to his hand, however far he cast it from him, and threw it with all his force. The giant put up his hand to his forehead. "I think," he said, "that an acorn must have fallen on my head." A third time Thor struck a blow, the heaviest that ever fell from the hand of a god; but this time the giant laughed out loud. "There is surely a bird on that tree," he said, "who has let a feather fall on my face." 5 10 Then, without taking any further notice of Thor, he swung an immense wallet over his shoulder, and, turning his back upon him, struck into a path that led from the forest. When he had got a little way he looked round, his immense face appearing less like a human counte-15 nance than some strange, uncouthly shaped stone. "Thor," he said, "let me give you a piece of good advice before I go. When you get to our city, don't make much of yourself. You think me a tall man, but you have taller still to see; and you yourself are a very 20 little manikin. Turn back home whence you came, and be satisfied to have learned something of yourself by your journey to Giants' Home. "Manikin or not, that will I never do," shouted Thor after the giant. "We shall meet again, and something 25 more shall we learn, or teach each other." The giant, however, did not turn back to answer, and Thor and his companions, after looking for some time after him, resumed their journey. Before the sun was quite high in the heavens they came out of the forest, and at noon they found themselves on a vast barren 5 plain, where stood a great city, whose walls of dark, rough stone were so high that Thor had to bend his head quite far back to see the top of them. When they approached the entrance of this city, they found that the gates were closed and barred; but the space 10 between the bars was so large that Thor passed through easily, and his companions followed him. The streets of the city were gloomy and still. They walked on for some time without meeting any one; but at length they came to a very high building, of which the gates stood 15 open. "Let us go in and see what is going on here," said Thor; and they went. After crossing the threshold they found themselves in an immense banqueting hall. A table stretched from one end to the other of it; stone thrones 20 stood round the table, and on every throne sat a giant, each one, as Thor glanced round, appearing more grim, and cold, and stony than the rest. One among them sat on a raised seat, and appeared to be the chief; so to him Thor approached and paid his greetings. 25 The giant chief just glanced at him, and, without rising, said, in a somewhat careless manner, "It is, I think, a foolish custom to tease tired travelers with questions about their journey. I know without asking that you, little fellow, are Thor. Perhaps, however, you may be in reality taller than you appear; and as it is a rule here that no one shall sit down to table till he has performed some wonderful feat, let us hear what you and your fol- 5 lowers are famed for, and in what way you choose to prove yourselves worthy to sit down in the company of giants." At this speech, Loki, who had entered the hall cautiously behind Thor, pushed himself forward. "The feat for which I am most famed," he said, "is eating, and it is one which I am just now inclined to perform with right good will. Put food before me, and let me see if any of your followers can dispatch it as quickly as I can." "The feat you speak of is one by no means to be despised," said the King, "and there is one here who would be glad to try his powers against yours. Let Logi," he said to one of his followers," be summoned to the hall." 10 15 At this, a tall, thin, yellow-faced man approached, and 20 a large trough of meat having been placed in the middle of the hall, Loki set to work at one end, and Logi at the other, and they began to eat. The giants all turned their slow-moving eyes to watch them, and in a few moments they met in the middle of the trough. It seemed, at first, 25 as if they had both eaten exactly the same quantity; but, when the thing came to be examined into, it was found that Loki had, indeed, eaten up all the meat, but that Logi had also eaten the bones and the trough. Then the giants nodded their huge heads, and determined that Loki was conquered. The King now turned to Thialfi, and asked 5 what he could do. "I was thought swift of foot among the youth of my own country," answered Thialfi; "and I will, if you please, try to run a race with any one here." "You have chosen a noble sport, indeed," said the 10 King; "but you must be a good runner if you can beat him with whom I shall match you." Then he called a slender lad, Hugi by name, and the whole company left the hall, and, going out by an opposite gate to that by which Thor had entered, they came 15 out to an open space, which made a noble race ground. There the goal was fixed, and Thialfi and Hugi started off together. Thialfi ran fast-fast as the reindeer that hears the wolves howling behind; but Hugi ran so much faster that, 20 passing the goal, he turned round, and met Thialfi halfway in the course. "Try again, Thialfi," cried the King; and Thialfi, once more taking his place, flew along the course with feet scarcely touching the ground-swiftly as an eagle 25 when, from his mountain crag, he swoops on his prey in the valley; but with all his running he was still a good bowshot from the goal when Hugi reached it. "You are certainly a good runner," said the King; "but if you mean to win, you must do a little better still than this; but perhaps you wish to surprise us all the more this third time." The third time, however, Thialfi was wearied, and 5 though he did his best, Hugi, having reached the goal, turned and met him not far from the starting point. The giants again looked at each other, and declared that there was no need of further trial, for Thialfi was conquered. A. AND E. KEARY: The Heroes of Asgard. our an'ces tors, they from whom we are descended; ag'ile, nimble, quick; mis'chiev ous, full of mischief; man'i kin, little man. 1. Who was the chief of the Greek gods? Which of the Northern gods held the same place? 2. Who was Thor? Which of the days of the week is called after him? 3. Describe the appearance of the giant Skrymir. Tell of the meeting between Skrymir and Thor. 4. What condition did the giant chief make before inviting his guests to sit at table with him? 5. Describe the contest between Logi and Loki. 6. Describe the running contest. Spelling. Learn the derivation of the days of the week, and write from memory as a spelling lesson: Sunday, day of the Sun. Monday, day of the Moon. Tuesday, day of Tyr, the god of war. Wednesday, day of Wodin. Thursday, day of Thor. Friday, day of Frigg, the goddess of love. Saturday, day of Saturn, the old Latin god of agriculture. 10 |