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
When Skrymir learned where they were going, he asked if he might not
wend with them, and Thor said that he was willing. Now Skrymir untied
his wallet and sat down under a tree to eat his breakfast, while Thor
and his party chose another place, not far away, for their picnic. When
all had finished, the giant said, "Let us put our provisions together
in one bag, my friends, and I will carry it for you." This seemed fair
enough, for Thor had so little food left that he was not afraid to risk
losing it; so he agreed, and Skrymir tied all the provisions in his
bag and strode on before them with enormous strides, so fast that even
Thialfi could scarcely keep up with him.
The day passed, and late in the evening Skrymir halted under a great
oak-tree, saying, "Let us rest here. I must have a nap, and you must
have your dinner. Here is the wallet,--open it and help yourselves."
Then he lay down on the moss, and was soon snoring lustily.
Thor tried to open the wallet, in vain; he could not loosen a single
knot of the huge thongs that fastened it. He strained and tugged,
growing angrier and redder after every useless attempt. This was too
much; the giant was making him appear absurd before his servants. He
seized his hammer, and bracing his feet with all his might, struck
Skrymir a blow on his head. Skrymir stirred lazily, yawned, opened one
eye, and asked whether a leaf had fallen on his forehead, and whether
his companions had dined yet. Thor bit his lip with vexation, but he
answered that they were ready for bed; so he and his three followers
retired to rest under another oak.
But Thor did not sleep that night. He lay thinking how he had been
put to shame, and how Loki had snickered at the sight of Thor's vain
struggles with the giant's wallet, and he resolved that it should not
happen again. At about midnight, once more he heard the giant's snore
resounding like thunder through the forest. Thor arose, clenching
Miölnir tight, and stole over to the tree where Skrymir slept; then
with all his might he hurled the hammer and struck the giant on the
crown of his head, so hard that the hammer sank deep into his skull. At
this the giant awoke with a start, exclaiming, "What is that? Did an
acorn fall on my head? What are you doing there, Thor?"
Thor stepped back quickly, answering that he had waked up, but that it
was only midnight, so they might all sleep some hours longer. "If I can
only give him one more blow before morning," he thought, "he will never
see daylight again." So he lay watching until Skrymir had fallen asleep
once more, which was near daybreak; then Thor arose as before, and
going very softly to the giant's side, smote him on the temple so sore
that the hammer sank into his skull up to the very handle. "Surely, he
is killed now," thought Thor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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