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
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 Röskva,
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 Miölnir 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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