a woman came out of the giant's home quite as lovely as the giantess was hideous. She greeted them on the threshold. Her golden hair fell thick upon her shoulders; her mild eyes shone upon them; and with words of welcome she held out her hands and led them into the cavern. There she offered them meat and drink, and bade them rest until her husband, Hymir, should come home. As the darkness came on, however, and the time of his expected return drew near, she became silent and anxious; and at last she said, "I am very much afraid that my husband will be angry if he sees strangers here when he comes in. Take my advice, now, Asa Thor and Asa Tyr, and hide behind one of these pillars in the rock. My lord, I assure you, is surly sometimes, and not nearly so hospitable as I could wish." "We are not accustomed to hide ourselves," remarked Thor. "But you shall come forth when I call you," answered the woman. So the Æsir did as she desired. By and by they heard heavy footsteps far off, over the frozen sea, coming nearer and nearer every moment. The distant icebergs resounded, and at last Hymir burst open the door of his cavern, and stalked angrily in. He had been unsuccessful that day in the chase, his hands were frost-bitten, and a "hard-frozen wood stood upon his cheek." As soon as the fair-browed woman saw what mood he was in she went gently toward him, placed her hand in his, and told him of the arrival of the guests; then, with a sweet smile and voice, she entreated him to receive the strangers kindly, and entertain them hospitably. Hymir made no answer; but, at one glance of his eye towards the place where the Æsir were hidden, the pillar burst asunder, and the crossbeam which it supported fell with a crash to the ground. Eight ponderous kettles had been hanging on the beam, and all but one were shivered to atoms. Thor and Tyr then stepped forth into the middle of the hall, and Hymir received them civilly, after which he turned his attention to supper; and, having cooked three whole oxen, he invited the Æsir to eat with him. Thor fell to work with great relish, and when he had eaten the whole of one ox, prepared to cut a slice out of another. "You eat a great deal," said Hymir, sulkily, but Thor was still very hungry, and went on with his supper until he had eaten two entire oxen. Then said Hymir, "Another night, Ving-Thor, you must provide your own supper; for I can't undertake to keep so expensive a guest." E'gir (e'jir), the giant king of the sea; O'din (ō'din), the chief of the gods of the northland; Niord (nyôrd), one of the gods of air and water; swell, a long, rolling movement of the sea; Jor'mun gard (yôr'moon gänd), the Midgard or world serpent; mead, a kind of drink; Tyr (tür), a god of sky and war (Tuesday is named for him); Hy'mir (hü'mer), name of a sea giant. STUDY HELPS Give a picture of the scene to which Thor now came. Why did Thor's face grow cloudy at the question that was asked of him? Of what strange occurrence does Ægir tell? How did Thor explain the sound of the "sullen swell"? What thing was now found lacking to complete the banquet? What preparations did Thor make to secure it? Tell the story of what happened at the giant's home. Why did Hymir object to entertaining them? VI. THOR'S VICTORY Accordingly, early the next morning, Hymir prepared to go out fishing, and offered Thor a place in his boat. On their way to the shore they passed a herd of oxen feeding. "Have you prepared a bait for me?" said Thor to the giant. "You must get one for yourself," answered Hymir, surlily. So Thor was obliged to cut off the head of one of the oxen for a bait. "You'll never be able to carry that head," said Hymir; for, in truth, the ox to which it belonged was an enormous animal, called "Heaven Breaking." But Thor made nothing of the head, slung it over his shoulder, and carried it down to the boat. As they got under way, Thor and Hymir each took an oar; but Thor pulled so fast, and with such mighty strokes, that the giant was obliged to stop for breath, and beg that they might go no farther. "We have already reached the spot," he said, "where I always catch the finest whales." "But I want to go farther out to sea," said Thor. "That will be dangerous, Ving-Thor," said Hymir; "for if we row any farther we shall come to the waters under which Jormungand lies. Thor laughed, and rowed on. At last he stopped, baited his hook with the ox's head, and cast the line out into the sea, whilst Hymir leaned over the other side of the boat and caught two whales. Now, when the great Jormungand smelled Thor's bait he opened wide his monstrous jaws, and eagerly sucked in both head, and hook, and line; but no sooner did he feel the pain than he struggled so fiercely, and plunged so wildly, that Thor's hands were in an instant dashed against the sides of the boat. Still Thor did not loose his hold, but went on pulling with such wondrous force that his feet burst through the boat, and rested on the slippery rocks beneath. At last the venomous monster's mountain-high head was hauled above the waves, and then, indeed, it was a dreadful sight to see Thor, in all the power of his god-like strength, casting his fiery looks upon the serpent, and the serpent glaring upon him, and spitting forth poisoned venom. Even Hymir's sunburnt cheek changed color as he beheld beneath his feet the sinking boat, and at his side the deadliest monster of the deep. At last, in the wildness of his fear, he rushed before Thor, and cut his line in sunder. Immediately the serpent's head began to sink; but Thor hurled Miolnir with fearful force after it into the waters. Then did the rocks burst; it thundered through the caverns; old mother earth all shrank; even the fishes sought the bottom of the ocean; but the serpent sank back, with a long, dull sound, beneath the waves, a deep wound in his head, and smothered vengeance in his heart. Ill at ease and silent, Hymir then turned to go home, and Thor followed him, carrying boat and oars, and everything else, on his shoulders. Now, every fresh sight of Thor increased the giant's envy and rage; for he could not bear to think that he had shown so little courage before his brave guest, and, besides, losing his boat and getting so desperately wet in his feet by wading home through the |