how small and +weak were these strangers who had come to the giant city, he became +very gracious and kind. But you can fancy whether or no Thor and the +others had a good appetite for the banquet where all the giants ate so +merrily. You can fancy whether or no they were happy when they went to +bed after the day of defeats, and you can guess what sweet dreams they +had. + +The next morning at daybreak the four guests arose and made ready to +steal back to Asgard without attracting any more attention. For this +adventure alone of all those in which Thor had taken part had been a +disgraceful failure. Silently and with bowed heads they were slipping +away from the hall when the king himself came to them and begged them +to stay. + +"You shall not leave Utgard without breakfast," he said kindly, "nor +would I have you depart feeling unfriendly to me." + +Then he ordered a goodly breakfast for the travelers, with store +of choicest dainties for them to eat and drink. When the four had +broken fast, he escorted them to the city gate where they were to say +farewell. But at the last moment he turned to Thor with a sly, strange +smile and asked,-- + +"Tell me now truly, brother Thor; what think you of your visit to +the giant city? Do you feel as mighty a fellow as you did before you +entered our gates, or are you satisfied that there are folk even +sturdier than yourself?" + +At this question Thor flushed scarlet, and the lightning flashed +angrily in his eye. Briefly enough he answered that he must confess to +small pride in his last adventure, for that his visit to the king had +been full of shame to the hero of Asgard. "My name will become a joke +among your people," quoth he. "You will call me Thor the puny little +fellow, which vexes me more than anything; for I have not been wont to +blush at my name." + +Then the king looked at him frankly, pleased with the humble manner of +Thor's speech. "Nay," he said slowly, "hang not your head so shamedly, +brave Thor. You have not done so ill as you think. Listen, I have +somewhat to tell you, now that you are outside Utgard,--which, if I +live, you shall never enter again. Indeed, you should not have entered +at all had I guessed what noble strength was really yours,--strength +which very nearly brought me and my whole city to destruction." + +To these words Thor and his companions listened with open-mouthed +astonishment. What could the king mean, they wondered? The giant +continued:-- + +"By magic alone were you beaten, Thor. Of magic alone were my +triumphs,--not real, but seeming to be so. Do you remember the giant +Skrymir whom you found sleeping and snoring in the forest? That was I. +I learned your errand and resolved to lower your pride. When you vainly +strove to untie my wallet, you did not know that I had fastened it with +invisible iron wire, in order that you might be baffled by the knots. +Thrice you struck me with your hammer,--ah! what mighty blows were +those! The least one would have killed me, had it fallen on my head as +you deemed it did. In my hall is a rock with three square hollows in +it, one of them deeper than the others. These are the dents of your +wondrous hammer, my Thor. For, while you thought I slept, I slipped the +rock under the hammer-strokes, and into this hard crust Mioelnir bit. +Ha, ha! It was a pretty jest." + +Now Thor's brow was growing black at this tale of the giant's trickery, +but at the same time he held up his head and seemed less ashamed of his +weakness, knowing now that it had been no weakness, but lack of guile. +He listened frowningly for the rest of the tale. The king went on:-- + +"When you came to my city, still it was magic that worsted your party +at every turn. Loki was certainly the hungriest fellow I ever saw, and +his deeds at the trencher were marvelous to behold. But the Logi who +ate with him was Fire, and easily enough fire can consume your meat, +bones, and wood itself. Thialfi, my boy, you are a runner swift as +the wind. Never before saw I such a race as yours. But the Hugi who +ran with you was Thought, my thought. And who can keep pace with the +speed of winged thought? Next, Thor, it was your turn to show your +might. Bravely indeed you strove. My heart is sick with envy of your +strength and skill. But they availed you naught against my magic. When +you drank from the long horn, thinking you had done so ill, in truth +you had performed a miracle,--never thought I to behold the like. You +guessed not that the end of the horn was out in the ocean, which no +one might drain dry. Yet, mighty one, the draughts you swallowed have +lowered the tide upon the shore. Henceforth at certain times the sea +will ebb; and this is by great Thor's drinking. The cat also which you +almost lifted,--it was no cat, but the great Midgard serpent himself +who encircles the whole world. He had barely length enough for his head +and tail to touch in a circle about the sea. But you raised him so high +that he almost touched heaven. How terrified we were when we saw you +heave one of his mighty feet from the ground! For who could tell what +horror might happen had you raised him bodily. Ah, and your wrestling +with old Elli! That was the most marvelous act of all. You had nearly +overthrown Age itself; yet there has never lived one, nor will such +ever be found, whom Elli, old age, will not cast to earth at last. +So you were beaten, Thor, but by a mere trick. Ha, ha! How angry you +looked,--I shall never forget! But now we must part, and I think you +see that it will be best for both of us that we should not meet again. +As I have done once, so can I always protect my city by magic spells. +Yes, should you come again to visit us, even better prepared than now, +yet you could never do us serious harm. Yet the wear and tear upon the +nerves of both of us is something not lightly forgotten." + +He ceased, smiling pleasantly, but with a threatening look in his eye. +Thor's wrath had been slowly rising during this tedious, grim speech, +and he could control it no longer. + +"Cheat and trickster!" he cried, "your wiles shall avail you nothing +now that I know your true self. You have put me to shame, now my +hammer shall shame you beyond all reckoning!" and he raised Mioelnir to +smite the giant deathfully. But at that moment the king faded before +his very eyes. And when he turned to look for the giant city that he +might destroy it,--as he had so many giant dwellings,--there was in the +place where it had been but a broad, fair plain, with no sign of any +palace, wall, or gate. Utgard had vanished. The king had kept one trick +of magic for the last. + +Then Thor and his three companions wended their way back to Asgard. But +they were slower than usual about answering questions concerning their +last adventure, their wondrous visit to the giant city. Truth to tell, +magic or no magic, Thor and Loki had showed but a poor figure that day. +For the first time in all their meeting with Thor the giants had not +come off any the worse for the encounter. Perhaps it was a lesson that +he sorely needed. I am afraid that he was rather inclined to think well +of himself. But then, he had reason, had he not? + + + + +THOR'S FISHING + + +Once upon a time the AEsir went to take dinner with old OEgir, the +king of the ocean. Down under the green waves they went to the coral +palace where OEgir lived with his wife, Queen Ran, and his daughters, +the Waves. But OEgir was not expecting so large a party to dinner, and +he had not mead enough for them all to drink. "I must brew some more +mead," he said to himself. But when he came to look for a kettle in +which to make the brew, there was none in all the sea large enough +for the purpose. At first OEgir did not know what to do; but at last +he decided to consult the gods themselves, for he knew how wise and +powerful his guests were, and he hoped that they might help him to a +kettle. + +Now when he told the AEsir his trouble they were much interested, for +they were hungry and thirsty, and longed for some of OEgir's good mead. +"Where can we find a kettle?" they said to one another. "Who has a +kettle huge enough to hold mead for all the AEsir?" + +Then Tyr the brave turned to Thor with a grand idea. "My father, the +giant Hymir, has such a kettle," he said. "I have seen it often in his +great palace near Elivagar, the river of ice. This famous kettle is a +mile deep, and surely that is large enough to brew all the mead we may +need." + +"Surely, surely it is large enough," laughed OEgir. "But how are we to +get the kettle, my distinguished guests? Who will go to Giant Land to +fetch the kettle a mile deep?" + +"That will I," said brave Thor. "I will go to Hymir's dwelling and +bring thence the little kettle, if Tyr will go with me to show me the +way." So Thor and Tyr set out together for the land of snow and ice, +where the giant Hymir lived. They traveled long and they traveled fast, +and finally they came to the huge house which had once been Tyr's home, +before he went to live with the good folk in Asgard. + +Well Tyr knew the way to enter, and it was not long before they found +themselves in the hall of Hymir's dwelling, peering about for some sign +of the kettle which they had come so far to seek; and sure enough, +presently they discovered eight huge kettles hanging in a row from one +of the beams in the ceiling. While the two were wondering which kettle +might be the one they sought, there came in Tyr's grandmother,--and +a terrible grandmother she was. No wonder that Tyr had run away from +home when he was very little; for this dreadful creature was a giantess +with nine hundred heads, each more ugly than the others, and her temper +was as bad as were her looks. She began to roar and bellow; and no one +knows what this evil old person would have done to her grandson and his +friend had not there come into the hall at this moment another woman, +fair and sweet, and glittering with golden ornaments. This was Tyr's +good mother, who loved him dearly, and who had mourned his absence +during long years. + +With a cry of joy she threw herself upon her son's neck, bidding him +welcome forty times over. She welcomed Thor also when she found out who +he was; but she sent away the wicked old grandmother, that she might +not hear, for Thor's name was not dear to the race of giants, to so +many of whom he had brought dole and death. + +"Why have you come, dear son, after so many years?" she cried. "I know +that some great undertaking calls you and this noble fellow to your +father's hall. Danger and death wait here for such as you and he; and +only some quest with glory for its reward could have brought you to +such risks. Tell me your secret, Tyr, and I will not betray it." + +Then they told her how that they had come to carry away the giant +kettle; and Tyr's mother promised that she would help them all she +could. But she warned them that it would be dangerous indeed, for that +Hymir had been in a terrible temper for many days, and that the very +sight of a stranger made him wild with rage. Hastily she gave them meat +and drink, for they were nearly famished after their long journey; +and then she looked around to see where she should hide them against +Hymir's return, who was now away at the hunt. + +"Aha!" she cried. "The very thing! You shall hide in the great kettle +itself; and if you escape Hymir's terrible eye, it may hap that you +will find a way to make off with your hiding-place, which is what you +want." So the kind creature helped them to climb into the great kettle +where it hung from one of the rafters in a row with seven others; but +this one was the biggest and the strongest of them all. + +Hardly had they snuggled down out of sight when Tyr's mother began +to tremble. "Hist!" she cried. "I hear him coming. Keep as still as +ever you can, O Tyr and Thor!" The floor also began to tremble, and +the eight kettles to clatter against one another, as Hymir's giant +footsteps approached the house. Outside they could hear the icebergs +shaking with a sound like thunder; indeed, the whole earth quivered as +if with fear when the terrible giant Hymir strode home from the hunt. +He came into the hall puffing and blowing, and immediately the air +of the room grew chilly; for his beard was hung with icicles and his +face was frosted hard, while his breath was a winter wind,--a freezing +blast. + +"Ho! wife," he growled, "what news, what news? For I see by the +footprints in the snow outside that you have had visitors to-day." + +Then indeed the poor woman trembled; but she tried not to look +frightened as she answered, "Yes, you have a guest, O Hymir!