each light was a will-o'-the-wisp, which the dwarf who carried it had caught and imprisoned to light him in his work during the day, and which he must restore to the earth at night.

5 For many miles Skirnir wandered on lower and lower. On every side of him lay countless heaps of treasure gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds - which the cunning workers stowed away silently in their dark hidingplaces. At length he came to the very middle of the 10 mountain, where the rocky roof rose to an immense height, and where he found himself in a brilliantly lighted palace. Here, in truth, were hung all the lights in the world, which, on dark, moonless nights, are carried out by dwarfs to deceive the eyes of men. These, carefully hung up in 15 rows round and round the hall, illuminated the palace with a cold blue light, and revealed to Skirnir's eyes the hideous shapes of the tiny beings around him. Cunningeyed, open-mouthed, they stood round, laughing, and whispering, and pointing with shriveled fingers. One 20 among them, a little taller than the rest, who sat on a golden seat thickly set with diamonds, appeared to be a kind of chief among them, and to him Skirnir addressed his message.

Cunning and wicked as these dwarfs were, they feared 25 Odin greatly; and, when they heard from whom Skirnir came, with many uncouth gestures they bowed low before him and declared themselves willing to obey All

Father's commands. They asked for two days and two nights in which to complete their task, and during that time Skirnir remained their guest in Dwarf land.

He wandered about, and saw strange sights. He saw the great central fire of the earth, and the swarthy, with- 5 ered race, whose task it is ceaselessly to feed it with fuel; he saw the diamond makers, who change the ashes of the great fire into brilliants; and the dwarfs whose business it is to fill the cracks in the mountain sides with pure veins. of silver and gold, and lead them up to places where they 10 will one day meet the eyes of men. Nearer the surface he visited the workers in iron and the makers of salt mines; he drank of their strange-tasting mineral waters, and admired the splendor of their silver-roofed temples and dwellings of solid gold.

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At the end of two days the chief of the dwarfs put into Skirner's hand a small, slender chain. You can imagine what its size was when I tell you that the dwarf chief held it lightly balanced on his fore finger; and when it rested on Skirnir's hand, it felt to him no heavier than 20 a piece of thistle-down.

The chief laughed aloud when he saw the disappointment on Skirnir's face. "It seems to you a little thing," he said, "and yet I assure you that in making it we have used up all the materials in the whole world fit for the 25 purpose. No such chain can ever be made again, neither will the least atom of the substances of which it is made

be found more. It is fashioned out of six things: the noise made by the footfall of cats; the beards of women; the roots of stones; the sinews of bears; the breath of fish; and the spittle of birds. Fear not with this to bind 5 Fenrir; for no stronger chain will ever be made till the end of the world."`

Skirnir now looked with wonder at his chain, and, having thanked the dwarfs, and promised to bring them a reward from Odin, he set forth on his road home, and, 10 by the time of the evening meal, reached Valhalla, and gladdened the hearts of the gods by the tidings of his success. Then the gods, with Fenrir in the midst, assembled to try the strength of the dwarfs' chain.

Fenrir prowled round his old master, Tyr, with a look 15 of savage triumph in his cruel eyes, now licking the hand that had so long fed him, and now shaking his great head, and howling defiantly. The gods passed the chain from one to another, talking about it, while Fenrir listened. "It was much stronger than it looked," they said; and 20 Thor and Tyr vied with each other in their efforts to break it; while Bragi declared his belief that there was no one among the gods or giants capable of performing so great a feat, "unless," he added, "it should be you, Fenrir."

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This speech roused the pride of Fenrir; and, after looking long at the slender chain and the faces of the gods, he answered, "Loath am I to be bound by this

chain; but, lest you should doubt my courage, I will consent that you should bind me, provided one of you put his hand into my mouth as a pledge that no deceit is intended."

There was a moment's silence among the gods when 5 they heard this, and they looked at one another. Odin looked at Thor, and Thor looked at Bragi, and Frey fell behind. At length Tyr stepped forward valiantly, and put his strong right hand, with which he had so often fed him, into the wolf's cruel jaws.

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At this signal the other gods threw the chain round the monster's neck, bound him securely with one end, and fastened the other to a great rock. When he was bound, Fenrir rose, and shook himself, as he had done before; but in vain he raised himself up, and bounded forward — 15 the more he struggled, the more firmly the slender chain bound him.

At this sight the gods set up a loud shout of joy; for they saw their enemy conquered, and the danger that threatened Asgard averted. Only Tyr was silent, for in 20 the struggle he had lost his hand.

—A. AND E. KEARY: The Heroes of Asgard.

per pet'u al, everlasting; sa gac'i ty, wisdom; un couth', strange and awkward in appearance; swar'thy, black; loath, unwilling; a ver'ted, turned aside.

it.

1. Where is the dwarf's home represented as being? Describe How was it lighted? 2. Describe the appearance of the

dwarfs. What was their work in the world? How did they make diamonds? What are diamonds really? Where are they found? 3. Of what was their chain made? How was it that this light chain could bind Fenrir when Thor's heavy ones had failed? 4. What do you think of Tyr's act? Why did he do it?

Oral Composition. - Tell in your own words the story of Tyr's brave deed.

Sentence Study.Enlarge the sentences given below by adding explanatory words or groups of words.

Examples. 1. He made a chain to bind Fenrir. Enlarged: Thor made a chain to bind Fenrir, who was half wolf and half god. 2. The chain broke. Enlarged: The chain broke, although it was the strongest ever made.

1. Tyr had charge of Fenrir. Fenrir grew stronger and fiercer. 2. At last Fenrir grew dangerous. Odin thought he ought to be chained.

3. Frey said, "I will go to the dwarfs." He thought that the dwarfs could make a strong chain.

4. The dwarfs lived in caves. They were skilled in all metal work. The Possessive.-1. Tyr put his hand into the wolf's 'jaws. 2. Tyr put his hand into the jaws of the wolf.

What is told you about the word jaws in these sentences? How is the idea of ownership or possession shown in the second sentence? By what mark is it shown in the first? Which of these two ways expresses the idea more smoothly?

Rule. — Add an apostrophe and s ('s) to singular words to show possession. Examples.

- The boy's hat is lost. I saw James's new book.

Rule. To show possession, add an apostrophe and s to plural words that do not end in s. Add the apostrophe only to plurals that do end in s.

Examples. He is a member of the men's club. The girls' gymnasium class will meet to-day.