In the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales — John Shaqi
In the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse TalesBrown, Abbie Farwell
General
In the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales
Brown, Abbie Farwell
Mythology, Norse -- Juvenile literature
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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