Thor rubbed his eyes, and felt as if he must be dreaming. Rousing himself, however, he raised Miölnir in his hand, and, trying to keep his eyes fixed on the giant's face, which seemed to be always changing, he said, "It is time that you should know, Skrymir, that I am come to Jötunheim to fight and conquer such evil giants as you are, and, little as you think me, I am ready to try my strength against yours." "Try it, then," said the giant. And Thor, without another word, threw Miölnir at his head. "Ah! Ah!" said the giant; "did a leaf touch me?" Again Thor seized Miölnir, which always returned to his hand, however far he cast it from him, and threw it with all his force. The giant put up his hand to his forehead. "I think," he said, "that an acorn must have fallen on my head." A third time Thor struck a blow, the heaviest that ever fell from the hand of an Asa; but this time the giant laughed out loud. "There is surely a bird on that tree," he said, "who has let a feather fall on my face." Then, without taking any further notice of Thor, he swung an immense wallet over his shoulder, and, turning his back upon him, struck into a path that led from the forest. When he had gone a little way he looked round, his immense face appearing less like a human countenance than some strange, uncouthly-shaped stone toppling on a mountain precipice. "Ving-Thor,"[3] he said, "let me give you a piece of good advice before I go. When you get to Utgard don't make much of yourself. You think me a tall man, but you have taller still to see; and you yourself are a very little mannikin. Turn back home whence you came, and be satisfied to have learned something of yourself by your journey to Jötunheim." [3] Ving-Thor--Winged-Thor. "Mannikin or not, _that_ will I never do," shouted Asa Thor after the giant. "We will meet again, and something more will we learn, or teach each other." The giant, however, did not turn back to answer, and Thor and his companions, after looking for some time after him, resumed their journey. Before the sun was quite high in the heavens they came out of the forest, and at noon they found themselves on a vast barren plain, where stood a great city, whose walls of dark, rough stone were so high, that Thor had to bend his head quite far back to see the top of them. When they approached the entrance of this city they found that the gates were closed and barred; but the space between the bars was so large that Thor passed through easily, and his companions followed him. The streets of the city were gloomy and still. They walked on for some time without meeting any one; but at length they came to a very high building, of which the gates stood open. "Let us go in and see what is going on here," said Thor; and they went.