--a guest +whom you have long wished to see. Your son Tyr has returned to visit +his father's hall." + +"Humph!" growled Hymir, with a terrible frown. "Whom has he brought +here with him, the rascal? There are prints of two persons' feet in the +snow. Come, wife, tell me all; for I shall soon find out the truth, +whether or no." + +"He has brought a friend of his,--a dear friend, O Hymir!" faltered the +mother. "Surely, our son's friends are welcome when he brings them to +this our home, after so long an absence." + +But Hymir howled with rage at the word "friend." "Where are they +hidden?" he cried. "Friend, indeed! It is one of those bloody fellows +from Asgard, I know,--one of those giant-killers whom my good mother +taught me to hate with all my might. Let me get at him! Tell me +instantly where he is hidden, or I will pull down the hall about your +ears!" + +Now when the wicked old giant spoke like this, his wife knew that he +must be obeyed. Still she tried to put off the fateful moment of the +discovery. "They are standing over there behind that pillar," she said. +Instantly Hymir glared at the pillar towards which she pointed, and at +his frosty glance--snick-snack!--the marble pillar cracked in two, and +down crashed the great roof-beam which held the eight kettles. Smash! +went the kettles; and there they lay shivered into little pieces at +Hymir's feet,--all except one, the largest of them all, and that was +the kettle in which Thor and Tyr lay hidden, scarcely daring to breathe +lest the giant should guess where they were. Tyr's mother screamed when +she saw the big kettle fall with the others: but when she found that +this one, alone of them all, lay on its side unbroken, because it was +so tough and strong, she held her breath to see what would happen next. + +And what happened was this: out stepped Thor and Tyr, and making +low bows to Hymir, they stood side by side, smiling and looking as +unconcerned as if they really enjoyed all this hubbub; and I dare say +that they did indeed, being Tyr the bold and Thor the thunderer, who +had been in Giant Land many times ere this. + +Hymir gave scarcely a glance at his son, but he eyed Thor with a frown +of hatred and suspicion, for he knew that this was one of Father Odin's +brave family, though he could not tell which one. However, he thought +best to be civil, now that Thor was actually before him. So with gruff +politeness he invited the two guests to supper. + +Now Thor was a valiant fellow at the table as well as in war, as +you remember; and at sight of the good things on the board his eyes +sparkled. Three roast oxen there were upon the giant's table, and Thor +fell to with a will and finished two of them himself! You should have +seen the giant stare. + +"Truly, friend, you have a goodly appetite," he said. "You have eaten +all the meat that I have in my larder; and if you dine with us +to-morrow, I must insist that you catch your own dinner of fish. I +cannot undertake to provide food for such an appetite!" + +Now this was not hospitable of Hymir, but Thor did not mind. "I like +well to fish, good Hymir," he laughed; "and when you fare forth with +your boat in the morning, I will go with you and see what I can find +for my dinner at the bottom of the sea." + +When the morning came, the giant made ready for the fishing, and Thor +rose early to go with him. + +"Ho, Hymir," exclaimed Thor, "have you bait enough for us both?" + +Hymir answered gruffly, "You must dig your own bait when you go fishing +with me. I have no time to waste on you, sirrah." + +Then Thor looked about to see what he could use for bait; and presently +he spied a herd of Hymir's oxen feeding in the meadow. "Aha! just the +thing!" he cried; and seizing the hugest ox of all, he trotted down to +the shore with it under his arm, as easily as you would carry a handful +of clams for bait. When Hymir saw this, he was very angry. He pushed +the boat off from shore and began to row away as fast as he could, so +that Thor might not have a chance to come aboard. But Thor made one +long step and planted himself snugly in the stern of the boat. + +"No, no, brother Hymir," he said, laughing. "You invited me to go +fishing, and a-fishing I will go; for I have my bait, and my hope is +high that great luck I shall see this day." So he took an oar and rowed +mightily in the stern, while Hymir the giant rowed mightily at the +prow; and no one ever saw boat skip over the water so fast as this one +did on the day when these two big fellows went fishing together. + +Far and fast they rowed, until they came to a spot where Hymir cried, +"Hold! Let us anchor here and fish; this is the place where I have best +fortune." + +"And what sort of little fish do you catch here, O Hymir?" asked Thor. + +"Whales!" answered the giant proudly. "I fish for nothing smaller than +whales." + +"Pooh!" cried Thor. "Who would fish for such small fry! Whales, +indeed; let us row out further, where we can find something really +worth catching," and he began to pull even faster than before. + +"Stop! stop!" roared the giant. "You do not know what you are doing. +These are the haunts of the dreadful Midgard serpent, and it is not +safe to fish in these waters." + +"Oho! The Midgard serpent!" said Thor, delighted. "That is the very +fish I am after. Let us drop in our lines here." + +Thor baited his great hook with the whole head of the ox which he had +brought, and cast his line, big round as a man's arm, over the side +of the boat. Hymir also cast his line, for he did not wish Thor to +think him a coward; but his hand trembled as he waited for a bite, +and he glanced down into the blue depths with eyes rounded as big as +dinner-plates through fear of the horrible creature who lived down +below those waves. + +"Look! You have a bite!" cried Thor, so suddenly that Hymir started and +nearly tumbled out of the boat. Hand over hand he pulled in his line, +and lo! he had caught two whales--two great flopping whales--on his one +hook! That was a catch indeed. + +Hymir smiled proudly, forgetting his fear as he said, "How is that, my +friend? Let us see you beat this catch in your morning's fishing." + +Lo, just at that moment Thor also had a bite--such a bite! The boat +rocked to and fro, and seemed ready to capsize every minute. Then the +waves began to roll high and to be lashed into foam for yards and yards +about the boat, as if some huge creature were struggling hard below the +water. + +"I have him!" shouted Thor; "I have the old serpent, the brother of the +Fenris wolf! Pull, pull, monster! But you shall not escape me now!" + +Sure enough, the Midgard serpent had Thor's hook fixed in his jaw, and +struggle as he might, there was no freeing himself from the line; for +the harder he pulled the stronger grew Thor. In his AEsir-might Thor +waxed so huge and so forceful that his legs went straight through the +bottom of the boat and his feet stood on the bottom of the sea. With +firm bottom as a brace for his strength, Thor pulled and pulled, and +at last up came the head of the Midgard serpent, up to the side of +the boat, where it thrust out of the water mountain high, dreadful to +behold; his monstrous red eyes were rolling fiercely, his nostrils +spouted fire, and from his terrible sharp teeth dripped poison, that +sizzled as it fell into the sea. Angrily they glared at each other, +Thor and the serpent, while the water streamed into the boat, and the +giant turned pale with fear at the danger threatening him on all sides. + +Thor seized his hammer, preparing to smite the creature's head; but +even as he swung Mioelnir high for the fatal blow, Hymir cut the +fish-line with his knife, and down into the depths of ocean sank the +Midgard serpent amid a whirlpool of eddies. But the hammer had sped +from Thor's iron fingers. It crushed the serpent's head as he sank +downward to his lair on the sandy bottom; it crushed, but did not kill +him, thanks to the giant's treachery. Terrible was the disturbance it +caused beneath the waves. It burst the rocks and made the caverns +of the ocean shiver into bits. It wrecked the coral groves and tore +loose the draperies of sea-weed. The fishes scurried about in every +direction, and the sea-monsters wildly sought new places to hide +themselves when they found their homes destroyed. The sea itself was +stirred to its lowest depths, and the waves ran trembling into one +another's arms. The earth, too, shrank and shivered. Hymir, cowering +low in the boat, was glad of one thing, which was that the terrible +Midgard serpent had vanished out of sight. And that was the last that +was ever seen of him, though he still lived, wounded and sore from the +shock of Thor's hammer. + +Now it was time to return home. Silently and sulkily the giant swam +back to land; Thor, bearing the boat upon his shoulders, filled with +water and weighted as it was with the great whales which Hymir had +caught, waded ashore, and brought his burden to the giant's hall. +Here Hymir met him crossly enough, for he was ashamed of the whole +morning's work, in which Thor had appeared so much more of a hero than +he. Indeed, he was tired of even pretending hospitality towards this +unwelcome guest, and was resolved to be rid of him; but first he would +put Thor to shame. + +"You are a strong fellow," he said, "good at the oar and at the +fishing; most wondrously good at the hammer, by which I know that you +are Thor. But there is one thing which you cannot do, I warrant,--you +cannot break this little cup of mine, hard though you may try." + +"That I shall see for myself," answered Thor; and he took the cup +in his hand. Now this was a magic cup, and there was but one way of +breaking it, but one thing hard enough to shatter its mightiness. +Thor threw it with all his force against a stone of the flooring; +but instead of breaking the cup, the stone itself was cracked into +splinters. Then Thor grew angry, for the giant and all his servants +were laughing as if this were the greatest joke ever played. + +"Ho, ho! Try again, Thor!" cried Hymir, nearly bursting with delight; +for he thought that now he should prove how much mightier he was than +the visitor from Asgard. Thor clutched the cup more firmly and hurled +it against one of the iron pillars of the hall; but like a rubber ball +the magic cup merely bounded back straight into Hymir's hand. At this +second failure the giants were full of merriment and danced about, +making all manner of fun at the expense of Thor. You can fancy how well +Thor the mighty enjoyed this! His brow grew black, and the glance of +his eye was terrible. He knew there was some magic in the trick, but he +knew not how to meet it. Just then he felt the soft touch of a woman's +hand upon his arm, and the voice of Tyr's mother whispered in his ear,-- + +"Cast the cup against Hymir's own forehead, which is the hardest +substance in the world." No one except Thor heard the woman say these +words, for all the giant folk were doubled up with mirth over their +famous joke. But Thor dropped upon one knee, and seizing the cup +fiercely, whirled it about his head, then dashed it with all his might +straight at Hymir's forehead. Smash! Crash! What had happened? Thor +looked eagerly to see. There stood the giant, looking surprised and +a little dazed; but his forehead showed not even a scratch, while the +strong cup was shivered into little pieces. + +"Well done!" exclaimed Hymir hastily, when he had recovered a little +from his surprise. But he was mortified at Thor's success, and set +about to think up a new task to try his strength. "That was very well," +he remarked patronizingly; "now you must perform a harder task. Let us +see you carry the mead kettle out of the hall. Do that, my fine fellow, +and I shall say you are strong indeed." + +The mead kettle! The very thing Thor had come to get! He glanced at +Tyr; he shot a look at Tyr's mother; and both of them caught the +sparkle, which was very like a wink. To himself Thor muttered, "I must +not fail in this! I must not, will not fail!" + +"First let me try," cried Tyr; for he wanted to give Thor time for a +resting-spell. Twice Tyr the mighty strained at the great kettle, but +he could not so much as stir one leg of it from the floor where it +rested. He tugged and heaved in vain, growing red in the face, till his +mother begged him to give over, for it was quite useless. + +Then