Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 13
General
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 13
Literature -- Collections
One day the god Thor set out, in his car drawn by two he-goats, and
accompanied by Loki, on a journey. Night coming on, they put up at a
peasant's cottage, when Thor killed his goats, and after flaying them
put them in the kettle. When the flesh was sodden, he sat down with,
his fellow-traveler to supper, and invited the peasant and his family
to partake of the repast. The peasant's son was named Thjalfi, and
his daughter Roeska. Thor bade them throw all the bones into the goats'
skins, which were spread out near the fireplace; but young Thjalfi
broke one of the shank-bones with his knife, to come at the marrow.
Thor having passed the night in the cottage, rose at the dawn of day;
and when he was dressed took his mallet Mjoelnir, and lifting it up,
consecrated the goats' skins, which he had no sooner done than the two
goats reassumed their wonted form, only that one of them now limped in
one of its hind legs. Thor, perceiving this, said that the peasant or
one of his family had handled the shank-bone of this goat too roughly,
for he saw clearly that it was broken. It may readily be imagined how
frightened the peasant was, when he saw Thor knit his brows, and grasp
the handle of his mallet with such force that the joints of his
fingers became white from the exertion. Fearing to be struck down by
the very looks of the god, the peasant and his family made joint suit
for pardon, offering whatever they possessed as an atonement for the
offense committed. Thor, seeing their fear, desisted from his wrath
and became more placable, and finally contented himself by requiring
the peasant's children, Thjalfi and Roeska, who became his
bond-servants, and have followed him ever since.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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