Page:Stories of Norse Gods and Heroes.djvu/29

Rh said. "Well, little man, what can you do? No one is allowed here unless he can do something."

Loke, who was quicker than Thor, said, "I can eat faster than any one here." Then Utgard said, "Truly that is something. We will see if you have spoken the truth."

The giants brought in a trough filled with meat. Utgard called Loge, one of his men, to contend with Loke.

Loke and Loge met at the middle of the trough. But Loke had only eaten the meat, while Loge had eaten, meat, bones, and trough. So Loke was beaten.

Then Utgard asked what Thjalfe, the boy Thor had taken from the seashore, could do. Thjalfe replied that he could outrun any man there.

Utgard called a little fellow whose name was Huge. Huge so far outran Thjalfe that he turned back and met him half-way.

Utgard said: "You are the best runner that ever came here, but you must run more swiftly to outrun Huge."

Then Thor was asked in what he wished to contend. He answered: "In drinking."

Utgard sent the cup-bearer to bring his great drinking-horn.

When Thor took the horn in his hand, Utgard said: "Most of the men here empty it at one