Thor stepped forth upon the floor. He grasped the rim of the +kettle, and stamped his feet through the stone of the flooring as he +braced himself to lift. One, two, three! Thor straightened himself, +and up swung the giant kettle to his head, while the iron handle +clattered about his feet. It was a mighty burden, and Thor staggered +as he started for the door; but Tyr was close beside him, and they had +covered long leagues of ground on their way home before the astonished +giants had recovered sufficiently to follow them. When Thor and Tyr +looked back, however, they saw a vast crowd of horrible giants, some of +them with a hundred heads, swarming out of the caverns in Hymir's land, +howling and prowling upon their track. + +"You must stop them, Thor, or they will never let us get away with +their precious kettle,--they take such long strides!" cried Tyr. So +Thor set down the kettle, and from his pocket drew out Mioelnir, his +wondrous hammer. Terribly it flashed in the air as he swung it over his +head; then forth it flew towards Jotunheim; and before it returned to +Thor's hand it had crushed all the heads of those many-headed giants, +Hymir's ugly mother and Hymir himself among them. The only one who +escaped was the good and beautiful mother of Tyr. And you may be sure +she lived happily ever after in the palace which Hymir and his wicked +old mother had formerly made so wretched a home for her. + +Now Tyr and Thor had the giant kettle which they had gone so far and +had met so many dangers to obtain. They took it to OEgir's sea-palace, +where the banquet was still going on, and where the AEsir were still +waiting patiently for their mead; for time does not go so fast below +the quiet waves as on shore. Now that King OEgir had the great kettle, +he could brew all the mead they needed. So every one thanked Tyr and +congratulated Thor upon the success of their adventure. + +"I was sure that Thor would bring the kettle," said fair Sif, smiling +upon her brave husband. + +"What Thor sets out to do, that he always accomplishes," said Father +Odin gravely. And that was praise enough for any one. + + + + +THOR'S DUEL + + +In the days that are past a wonderful race of horses pastured in the +meadows of heaven, steeds more beautiful and more swift than any which +the world knows to-day. There was Hrimfaxi, the black, sleek horse who +drew the chariot of Night across the sky and scattered the dew from his +foaming bit. There was Glad, behind whose flying heels sped the swift +chariot of Day. His mane was yellow with gold, and from it beamed light +which made the whole world bright. Then there were the two shining +horses of the sun, Arvakur the watchful, and Alsvith the rapid; and +the nine fierce battle-chargers of the nine Valkyries, who bore the +bodies of fallen heroes from the field of fight to the blessedness of +Valhalla. Each of the gods had his own glorious steed, with such pretty +names as Gold-mane and Silver-top, Light-foot and Precious-stone; these +galloped with their masters over clouds and through the blue air, +blowing flame from their nostrils and glinting sparks from their fiery +eyes. The AEsir would have been poor indeed without their faithful +mounts, and few would be the stories to tell in which these noble +creatures do not bear at least a part. + +But best of all the horses of heaven was Sleipnir, the eight-legged +steed of Father Odin, who because he was so well supplied with sturdy +feet could gallop faster over land and sea than any horse which ever +lived. Sleipnir was snow-white and beautiful to see, and Odin was very +fond and proud of him, you may be sure. He loved to ride forth upon his +good horse's back to meet whatever adventure might be upon the way, and +sometimes they had wild times together. + +One day Odin galloped off from Asgard upon Sleipnir straight towards +Jotunheim and the Land of Giants, for it was long since All-Father had +been to the cold country, and he wished to see how its mountains and +ice-rivers looked. Now as he galloped along a wild road, he met a huge +giant standing beside his giant steed. + +"Who goes there?" cried the giant gruffly, blocking the way so that +Odin could not pass. "You with the golden helmet, who are you, who ride +so famously through air and water? For I have been watching you from +this mountain-top. Truly, that is a fine horse which you bestride." + +"There is no finer horse in all the world," boasted Odin. "Have you not +heard of Sleipnir, the pride of Asgard? I will match him against any of +your big, clumsy giant horses." + +"Ho!" roared the giant angrily, "an excellent horse he is, your little +Sleipnir. But I warrant he is no match for my Gullfaxi here. Come, let +us try a race; and at its end I shall pay you for your insult to our +horses of Jotunheim." + +So saying, the giant, whose ugly name was Hrungnir, sprang upon his +horse and spurred straight at Odin in the narrow way. Odin turned and +galloped back towards Asgard with all his might; for not only must he +prove his horse's speed, but he must save himself and Sleipnir from the +anger of the giant, who was one of the fiercest and wickedest of all +his fierce and wicked race. + +How the eight slender legs of Sleipnir twinkled through the blue sky! +How his nostrils quivered and shot forth fire and smoke! Like a flash +of lightning he darted across the sky, and the giant horse rumbled and +thumped along close behind like the thunder following the flash. + +"Hi, hi!" yelled the giant. "After them, Gullfaxi! And when we have +overtaken the two, we will crush their bones between us!" + +"Speed, speed, my Sleipnir!" shouted Odin. "Speed, good horse, or you +will never again feed in the dewy pastures of Asgard with the other +horses. Speed, speed, and bring us safe within the gates!" + +Well Sleipnir understood what his master said, and well he knew the +way. Already the rainbow bridge was in sight, with Heimdal the watchman +prepared to let them in. His sharp eyes had spied them afar, and had +recognized the flash of Sleipnir's white body and of Odin's golden +helmet. Gallop and thud! The twelve hoofs were upon the bridge, the +giant horse close behind the other. At last Hrungnir knew where he was, +and into what danger he was rushing. He pulled at the reins and tried +to stop his great beast. But Gullfaxi was tearing along at too terrible +a speed. He could not stop. Heimdal threw open the gates of Asgard, and +in galloped Sleipnir with his precious burden, safe. Close upon them +bolted in Gullfaxi, bearing his giant master, puffing and purple in +the face from hard riding and anger. Cling-clang! Heimdal had shut and +barred the gates, and there was the giant prisoned in the castle of his +enemies. + +Now the AEsir were courteous folk, unlike the giants, and they were not +anxious to take advantage of a single enemy thus thrown into their +power. They invited him to enter Valhalla with them, to rest and sup +before the long journey of his return. Thor was not present, so they +filled for the giant the great cups which Thor was wont to drain, for +they were nearest to the giant size. But you remember that Thor was +famous for his power to drink deep. Hrungnir's head was not so steady; +Thor's draught was too much for him. He soon lost his wits, of which he +had but few; and a witless giant is a most dreadful creature. He raged +like a madman, and threatened to pick up Valhalla like a toy house +and carry it home with him to Jotunheim. He said he would pull Asgard +to pieces and slay all the gods except Freia the fair and Sif, the +golden-haired wife of Thor, whom he would carry off like little dolls +for his toy house. + +The AEsir knew not what to do, for Thor and his hammer were not there to +protect them, and Asgard seemed in danger with this enemy within its +very walls. Hrungnir called for more and more mead, which Freia alone +dared to bring and set before him. And the more he drank the fiercer +he became. At last the AEsir could bear no longer his insults and his +violence. Besides, they feared that there would be no more mead left +for their banquets if this unwelcome visitor should keep Freia pouring +out for him Thor's mighty goblets. They bade Heimdal blow his horn and +summon Thor; and this Heimdal did in a trice. + +Now rumbling and thundering in his chariot of goats came Thor. He +dashed into the hall, hammer in hand, and stared in amazement at the +unwieldy guest whom he found there. + +"A giant feasting in Asgard hall!" he roared. "This is a sight which +I never saw before. Who gave the insolent fellow leave to sit in my +place? And why does fair Freia wait upon him as if he were some noble +guest at a feast of the high gods? I will slay him at once!" and he +raised the hammer to keep his word. + +Thor's coming had sobered the giant somewhat, for he knew that this was +no enemy to be trifled with. He looked at Thor sulkily and said: "I am +Odin's guest. He invited me to this banquet, and therefore I am under +his protection." + +"You shall be sorry that you accepted the invitation," cried Thor, +balancing his hammer and looking very fierce; for Sif had sobbed in his +ear how the giant had threatened to carry her away. + +Hrungnir now rose to his feet and faced Thor boldly, for the sound of +Thor's gruff voice had restored his scattered wits. "I am here alone +and without weapons," he said. "You would do ill to slay me now. It +would be little like the noble Thor, of whom we hear tales, to do such +a thing. The world will count you braver if you let me go and meet me +later in single combat, when we shall both be fairly armed." + +Thor dropped the hammer to his side. "Your words are true," he said, +for he was a just and honorable fellow. + +"I was foolish to leave my shield and stone club at home," went on the +giant. "If I had my arms with me, we would fight at this moment. But I +name you a coward if you slay me now, an unarmed enemy." + +"Your words are just," quoth Thor again. "I have never before been +challenged by any foe. I will meet you, Hrungnir, at your Stone City, +midway between heaven and earth. And there we will fight a duel to see +which of us is the better fellow." + +Hrungnir departed for Stone City in Jotunheim; and great was the +excitement of the other giants when they heard of the duel which one of +their number was to fight with Thor, the deadliest enemy of their race. + +"We must be sure that Hrungnir wins the victory!" they cried. "It will +never do to have Asgard victorious in the first duel that we have +fought with her champion. We will make a second hero to aid Hrungnir." + +All the giants set to work with a will. They brought great buckets of +moist clay, and heaping them up into a huge mound, moulded the mass +with their giant hands as a sculptor does his image, until they had +made a man of clay, an immense dummy, nine miles high and three miles +wide. "Now we must make him live; we must put a heart into him!" they +cried. But they could find no heart big enough until they thought of +taking that of a mare, and that fitted nicely. A mare's heart is the +most cowardly one that beats. + +Hrungnir's heart was a three-cornered piece of hard stone. His head +also was of stone, and likewise the great shield which he held before +him when he stood outside of Stone City waiting for Thor to come to +the duel. Over his shoulder he carried his club, and that also was of +stone, the kind from which whetstones are made, hard and terrible. By +his side stood the huge clay man, Moeckuralfi, and they were a dreadful +sight to see, these two vast bodies whom Thor must encounter. + +But at the very first sight of Thor, who came thundering to the place +with swift Thialfi his servant, the timid mare's heart in the man +of clay throbbed with fear; he trembled so that his knees knocked +together, and his nine miles of height rocked unsteadily. + +Thialfi ran up to Hrungnir and began to mock him, saying, "You are +careless, giant. I fear you do not know what a mighty enemy has come to +fight you. You hold your shield in front of you; but that will serve +you nothing. Thor has seen this. He has only to go down into the earth +and he can attack you conveniently from beneath your very feet." + +At this terrifying news Hrungnir hastened to throw his shield upon +the ground and to stand upon it, so that he might be safe from Thor's +under-stroke. He grasped his heavy club with both hands and waited. He +had not long to wait. There came a blinding flash of lightning and a +peal of crashing thunder. Thor