Page:Stories of Norse Gods and Heroes.djvu/25

Rh Every time he tightened the belt his strength was redoubled.

If he had crossed the rainbow bridge it would have fallen down. So every day he waded through four rivers to go to the council of the gods.

Thor was usually as good-natured as he was strong. But sometimes he had sudden attacks of anger. Then he drove furiously in his chariot, striking in every direction with his hammer. Sometimes he did damage which, with all his strength, he could never repair.

Very often Thor did kind things. Once the dwarf, Orvandal, did not go into his home in the ground when the frost giants were in the land. They caught him and took him to Jotunheim.

Thor waded across the ice-cold river, Elivagar, to the land of the giants, and brought Orvandal back in a basket. When they were nearly across, Orvandal put one toe outside and it was bitten off by the frost giants.

Thor liked nothing, better than to go on long journeys, seeking adventures.

Once he set out in his chariot drawn by goats. Loke, the cunning, went with him.

Night came. Thor made himself no larger than a man, and asked to stay all night in a poor man's hut by the seashore.