Page:The book of wonder voyages (1919).djvu/223

 water for four days. In this grim country I might visit Utgarda-Loki, whose filthy dwelling-place was a hideous and grisly cave. I was terrified at being told to take such a long and dangerous journey, but the wretchedness of my present condition was uppermost in my mind, and I asked him if he could give us some firing. 'If thou needest fire, ' said he, 'thou must make three more witty remarks.' To which I replied: 'Good advice is to be followed, even though a mean fellow give it.' Likewise: 'I have gone so far in rashness, that if I can get back I shall owe my safety to no one but my own legs.' And again: 'If I could go away at this moment I would take good care never to come back.'

"And the giant was pleased with my sayings and gave me some fire, which I took back to my comrades; he also sent us a favorable wind, so that on the fourth day we reached the place for which we were bound. It was a land of everlasting night, unbroken by the happy change of light and darkness. So black and thick was the gloom that we could hardly see before us, though we managed to make out a huge towering rock. As I wished to explore it I told my men to strike a fire from flints as a safeguard against demons, ghosts, and goblins, and to place it in the entrance. I bade the others bear a light before me as I entered the narrow passage of the cavern. So narrow and small was the entrance that I had to stoop low down to crawl in. There I beheld a number of iron seats, among which glided a swarm of serpents. Next I beheld a mass of sluggish water that