had cast his hammer into space. Hrungnir +raised his club with both hands and hurled it against the hammer which +he saw flying towards him. The two mighty weapons met in the air with +an earsplitting shock. Hard as was the stone of the giant's club, it +was like glass against the power of Mioelnir. The club was dashed into +pieces; some fragments fell upon the earth; and these, they say, are +the rocks from which whetstones are made unto this day. They are so +hard that men use them to sharpen knives and axes and scythes. One +splinter of the hard stone struck Thor himself in the forehead, with +so fierce a blow that he fell forward upon the ground, and Thialfi +feared that he was killed. But Mioelnir, not even stopped in its course +by meeting the giant's club, sped straight to Hrungnir and crushed his +stony skull, so that he fell forward over Thor, and his foot lay on the +fallen hero's neck. And that was the end of the giant whose head and +heart were of stone. + +Meanwhile Thialfi the swift had fought with the man of clay, and had +found little trouble in toppling him to earth. For the mare's cowardly +heart in his great body gave him little strength to meet Thor's +faithful servant; and the trembling limbs of Moeckuralfi soon yielded to +Thialfi's hearty blows. He fell like an unsteady tower of blocks, and +his brittle bulk shivered into a thousand fragments. + +Thialfi ran to his master and tried to raise him. The giant's great +foot still rested upon his neck, and all Thialfi's strength could not +move it away. Swift as the wind he ran for the other AEsir, and when +they heard that great Thor, their champion, had fallen and seemed +like one dead, they came rushing to the spot in horror and confusion. +Together they all attempted to raise Hrungnir's foot from Thor's neck +that they might see whether their hero lived or no. But all their +efforts were in vain. The foot was not to be lifted by AEsir-might. + +At this moment a second hero appeared upon the scene. It was Magni, the +son of Thor himself; Magni, who was but three days old, yet already +in his babyhood he was almost as big as a giant and had nearly the +strength of his father. This wonderful youngster came running to +the place where his father lay surrounded by a group of sad-faced +and despairing gods. When Magni saw what the matter was, he seized +Hrungnir's enormous foot in both his hands, heaved his broad young +shoulders, and in a moment Thor's neck was free of the weight which was +crushing it. + +Best of all, it proved that Thor was not dead, only stunned by the blow +of the giant's club and by his fall. He stirred, sat up painfully, and +looked around him at the group of eager friends. "Who lifted the weight +from my neck?" he asked. + +"It was I, father," answered Magni modestly. Thor clasped him in his +arms and hugged him tight, beaming with pride and gratitude. + +"Truly, you are a fine child!" he cried; "one to make glad your +father's heart. Now as a reward for your first great deed you shall +have a gift from me. The swift horse of Hrungnir shall be yours,--that +same Gullfaxi who was the beginning of all this trouble. You shall ride +Gullfaxi; only a giant steed is strong enough to bear the weight of +such an infant prodigy as you, my Magni." + +Now this word did not wholly please Father Odin, for he thought that +a horse so excellent ought to belong to him. He took Thor aside and +argued that but for him there would have been no duel, no horse to win. +Thor answered simply,-- + +"True, Father Odin, you began this trouble. But I have fought your +battle, destroyed your enemy, and suffered great pain for you. Surely, +I have won the horse fairly and may give it to whom I choose. My son, +who has saved me, deserves a horse as good as any. Yet, as you have +proved, even Gullfaxi is scarce a match for your Sleipnir. Verily, +Father Odin, you should be content with the best." Odin said no more. + +Now Thor went home to his cloud-palace in Thrudvang. And there he +was healed of all his hurts except that which the splinter of stone +had made in his forehead. For the stone was imbedded so fast that it +could not be taken out, and Thor suffered sorely therefor. Sif, his +yellow-haired wife, was in despair, knowing not what to do. At last she +bethought her of the wise woman, Groa, who had skill in all manner of +herbs and witch charms. Sif sent for Groa, who lived all alone and sad +because her husband Oervandil had disappeared, she knew not whither. +Groa came to Thor and, standing beside his bed while he slept, sang +strange songs and gently waved her hands over him. Immediately the +stone in his forehead began to loosen, and Thor opened his eyes. + +"The stone is loosening, the stone is coming out!" he cried. "How can I +reward you, gentle dame? Prithee, what is your name?" + +"My name is Groa," answered the woman, weeping, "wife of Oervandil who +is lost." + +"Now, then, I can reward you, kind Groa!" cried Thor, "for I can +bring you tidings of your husband. I met him in the cold country, +in Jotunheim, the Land of Giants, which you know I sometimes visit +for a bit of good hunting. It was by Elivagar's icy river that I met +Oervandil, and there was no way for him to cross. So I put him in an +iron basket and myself bore him over the flood. Br-r-r! But that is a +cold land! His feet stuck out through the meshes of the basket, and +when we reached the other side one of his toes was frozen stiff. So +I broke it off and tossed it up into the sky that it might become a +star. To prove that what I relate is true, Groa, there is the new star +shining over us at this very moment. Look! From this day it shall be +known to men as Oervandil's Toe. Do not you weep any longer. After all, +the loss of a toe is a little thing; and I promise that your husband +shall soon return to you, safe and sound, but for that small token of +his wanderings in the land where visitors are not welcome." + +At these joyful tidings poor Groa was so overcome that she fainted. +And that put an end to the charm which she was weaving to loosen the +stone from Thor's forehead. The stone was not yet wholly free, and +thenceforth it was in vain to attempt its removal; Thor must always +wear the splinter in his forehead. Groa could never forgive herself for +the carelessness which had thus made her skill vain to help one to whom +she had reason to be so grateful. + +Now because of the bit of whetstone in Thor's forehead, folk of olden +times were very careful how they used a whetstone; and especially they +knew that they must not throw or drop one on the floor. For when they +did so, the splinter in Thor's forehead was jarred, and the good Asa +suffered great pain. + + + + +IN THE GIANT'S HOUSE + + +Although Thor had slain Thiasse the giant builder, Thrym the thief, +Hrungnir, and Hymir, and had rid the world of whole families of +wicked giants, there remained many others in Jotunheim to do their +evil deeds and to plot mischief against both gods and men; and of +these Geirroed was the fiercest and the wickedest. He and his two ugly +daughters--Gialp of the red eyes, and Greip of the black teeth--lived +in a large palace among the mountains, where Geirroed had his treasures +of iron and copper, silver and gold; for, since the death of Thrym, +Geirroed was the Lord of the Mines, and all the riches that came out of +the earth-caverns belonged to him. + +Thrym had been Geirroed's friend, and the tale of Thrym's death through +the might of Thor and his hammer had made Geirroed very sad and angry. +"If I could but catch Thor, now, without his weapons," he said to his +daughters, "what a lesson I would give him! How I would punish him for +his deeds against us giants!" + +"Oh, what would you do, father?" cried Gialp, twinkling her cruel red +eyes, and working her claw fingers as if she would like to fasten them +in Thor's golden beard. + +"Oh, what would you do, father?" cried Greip, smacking her lips and +grinding her black teeth as if she would like a bite out of Thor's +stout arm. + +"Do to him!" growled Geirroed fiercely. "Do to him! Gr-r-r! I would chew +him all up! I would break his bones into little bits! I would smash him +into jelly!" + +"Oh, good, good! Do it, father, and then give him to us to play with," +cried Gialp and Greip, dancing up and down till the hills trembled and +all the frightened sheep ran home to their folds thinking that there +must be an earthquake; for Gialp was as tall as a pine-tree and many +times as thick, while Greip, her little sister, was as large around as +a haystack and high as a flagstaff. They both hoped some day to be as +huge as their father, whose legs were so long that he could step across +the river valleys from one hilltop to another, just as we human folk +cross a brook on stepping-stones; and his arms were so stout that he +could lift a yoke of oxen in each fist, as if they were red-painted +toys. + +Geirroed shook his head at his two playful daughters and sighed. "We +must catch Master Thor first, my girls, before we do these fine things +to him. We must catch him without his mighty hammer, that never fails +him, and without his belt, that doubles his strength whenever he puts +it on, or even I cannot chew and break and smash him as he deserves; +for with these his weapons he is the mightiest creature in the whole +world, and I would rather meddle with thunder and lightning than with +him. Let us wait, children." + +Then Gialp and Greip pouted and sulked like two great babies who cannot +have the new plaything which they want; and very ugly they were to see, +with tears as big as oranges rolling down their cheeks. + +Sooner than they expected they came very near to having their heart's +desire fulfilled. And if it had happened as they wished, and if Asgard +had lost its goodliest hero, its strongest defense, that would have +been red Loki's fault, all Loki's evil planning; for you are now to +hear of the wickedest thing that up to this time Loki had ever done. +As you know, it was Loki who was Thor's bitterest enemy; and for many +months he had been awaiting the chance to repay the Thunder Lord for +the dole which Thor had brought upon him at the time of the dwarf's +gifts to Asgard. + +This is how it came about: Loki had long remembered the fun of skimming +as a great bird in Freia's falcon feathers. He had longed to borrow +the wings once again and to fly away over the round world to see what +he could see; for he thought that so he could learn many secrets which +he was not meant to know, and plan wonderful mischief without being +found out. But Freia would not again loan her feather dress to Loki. +She owed him a grudge for naming her as Thrym's bride; and besides, +she remembered his treatment of Idun, and she did not trust his oily +tongue and fine promises. So Loki saw no way but to borrow the feathers +without leave; and this he did one day when Freia was gone to ride in +her chariot drawn by white cats. Loki put on the feather dress, as he +had done twice before,--once when he went to Jotunheim to bring back +stolen Idun and her magic apples, once when he went to find out about +Thor's hammer. + +Away he flew from Asgard as birdlike as you please, chuckling to +himself with wicked thoughts. It did not make any particular difference +to him where he went. It was such fun to flap and fly, skim and wheel, +looking and feeling for all the world like a big brown falcon. He +swooped low, thinking, "I wonder what Freia would say to see me now! +Whee-e-e! How angry she would be!" Just then he spied the high wall of +a palace on the mountains. + +"Oho!" said Loki. "I never saw that place before. It may be a giant's +dwelling. I think this must be Jotunheim, from the bigness of things. I +must just peep to see." Loki was the most inquisitive of creatures, as +wily minded folk are apt to be. + +Loki the falcon alighted and hopped to the wall, then giving a flap of +his wings he flew up and up to the window ledge, where he perched and +peered into the hall. And there within he saw the giant Geirroed with +his daughters eating their dinner. They looked so ugly and so greedy, +as they sat there gobbling their food in giant mouthfuls, that Loki on +the window-sill could not help snickering to himself. Now at that sound +Geirroed looked up and saw the big brown bird peeping in at the window. + +"Heigha!" cried the giant to one of his servants. "Go you and fetch me +the big brown bird up yonder in the window." + +Then the servant ran to the wall and tried to climb up to