Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/131

 But now the banquet was over, and Thrym called to his men to bring thither the hammer.

The hammer was brought and the heart of Thor waxed glad and laughed within him for joy when he saw his treasure. He grasped its handle and swung it over Thrym, and with one blow he felled him to the earth. And his sister received blows in place of the rings of red gold she craved. Then Thor made an end of all the giants assembled there, and he and Loki went back with Micelnir to make glad the hearts of the gods. And thus was dismay averted from Asgard.

, sitting on his high seat, discovered that Loki had three children as evil as himself, and he ordered them to be brought before him. One was named Hel, she was hideous to behold, half black, half flesh- coloured. Odin cast her down to Niflheim, which lay by one of the roots of Yggdrasil, and gavesher power over all who died of sickness or old age. Lofty railings protected her vast domains. Her hall was called Misery, her keys Hunger, Greed was her knife, Lazy her man, and Slow her maid. Her threshold was named Ruin, her bed Trouble, and her curtain Threatening Misfortune.

The second of Loki’s children was the horrible Midgard snake. Odin cast it in the sea, where it grew till it lay curled round the earth with its tail in its mouth.

The third was the Fenris wolf, and the gods deemed him harmless, and let him dwell among them, although Tyr, the god of the sword, alone had courage to feed him. But he grew mightily in strength and size, and the gods were troubled, and took counsel together how they might bind him. They made a strong fetter and brought it him.

“Let us bind thee with this that thou mayest try its strength,” said they.

The wolf looked, and seeing it was but weak he let them bind him. Then he stretched himself and lo, the fetter broke. So they made another chain, stronger than the first. “Come,” they said, “and let us try thee with this. Great will be thy fame if thou canst break so strong a bond.”

He looked at it doubtfully, for he saw it was stronger than the first, but his strength had increased, and he was willing to run a little risk