get at Loki; +but the window was so high that he could not reach. He jumped and +slipped, scrambled and slipped, again and again, while Loki sat just +above his clutching fingers, and chuckled so that he nearly fell from +his perch. "Te-he! te-he!" chattered Loki in the falcon tongue. It was +such fun to see the fellow grow black in the face with trying to reach +him that Loki thought he would wait until the giant's fingers almost +touched him, before flying away. + +But Loki waited too long. At last, with a quick spring, the giant +gained a hold upon the window ledge, and Loki was within reach. When +Loki flapped his wings to fly, he found that his feet were tangled +in the vine that grew upon the wall. He struggled and twisted with +all his might,--but in vain. There he was, caught fast. Then the +servant grasped him by the legs, and so brought him to Geirroed, where +he sat at table. Now Loki in his feather dress looked exactly like a +falcon--except for his eyes. There was no hiding the wise and crafty +look of Loki's eyes. As soon as Geirroed looked at him, he suspected +that this was no ordinary bird. + +"You are no falcon, you!" he cried. "You are spying about my palace in +disguise. Speak, and tell me who you are." Loki was afraid to tell, +because he knew the giants were angry with him for his part in Thrym's +death,--small though his part had really been in that great deed. So he +kept his beak closed tight, and refused to speak. The giant stormed and +raged and threatened to kill him; but still Loki was silent. + +Then Geirroed locked the falcon up in a chest for three long months +without food or water, to see how that would suit his bird-ship. +You can imagine how hungry and thirsty Loki was at the end of that +time,--ready to tell anything he knew, and more also, for the sake of a +crumb of bread and a drop of water. + +So then Geirroed called through the keyhole, "Well, Sir Falcon, now will +you tell me who you are?" And this time Loki piped feebly, "I am Loki +of Asgard; give me something to eat!" + +"Oho!" quoth the giant fiercely. "You are that Loki who went with +Thor to kill my brother Thrym! Oho! Well, you shall die for that, my +feathered friend!" + +"No, no!" screamed Loki. "Thor is no friend of mine. I love the giants +far better! One of them is my wife!"--which was indeed true, as were +few of Loki's words. + +"Then if Thor is no friend of yours, to save your life will you bring +him into my power?" asked Geirroed. + +Loki's eyes gleamed wickedly among the feathers. Here all at once was +his chance to be free, and to have his revenge upon Thor, his worst +enemy. "Ay, that I will!" he cried eagerly. "I will bring Thor into +your power." + +So Geirroed made him give a solemn promise to do that wrong; and upon +this he loosed Loki from the chest and gave him food. Then they formed +the wicked plan together, while Gialp and Greip, the giant's ugly +daughters, listened and smacked their lips. + +Loki was to persuade Thor to come with him to Geirroedsgard. More; he +must come without his mighty hammer, and without the iron gloves of +power, and without the belt of strength; for so only could the giant +have Thor at his mercy. + +After their wicked plans were made, Loki bade a friendly farewell to +Geirroed and his daughters and flew back to Asgard as quickly as he +could. You may be sure he had a sound scolding from Freia for stealing +her feather dress and for keeping it so long. But he told such a +pitiful story of being kept prisoner by a cruel giant, and he looked in +truth so pale and thin from his long fast, that the gods were fain to +pity him and to believe his story, in spite of the many times that he +had deceived them. Indeed, most of his tale was true, but he told only +half of the truth; for he spoke no word of his promise to the giant. +This he kept hidden in his breast. + +Now, one day not long after this, Loki invited Thor to go on a journey +with him to visit a new friend who, he said, was anxious to know the +Thunder Lord. Loki was so pleasant in his manner and seemed so frank in +his speech that Thor, whose heart was simple and unsuspicious, never +dreamed of any wrong, not even when Loki added,--"And by the bye, my +Thor, you must leave behind your hammer, your belt, and your gloves; +for it would show little courtesy to wear such weapons in the home of a +new friend." + +Thor carelessly agreed; for he was pleased with the idea of a new +adventure, and with the thought of making a new friend. Besides, +on their last journey together, Loki had behaved so well that Thor +believed him to have changed his evil ways and to have become his +friend. So together they set off in Thor's goat chariot, without +weapons of any kind except those which Loki secretly carried. Loki +chuckled as they rattled over the clouds, and if Thor had seen the look +in his eyes, he would have turned the chariot back to Asgard and to +safety, where he had left gentle Sif his wife. But Thor did not notice, +and so they rumbled on. + +Soon they came to the gate of Giant Land. Thor thought this strange, +for he knew they were like to find few friends of his dwelling among +the Big Folk. For the first time he began to suspect Loki of some +treacherous scheme. However, he said nothing, and pretended to be as +gay and careless as before. But he thought of a plan to find out the +truth. + +Close by the entrance was the cave of Grid, a good giantess, who alone +of all her race was a friend of Thor and of the folk in Asgard. + +"I will alight here for a moment, Loki," said Thor carelessly. "I long +for a draught of water. Hold you the goats tightly by the reins until I +return." + +So he went into the cave and got his draught of water. But while he was +drinking, he questioned good mother Grid to some purpose. + +"Who is this friend Geirroed whom I go to see?" he asked her. + +"Geirroed your friend! You go to see Geirroed!" she exclaimed. "He is the +wickedest giant of us all, and no friend to you. Why do you go, dear +Thor?" + +"H'm!" muttered Thor. "Red Loki's mischief again!" He told her of the +visit that Loki had proposed, and how he had left at home the belt, the +gloves, and the hammer which made him stronger than any giant. Then +Grid was frightened. + +"Go not, go not, Thor!" she begged. "Geirroed will kill you, and those +ugly girls, Gialp and Greip, will have the pleasure of crunching your +bones. Oh, I know them well, the hussies!" + +But Thor declared that he would go, whether or no. "I have promised +Loki that I will go," he said, "and go I will; for I always keep my +word." + +"Then you shall have three little gifts of me," quoth she. "Here is my +belt of power--for I also have one like your own." And she buckled +about his waist a great belt, at whose touch he felt his strength +redoubled. "This is my iron glove," she said, as she put one on his +mighty hand, "and with it, as with your own, you can handle lightning +and touch unharmed the hottest of red-hot metal. And here, last of +all," she added, "is Gridarvoell, my good staff, which you may find +useful. Take them, all three; and may Sif see you safe at home again by +their aid." + +Thor thanked her and went out once more to join Loki, who never +suspected what had happened in the cave. For the belt and the glove +were hidden under Thor's cloak. And as for the staff, it was quite +ordinary looking, as if Thor might have picked it up anywhere along the +road. + +On they journeyed until they came to the river Vimer, the greatest of +all rivers, which roared and tossed in a terrible way between them and +the shore which they wanted to reach. It seemed impossible to cross. +But Thor drew his belt a little tighter, and planting Grid's staff +firmly on the bottom, stepped out into the stream. Loki clung behind to +his cloak, frightened out of his wits. But Thor waded on bravely, his +strength doubled by Grid's belt, and his steps supported by her magic +staff. Higher and higher the waves washed over his knees, his waist, +his shoulders, as if they were fierce to drown him. And Thor said,-- + +"Ho there, river Vimer! Do not grow any larger, I pray. It is of no +use. The more you crowd upon me, the mightier I grow with my belt and +my staff!" + +But lo! as he nearly reached the other side, Thor spied some one hiding +close down by the bank of the river. It was Gialp of the red eyes, the +big elder daughter of Geirroed. She was splashing the water upon Thor, +making the great waves that rolled up and threatened to drown him. + +"Oho!" cried he. "So it is you who are making the river rise, big +little girl. We must see to that;" and seizing a huge boulder, he +hurled it at her. It hit her with a thud, for Thor's aim never missed. +Giving a scream as loud as a steam-whistle, Gialp limped home as best +she could to tell her father, and to prepare a warm reception for the +stranger who bore Loki at his back. + +When Thor had pulled himself out of the river by some bushes, he soon +came to the palace which Loki had first sighted in his falcon dress. +And there he found everything most courteously made ready for him. He +and Loki were received like dear old friends, with shouts of rejoicing +and ringing of bells. Geirroed himself came out to meet them, and would +have embraced his new friend Thor; but the Thunder Lord merely seized +him by the hand and gave him so hearty a squeeze with the iron glove +that the giant howled with pain. Yet he could say nothing, for Thor +looked pleased and gentle. And Geirroed said to himself, "Ho, ho, my +fine little Thor! I will soon pay you for that handshake, and for many +things beside." + +All this time Gialp and Greip did not appear, and Loki also had taken +himself away, to be out of danger when the hour of Thor's death should +come. For he feared that dreadful things might happen before Thor died; +and he did not want to be remembered by the big fist of the companion +whom he had betrayed. Loki, having kept his promise to the giant, was +even now far on the road back to Asgard, where he meant with a sad +face to tell the gods that Thor had been slain by a horrible giant; but +never to tell them how. + +So Thor was all alone when the servants led him to the chamber which +Geirroed had made ready for his dear friend. It was a wonderfully fine +chamber, to be sure; but the strange thing about it was that among the +furnishings there was but one chair, a giant chair, with a drapery all +about the legs. Now Thor was very weary with his long journey, and he +sat down in the chair to rest. Then, wonderful to tell!--if elevators +had been invented in those days, he might have thought he was in one. +For instantly the seat of the chair shot up towards the roof, and +against this he was in danger of being crushed as Geirroed had longed to +see him. But quick as a flash Thor raised the staff which good old Grid +had given him, and pushed it against the rafters with all his might +to stop his upward journey. It was a tremendous push that he gave. +Something cracked; something crashed; the chair fell to the ground as +Thor leaped off the seat, and there were two terrible screams. + +Then Thor found--what do you think? Why, that Gialp and Greip, the +giant's daughters, had hidden under the seat of the chair, and had +lifted it up on their backs to crush Thor against the roof! But instead +of that, it was Thor who had broken their backs, so that they lay dead +upon the floor like limp rag dolls. + +Now this little exercise had only given Thor an excellent appetite for +supper. So that when word came bidding him to the banquet, he was very +glad. + +"First," said big Geirroed, grinning horribly, for he did not know what +had happened to his daughters,--"first we will see some games, friend +Thor." + +Then Thor came into the hall, where fires were burning in great chimney +places along the walls. "It is here that we play our little games," +cried Geirroed. And on the moment, seizing a pair of tongs, he snatched +a red-hot wedge of iron from one of the fires and hurled it straight at +Thor's head. But Thor was quicker than he. Swift as a flash he caught +the flying spark in his iron glove, and calling forth all the might +of Grid's belt, he cast the wedge back at the giant. Geirroed dodged +behind an iron pillar, but it was in vain. Thor's might was such as no +iron could meet. Like a bolt of lightning the wedge passed through the +pillar, through Geirroed himself, through the thick wall of the palace, +and buried itself deep in the ground, where it lodges to this day, +unless some one has dug it up to sell for old iron. + +So perished Geirroed and his children, one of the wickedest families +of giants that ever lived in Jotunheim. And so Thor escaped from the +snares of Loki, who had never done deed worse than this. + +When Thor returned home to Asgard, where from Loki's lying tale he +found all the gods mourning him as dead, you can fancy what a joyful +reception he had. But for Loki, the false-hearted, false-tongued +traitor to them all, there was only hatred. He no longer had any +friends among the good folk. The wicked giants and the monsters of +Utgard were now his only friends, for he had grown to be like them, and +even these did not trust him overmuch. + + + + +BALDER AND THE MISTLETOE + + +Loki had given up trying to revenge himself upon Thor. The Thunder +Lord seemed proof against his tricks. And indeed nowadays Loki hated +him no more than he did the other gods. He hated some because they +always frowned at him; he hated others because they only laughed and +jeered. Some he hated for their distrust and some for their fear. But +he hated them all because they were happy and good and mighty, while he +was wretched, bad, and of little might. Yet it was all his own fault +that this was so. He might have been an equal with the best of them, +if he had not chosen to set himself against everything that was good. +He had made them all his enemies, and the more he did to injure them, +the more he hated them,--which is always the way with evil-doers. Loki +longed to see them all unhappy. He slunk about in Asgard with a glum +face and wrinkled forehead. He dared not meet the eyes of any one, lest +they should read his heart. For he was plotting evil, the greatest +of evils, which should bring sorrow to all his enemies at once and +turn Asgard into a land of mourning. The AEsir did not guess the whole +truth, yet they felt the bitterness of the thoughts which Loki bore; +and whenever in the dark he passed unseen, the gods shuddered as if a +breath of evil had blown upon them, and even the flowers drooped before +his steps. + +Now at this time Balder the beautiful had a strange dream. He dreamed +that a cloud came before the sun, and all Asgard was dark. He waited +for the cloud to drift away, and for the sun to smile again. But no; +the sun was gone forever, he thought; and Balder awoke feeling very +sad. The next night Balder had another dream. This time he dreamed that +it was still dark as before; the flowers were withered and the gods +were growing old; even Idun's magic apples could not make them young +again. And all were weeping and wringing their hands as though some +dreadful thing had happened. Balder awoke feeling strangely frightened, +yet he said no word to Nanna his wife, for he did not want to trouble +her. + +When it came night again Balder slept and dreamed a third dream, a +still more terrible one than the other two had been. He thought that in +the dark, lonely world there was nothing but a sad voice, which cried, +"The sun is gone! The spring is gone! Joy is gone! For Balder the +beautiful is dead, dead, dead!" + +This time Balder awoke with a cry, and Nanna asked him what was +the matter. So he had to tell her of his dream, and he was sadly +frightened; for in those days dreams were often sent to folk as +messages, and what the gods dreamed usually came true. Nanna ran +sobbing to Queen Frigg, who was Balder's mother, and told her all the +dreadful dream, asking what could be done to prevent it from coming +true. + +Now Balder was Queen Frigg's dearest son. Thor was older and stronger, +and more famous for his great deeds; but Frigg loved far better +gold-haired Balder. And indeed he was the best-beloved of all the +AEsir; for he was gentle, fair, and wise, and wherever he went folk +grew happy and light-hearted at the very sight of him, just as we do +when we first catch a glimpse of spring peeping over the hilltop into +Winterland. So when Frigg heard of Balder's woeful dream, she was +frightened almost out of her wits. + +"He must not die! He shall not die!" she cried. "He is so dear to all +the world, how could there be anything which would hurt him?" + +And then a wonderful thought came to Frigg. "I will travel over the +world and make all things promise not to injure my boy," she said. +"Nothing shall pass my notice. I will get the word of everything." + +So first she went to the gods themselves, gathered on Ida Plain for +their morning exercise; and telling them of Balder's dream, she begged +them to give the promise. Oh, what a shout arose when they heard her +words! + +"Hurt Balder!--our Balder! Not for the world, we promise! The dream +is wrong,--there is nothing so cruel as to wish harm to Balder the +beautiful!" they cried. But deep in their hearts they felt a secret +fear which would linger until they should hear that all things had +given their promise. What if harm were indeed to come to Balder! The +thought was too dreadful. + +Then Frigg went to see all the beasts who live in field or forest or +rocky den. Willingly they gave their promise never to harm hair of +gentle Balder. "For he is ever kind to us," they said, "and we love him +as if he were one of ourselves. Not with claws or teeth or hoofs or +horns will any beast hurt Balder." + +Next Frigg spoke to the birds and fishes, reptiles and insects. And +all--even the venomous serpents--cried that Balder was their friend, +and that they would never do aught to hurt his dear body. "Not with +beak or talon, bite or sting or poison fang, will one of us hurt +Balder," they promised. + +After doing this, the anxious mother traveled over the whole round +world, step by step; and from all the things that are she got the +same ready promise never to harm Balder the beautiful. All the trees +and plants promised; all the stones and metals; earth, air, fire, and +water; sun, snow, wind, and rain, and all diseases that men know,--each +gave to Frigg the word of promise which she wanted. So at last, +footsore and weary, she came back to Asgard with the joyful news that +Balder must be safe, for that there was nothing in the world but had +promised to be his harmless friend. + +Then there was rejoicing in Asgard, as if the gods had won one of their +great victories over the giants. The noble AEsir and the heroes who had +died in battle upon the earth, and who had come to Valhalla to live +happily ever after, gathered on Ida Plain to celebrate the love of all +nature for Balder. + +There they invented a famous game, which was to prove how safe he was +from the bite of death. They stationed Balder in the midst of them, his +face glowing like the sun with the bright light which ever shone from +him. And as he stood there all unarmed and smiling, by turns they tried +all sorts of weapons against him; they made as if to beat him with +sticks, they stoned him with stones, they shot at him with arrows and +hurled mighty spears straight at his heart. + +It was a merry game, and a shout of laughter went up as each stone +fell harmless at Balder's feet, each stick broke before it touched +his shoulders, each arrow overshot his head, and each spear turned +aside. For neither stone nor wood nor flinty arrow-point nor barb of +iron would break the promise which each had given. Balder was safe +with them, just as if he were bewitched. He remained unhurt among the +missiles which whizzed about his head, and which piled up in a great +heap around the charmed spot whereon he stood. + +Now among the crowd that watched these games with such enthusiasm, +there was one face that did not smile, one voice that did not rasp +itself hoarse with cheering. Loki saw how every one and every thing +loved Balder, and he was jealous. He was the only creature in all the +world that hated Balder and wished for his death. Yet Balder had never +done harm to him. But the wicked plan that Loki had been cherishing +was almost ripe, and in this poison fruit was the seed of the greatest +sorrow that Asgard had ever known. + +[Illustration: EACH ARROW OVERSHOT HIS HEAD] + +While the others were enjoying their game of love, Loki stole away +unperceived from Ida Plain, and with a wig of gray hair, a long +gown, and a staff, disguised himself as an old woman. Then he hobbled +down Asgard streets till he came to the palace of Queen Frigg, the +mother of Balder. + +"Good-day, my lady," quoth the old woman, in a cracked voice. "What is +that noisy crowd doing yonder in the green meadow? I am so deafened by +their shouts that I can hardly hear myself think." + +"Who are you, good mother, that you have not heard?" said Queen Frigg +in surprise. "They are shooting at my son Balder. They are proving the +word which all things have given me,--the promise not to injure my dear +son. And that promise will be kept." + +The old crone pretended to be full of wonder. "So, now!" she cried. +"Do you mean to say that _every single thing_ in the whole world has +promised not to hurt your son? I can scarce believe it; though, to be +sure, he is as fine a fellow as I ever saw." Of course this flattery +pleased Frigg. + +"You say true, mother," she answered proudly, "he is a noble son. Yes, +everything has promised,--that is, everything except one tiny little +plant that is not worth mentioning." + +The old woman's eyes twinkled wickedly. "And what is that foolish +little plant, my dear?" she asked coaxingly. + +"It is the mistletoe that grows in the meadow west of Valhalla. It was +too young to promise, and too harmless to bother with," answered Frigg +carelessly. + +After this her questioner hobbled painfully away. But as soon as she +was out of sight from the Queen's palace, she picked up the skirts of +her gown and ran as fast as she could to the meadow west of Valhalla. +And there sure enough, as Frigg had said, was a tiny sprig of mistletoe +growing on a gnarled oak-tree. The false Loki took out a knife which +she carried in some hidden pocket and cut off the mistletoe very +carefully. Then she trimmed and shaped it so that it was like a little +green arrow, pointed at one end, but very slender. + +"Ho, ho!" chuckled the old woman. "So you are the only thing in all the +world that is too young to make a promise, my little mistletoe. Well, +young as you are, you must go on an errand for me to-day. And maybe +you shall bear a message of my love to Balder the beautiful." + +Then she hobbled back to Ida Plain, where the merry game was still +going on around Balder. Loki quietly passed unnoticed through the +crowd, and came close to the elbow of a big dark fellow who was +standing lonely outside the circle of weapon-throwers. He seemed sad +and forgotten, and he hung his head in a pitiful way. It was Hoed, the +blind brother of Balder. + +The old woman touched his arm. "Why do you not join the game with the +others?" she asked, in her cracked voice. "Are you the only one to do +your brother no honor? Surely, you are big and strong enough to toss a +spear with the best of them yonder." + +Hoed touched his sightless eyes madly. "I am blind," he said. "Strength +I have, greater than belongs to most of the AEsir. But I cannot see to +aim a weapon. Besides, I have no spear to test upon him. Yet how gladly +would I do honor to dear Balder!" and he sighed deeply. + +"It were a pity if I could not find you at least a little stick to +throw," said Loki sympathetically. "I am only a poor old woman, and of +course I have no weapon. But ah,--here is a green twig which you can +use as an arrow, and I will guide your arm, poor fellow." + +Hoed's dark face lighted up, for he was eager to take his turn in the +game. So he thanked her, and grasped eagerly the little arrow which she +put into his hand. Loki held him by the arm, and together they stepped +into the circle which surrounded Balder. And when it was Hoed's turn to +throw his weapon, the old woman stood at his elbow and guided his big +arm as it hurled the twig of mistletoe towards where Balder stood. + +Oh, the sad thing that befell! Straight through the air flew the little +arrow, straight as magic and Loki's arm could direct it. Straight to +Balder's heart it sped, piercing through jerkin and shirt and all, to +give its bitter message of "Loki's love," as he had said. With a cry +Balder fell forward on the grass. And that was the end of sunshine and +spring and joy in Asgard, for the dream had come true, and Balder the +beautiful was dead. + +When the AEsir saw what had happened, there was a great shout of fear +and horror, and they rushed upon Hoed, who had thrown the fatal arrow. + +"What is it? What have I done?" asked the poor blind brother, trembling +at the tumult which had followed his shot. + +"You have slain Balder!" cried the AEsir. "Wretched Hoed, how could you +do it?" + +"It was the old woman--the evil old woman, who stood at my elbow and +gave me a little twig to throw," gasped Hoed. "She must be a witch." + +Then the AEsir scattered over Ida Plain to look for the old woman who +had done the evil deed; but she had mysteriously disappeared. + +"It must be Loki," said wise Heimdal. "It is Loki's last and vilest +trick." + +"Oh, my Balder, my beautiful Balder!" wailed Queen Frigg, throwing +herself on the body of her son. "If I had only made the mistletoe give +me the promise, you would have been saved. It was I who told Loki of +the mistletoe,--so it is I who have killed you. Oh, my son, my son!" + +But Father Odin was speechless with grief. His sorrow was greater than +that of all the others, for he best understood the dreadful misfortune +which had befallen Asgard. Already a cloud had come before the sun, so +that it would never be bright day again. Already the flowers had begun +to fade and the birds had ceased to sing. And already the AEsir had +begun to grow old and joyless,--all because the little mistletoe had +been too young to give a promise to Queen Frigg. + +"Balder the beautiful is dead!" the cry went echoing through all the +world, and everything that was sorrowed at the sound of the AEsir's +weeping. + +Balder's brothers lifted up his beautiful body upon their great war +shields and bore him on their shoulders down to the seashore. For, as +was the custom in those days, they were going to send him to Hela, the +Queen of Death, with all the things he best had loved in Asgard. And +these were,--after Nanna his wife,--his beautiful horse, and his ship +Hringhorni. So that they would place Balder's body upon the ship with +his horse beside him, and set fire to this wonderful funeral pile. For +by fire was the quickest passage to Hela's kingdom. + +But when they reached the shore, they found that all the strength of +all the AEsir was unable to move Hringhorni, Balder's ship, into the +water. For it was the largest ship in the world, and it was stranded +far up the beach. + +"Even the giants bore no ill-will to Balder," said Father Odin. "I +heard the thunder of their grief but now shaking the hills. Let us for +this once bury our hatred of that race and send to Jotunheim for help +to move the ship." + +So they sent a messenger to the giantess Hyrrockin, the hugest of all +the Frost People. She was weeping for Balder when the message came. + +"I will go, for Balder's sake," she said. Soon she came riding fast +upon a giant wolf, with a serpent for the bridle; and mighty she was, +with the strength of forty AEsir. She dismounted from her wolf-steed, +and tossed the wriggling reins to one of the men-heroes who had +followed Balder and the AEsir from Valhalla. But he could not hold the +beast, and it took four heroes to keep him quiet, which they could only +do by throwing him upon the ground and sitting upon him in a row. And +this mortified them greatly. + +Then Hyrrockin the giantess strode up to the great ship and seized +it by the prow. Easily she gave a little pull and presto! it leaped +forward on its rollers with such force that sparks flew from the flint +stones underneath and the whole earth trembled. The boat shot into the +waves and out toward open sea so swiftly that the AEsir were likely to +have lost it entirely, had not Hyrrockin waded out up to her waist and +caught it by the stern just in time. + +Thor was angry at her clumsiness, and raised his hammer to punish her. +But the other AEsir held his arm. + +"She cannot help being so strong," they whispered. "She meant to do +well. She did not realize how hard she was pulling. This is no time for +anger, brother Thor." So Thor spared her life, as indeed he ought, for +her kindness. + +Then Balder's body was borne out to the ship and laid upon a pile of +beautiful silks, and furs, and cloth-of-gold, and woven sunbeams which +the dwarfs had wrought. So that his funeral pyre was more grand than +anything which had ever been seen. But when Nanna, Balder's gentle +wife, saw them ready to kindle the flames under this gorgeous bed, she +could bear her grief no longer. Her loving heart broke, and they laid +her beside him, that they might comfort each other on their journey +to Hela. Thor touched the pile gently with his hammer that makes +the lightning, and the flames burst forth, lighting up the faces of +Balder and Nanna with a glory. Then they cast upon the fire Balder's +war-horse, to serve his master in the dark country to which he was +about to go. The horse was decked with a harness all of gold, with +jewels studding the bridle and headstall. Last of all Odin laid upon +the pyre his gift to Balder, Draupnir, the precious ring of gold which +the dwarf had made, from which every ninth night there dropped eight +other rings as large and brightly golden. + +"Take this with you, dear son, to Hela's palace," said Odin. "And do +not forget the friends you leave behind in the now lonely halls of +Asgard." + +Then Hyrrockin pushed the great boat out to sea, with its bonfire of +precious things. And on the beach stood all the AEsir watching it out +of sight, all the AEsir and many besides. For there came to Balder's +funeral great crowds of little dwarfs and multitudes of huge frost +giants, all mourning for Balder the beautiful. For this one time +they were all friends together, forgetting their quarrels of so many +centuries. All of them loved Balder, and were united to do him honor. + +The great ship moved slowly out to sea, sending up a red fire to color +all the heavens. At last it slid below the horizon softly, as you have +often seen the sun set upon the water, leaving a brightness behind to +lighten the dark world for a little while. + +This indeed was the sunset for Asgard. The darkness of sorrow came in +earnest after the passing of Balder the beautiful. + +But the punishment of Loki was a terrible thing. And that came soon and +sore. + + + + +THE PUNISHMENT OF LOKI + + +After the death of Balder the world grew so dreary that no one had any +heart left for work or play. The AEsir sat about moping and miserable. +They were growing old,--there was no doubt about that. There was no +longer any gladness in Valhalla, where the Valkyries waited on table +and poured the foaming mead. There was no longer any mirth on Ida +Plain, when every morning the bravest of earth-heroes fought their +battles over again. Odin no longer had any pleasure in the daily news +brought by his wise ravens, Thought and Memory, nor did Freia enjoy her +falcon dress. Frey forgot to sail in his ship Skidbladnir, and even +Thor had almost wearied of his hammer, except as he hoped that it would +help him to catch Loki. For the one thought of all of them now was to +find and punish Loki. + +Yet they waited; for Queen Frigg had sent a messenger to Queen Hela to +find if they might not even yet win Balder back from the kingdom of +death. + +Odin shook his head. "Queen Hela is Loki's daughter," he said, "and she +will not let Balder return." But Frigg was hopeful; she had employed a +trusty messenger, whose silver tongue had won many hearts against their +will. + +It was Hermod, Balder's brother, who galloped down the steep road to +Hela's kingdom, on Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of Father Odin. +For nine nights and nine days he rode, through valleys dark and chill, +until he came to the bridge which is paved with gold. And here the +maiden Modgard told him that Balder had passed that way, and showed him +the path northward to Hela's city. So he rode, down and down, until +he came to the high wall which surrounded the grim palace where Hela +reigned. Hermod dismounted and tightened the saddle-girths of gray +Sleipnir, whose eight legs were as frisky as ever, despite the long +journey. And when he had mounted once more, the wonderful horse leaped +with him over the wall, twenty feet at least! + +Then Hermod rode straight into the palace of Hela, straight up to the +throne where she sat surrounded by gray shadows and spirit people. She +was a dreadful creature to see, was this daughter of Loki,--half white +like other folk, but half black, which was not sunburn, for there was +no sunshine in this dark and dismal land. Yet she was not so bad as she +looked; for even Hela felt kindly towards Balder, whom her father had +slain, and was sorry that the world had lost so dear a friend. So when +Hermod begged of her to let his brother return with him to Asgard, she +said very gently,-- + +"Freely would I let him go, brave Hermod, if I might. But a queen +cannot always do as she likes, even in her own kingdom. His life must +be bought; the price must be paid in tears. If everything upon earth +will weep for Balder's death, then may he return, bringing light and +happiness to the upper world. Should one creature fail to weep, Balder +must remain with me." + +Then Hermod was glad, for he felt sure that this price was easily paid. +He thanked Hela, and made ready to depart with the hopeful message. +Before he went away he saw and spoke with Balder himself, who sat with +Nanna upon a throne of honor, talking of the good times that used to +be. And Balder gave him the ring Draupnir to give back to Father Odin, +as a remembrance from his dear son; while Nanna sent to mother Frigg +her silver veil with other rich presents. It was hard for Hermod to +part with Balder once again, and Balder also wept to see him go. But +Hermod was in duty bound to bear the message back to Asgard as swiftly +as might be. + +Now when the AEsir heard from Hermod this news, they sent messengers +forth over the whole world to bid every creature weep for Balder's +death. Heimdal galloped off upon Goldtop and Frey upon Goldbristle, his +famous hog; Thor rumbled away in his goat chariot, and Freia drove her +team of cats,--all spreading the message in one direction and another. +There really seemed little need for them to do this, for already there +was mourning in every land and clime. Even the sky was weeping, and the +flower eyes were filled with dewy tears. + +So it seemed likely that Balder would be ransomed after all, and the +AEsir began to hope more strongly. For they had not found one creature +who refused to weep. Even the giants of Jotunheim were sorry to lose +the gentle fellow who had never done them any harm, and freely added +their giant tears to the salt rivers that were coursing over all the +world into the sea, making it still more salt. + +It was not until the messengers had nearly reached home, joyful in the +surety that Balder was safe, that they found an ugly old giantess named +Thoekt hidden in a black cavern among the mountains. + +"Weep, mother, weep for Balder!" they cried. "Balder the beautiful is +dead, but your tears will buy him back to life. Weep, mother, weep!" + +But the sulky old woman refused to weep. + +"Balder is nothing to me," she said. "I care not whether he lives or +dies. Let him bide with Hela--he is out of mischief there. I weep dry +tears for Balder's death." + +So all the work of the messengers was in vain, because of this one +obstinate old woman. So all the tears of the sorrowing world were shed +in vain. Because there were lacking two salty drops from the eyes of +Thoekt, they could not buy back Balder from the prison of death. + +When the messengers returned and told Odin their sad news, he was +wrathful. + +"Do you not guess who the old woman was?" he cried. "It was Loki--Loki +himself, disguised as a giantess. He has tricked us once more, and for +a second time has slain Balder for us; for it is now too late,--Balder +can never return to us after this. But it shall be the last of Loki's +mischief. It is now time that we put an end to his deeds of shame." + +"Come, my brothers!" shouted Thor, flourishing his hammer. "We have +wept and mourned long enough. It is now time to punish. Let us hasten +back to Thoekt's cave, and seize Loki as quickly as may be." + +So they hurried back into the mountains where they had left the +giantess who would not weep. But when they came to the place, the +cave was empty. Loki was too sharp a fellow to sit still and wait for +punishment to overtake him. He knew very well that the AEsir would soon +discover who Thoekt really was. And he had taken himself off to a safer +place, to escape the questions which a whole world of not too gentle +folk were anxious to ask him. + +The one desire of the AEsir was now to seize and punish Loki. So when +they were unable to find him as easily as they expected, they were +wroth indeed. Why had he left the cave? Whither had he gone? In what +new disguise even now was he lurking, perhaps close by? + +The truth was that when Loki found himself at war with the whole world +which he had injured, he fled away into the mountains, where he had +built a strong castle of rocks. This castle had four doors, one looking +into the north, one to the south, one to the east, and one to the west; +so that Loki could keep watch in all directions and see any enemy +who might approach. Besides this, he had for his protection the many +disguises which he knew so well how to don. Near the castle was a river +and a waterfall, and it was Loki's favorite game to change himself into +a spotted pink salmon and splash about in the pool below the fall. + +"Ho, ho! Let them try to catch me here, if they can!" he would chuckle +to himself. And indeed, it seemed as if he were safe enough. + +One day Loki was sitting before the fire in his castle twisting +together threads of flax and yarn into a great fish-net which was his +own invention. For no one had ever before thought of catching fish with +a net. Loki was a clever fellow; and with all his faults, for this one +thing at least the fishermen of to-day ought to be grateful to him. As +Loki sat busily knotting the meshes of the net, he happened to glance +out of the south door,--and there were the AEsir coming in a body up the +hill towards his castle. + +Now this is what had happened: from his lookout throne in Asgard, +Odin's keen sight had spied Loki's retreat. This throne, you remember, +was in the house with a silver roof which Odin had built in the very +beginning of time; and whenever he wanted to see what was going on in +the remotest corner of Asgard, or to spy into some secret place beyond +the sight of gods or men, he would mount this magic throne, whence his +eye could pierce thick mountains and sound the deepest sea. So it was +that the AEsir had found out Loki's castle, well-hidden though it was +among the furthest mountains of the world. They had come to catch him, +and there was nothing left for him but to run. + +Loki jumped up and threw his half-mended net into the fire, for he did +not want the AEsir to discover his invention; then he ran down to the +river and leaped in with a great splash. When he was well under water, +he changed himself into a salmon, and flickered away to bask in his +shady pool and think how safe he was. + +By this time the AEsir had entered his castle and were poking among the +ashes which they found smouldering on the hearth. + +"What is this?" asked Thor, holding up a piece of knotted flax which +was not quite burned. "The knave has been making something with little +cords." + +"Let me see it," said Heimdal, the wisest of the AEsir,--he who once +upon a time had suggested Thor's clever disguise for winning back his +hammer from the giant Thrym. He took now the little scrap of fish-net +and studied it carefully, picking out all the knots and twists of it. + +"It is a net," said Heimdal at last. "He has been making a net, +and--pfaugh!--it smells of fish. The fellow must have used it to trap +fish for his dinner, though I never before heard of such a device." + +"I saw a big splash in the river just as we came up," said Thor the +keen-eyed,--"a very big splash indeed. It seemed too large for any +fish." + +"It was Loki," declared Heimdal. "He must have been here but a +moment since, for this fire has just gone out, and the net is still +smouldering. That shows he did not wish us to find this new-fangled +idea of his. Why was that? Let me think. Aha! I have it. Loki has +changed himself into a fish, and did not wish us to discover the means +of catching him." + +"Oho!" cried the AEsir regretfully. "If only we had another net!" + +"We can make one," said wise Heimdal. "I know how it is done, for I +have studied out this little sample. Let us make a net to catch the +slyest of all fish." + +"Let us make a net for Loki," echoed the AEsir. And they all sat down +cross-legged on the floor to have a lesson in net-weaving from Heimdal. +He found hemp cord in a cupboard, and soon they had contrived a goodly +net, big enough to catch several Lokis, if they should have good +fisherman's luck. + +They dragged the net to the river and cast it in. Thor, being the +strongest, held one end of the net, and all the rest drew the other +end up and down the stream. They were clumsy and awkward, for they had +never used a net before, and did not know how to make the best of it. +But presently Thor exclaimed, "Ha! I felt some live thing touch the +meshes!" + +"So did we!" cried the others. "It must be Loki!" And Loki it was, sure +enough; for the AEsir had happened upon the very pool where the great +salmon lay basking so peacefully. But when he felt the net touch him, +he darted away and hid in a cleft between two rocks. So that, although +they dragged the net to and fro again and again, they could not catch +Loki in its meshes; for the net was so light that it floated over his +head. + +"We must weight the net," said Heimdal wisely; "then nothing can pass +beneath it." So they tied heavy stones all along the under edge, and +again they cast the net, a little below the waterfall. Now Loki had +seized the chance to swim further down the stream. But ugh! suddenly he +tasted salt water. He was being swept out to sea! That would never do, +for he could not live an hour in the sea. So he swam back and leaped +straight over the net up into the waterfall, hoping that no one had +noticed him. But Thor's sharp eyes had spied the flash of pink and +silver, and Thor came running to the place. + +"He is here!" he shouted. "Cast in the net above the fall! We have him +now!" + +When Loki saw the net cast again, so that there was no choice for him +but to be swept back over the falls and out to sea, or to leap the net +once more still further up the river, he hesitated. He saw Thor in the +middle of the stream wading towards him; but behind him was sure death. +So he set his teeth and once more he leaped the net. There was a huge +splash, a scuffle, a scramble, and the water was churned into froth all +about Thor's feet. He was struggling with the mighty fish. He caught +him once, but the salmon slipped through his fingers. He caught him +again, and this time Thor gripped hard. The salmon almost escaped, but +Thor's big fingers kept hold of the end of his tail, and he flapped +and flopped in vain. It was the grip of Thor's iron glove; and that +is why to this day the salmon has so pointed a tail. The next time +you see a salmon you must notice this, and remember that he may be a +great-great-great-grand-descendant of Loki. + +So Loki was captured and changed back into his own shape, sullen and +fierce. But he had no word of sorrow for his evil deeds; nor did he ask +for mercy, for he knew that it would be in vain. He kept silent while +the AEsir led him all the weary way back to Asgard. + +Now the whole world was noisy with the triumph of his capture. As the +procession passed along it was joined by all the creatures who had +mourned for Balder,--all the creatures who longed to see Loki punished. +There were the men of Midgard, the place of human folk, shouting, "Kill +him! kill him!" at the top of their lungs; there were armies of little +mountain dwarfs in their brown peaked caps, who hobbled along, prodding +Loki with their picks; there were beasts growling and showing their +teeth as if they longed to tear Loki in pieces; there were birds who +tried to peck his eyes, insects who came in clouds to sting him, and +serpents that sprang up hissing at his feet to poison him with their +deadly bite. + +But to all these Thor said, "Do not kill the fellow. We are keeping +him for a worse punishment than you can give." So the creatures merely +followed and jostled Loki into Asgard, shouting, screaming, howling, +growling, barking, roaring, spitting, squeaking, hissing, croaking, and +buzzing, according to their different ways of showing hatred and horror. + +[Illustration: "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"] + +The AEsir met on Ida Plain to decide what should be done with Loki. +There were Idun whom he had cheated, and Sif whose hair he had cut +off. There were Freia whose falcon dress he had stolen and Thor whom he +had tried to kill. There were Hoed whom he had made a murderer; Frigg +and Odin whose son he had slain. There was not one of them whom Loki +had not injured in some way; and besides, there was the whole world +into which he had brought sorrow and darkness; for the sake of all +these Loki must be punished. But it was hard to think of any doom heavy +enough for him. At last, however, they agreed upon a punishment which +they thought suited to so wicked a wretch. + +The long procession formed again and escorted Loki down, down into a +damp cavern underground. Here sunlight never came, but the cave was +full of ugly toads, snakes, and insects that love the dark. These were +Loki's evil thoughts, who were to live with him henceforth and torment +him always. In this prison chamber side by side they placed three sharp +stones, not far apart, to make an uneasy bed. And these were for Loki's +three worst deeds, against Thor and Hoed and Balder. Upon these rocks +they bound Loki with stout thongs of leather. But as soon as the cords +were fastened they turned into iron bands, so that no one, though he +had the strength of a hundred giants, could loosen them. For these were +Loki's evil passions, and the more he strained against them, the more +they cut into him and wounded him until he howled with pain. + +Over his head Skadi, whose father he had helped to slay, hung a +venomous, wriggling serpent, from whose mouth dropped poison into +Loki's face, which burned and stung him like fire. And this was the +deceit which all his life Loki had spoken to draw folk into trouble and +danger. At last it had turned about to torture him, as deceit always +will do to him who utters it. Yet from this one torment Loki had some +relief; for alone of all the world Sigyn, his wife, was faithful and +forgiving. She stood by the head of the painful bed upon which the Red +One was stretched, and held a bowl to catch the poison which dropped +from the serpent's jaws, so that some of it did not reach Loki's face. +But as often as the bowl became full, Sigyn had to go out and empty it; +and then the bitter drops fell and burned till Loki made the cavern +ring with his cries. + +So this was Loki's punishment, and bad enough it was,--but not too bad +for such a monster. Under the caverns he lies there still, struggling +to be free. And when his great strength shakes the hills so that the +whole ground trembles, men call it an earthquake. Sometimes they even +see his poisonous breath blowing from the top of a mountain-chimney, +and amid it the red flame of wickedness which burns in Loki's heart. +Then all cry, "The volcano, the volcano!" and run away as fast as they +can. For Loki, poisoned though he is, is still dangerous and full of +mischief, and it is not good to venture near him in his torment. + +But there for his sins he must bide and suffer, suffer and bide, until +the end of all sorrow and suffering and sin shall come, with Ragnaroek, +the ending of the world. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + + +Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant +preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. + +Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. + +Page 176: "You shall hide" was misprinted as "You shall bide". Corrected +here based on the use of "hiding-place" later in the same sentence. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's In The Days of Giants, by Abbie Farwell Brown + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE DAYS OF GIANTS *** + +***** This file should be named 44622.txt or 44622.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/6/2/44622/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Charlie Howard, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at + www.gutenberg.org/license. + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 +North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email +contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the +Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |