Wichita eagle., 1890-03-04
aSSNitI.s~
Daily gayle
ORIGINAL SEA SLkPENT.
ONE OF THE MYTHS AND TRADl~
TONS OF THE NORTH.


Fishing Tosether-Breakins the Giants
GobIets of Crystal Ice.
Once upon time 4Egar, the Vanagod who
lives far down IN the sea, gave Il great ban
ouet, to which SO many ever thirsty Asas and
Vans were invited that IN all Vanaheim no
kettle could be found large enough 10 brew
sufficient ale to go round. Thor found out,
however, that the giant HEymer, Tyr's father,
had kettle mile deep, and soon he and Tyr
were delegated to get it for the occasion; but
rs Thor had given the giants too many blows
for him to expect any good viii from them,
he took the precaution 10 disguise himself as
young man.
Riding in the thunder chariot only part of
the distance, they left it and the goat team at
the house of Egil by the sea shore, and pro-
ceeded on foot TO Hymer's castle. Here Tyr
had an affectionate meeting with his grand
mother, nine headed parsonage somewhat
older than She" who beamed on him with
1850 eyes at once. Being a god, he survived.
Then Tyr's mother, a beautiful woman Of nor
NAL anatomy. brought the visitors refresh
ing drink. and advised them to hide under the
inverted kettles in the room, as her husband.
now absent, might soon return and he was
dangerously irregular in hs etiquette toward
strangers.
THE SCHEME FAILED.
Late in the evening Hymer arrived. giisten-
ing with frost, and when he strobe into his
hall there was roar As oflnany tempests His
wife, after giving him a kind greeting, told
him that their son. Tyr, whom they had for
some time been expecting, had at last arrived,
that with him had come the giants greatest
enemy, Asa-Thor, and that the two were now
concealed under tire kettles behind wonder
post. HyIner naturally turned his eyes in
the direction indicated, whereUpon his glance
shiTered the massive post into t0othpicks
broke beam and SET the kettles waltzing at
such a rate that all but one were broken.
The gods then made their appearance and the
giant and his arch enemy stood face to face.
Thor'5 little scheme had failed, but then the
best laid plans Of gods and men gang aft
agiey," and our heroes were. no doubt, con-
soled in n measure wbsn tney heard their
generous foe order 4 slEnptuouS dinner at
which three steers weTt 10 be served UP.
Thor ate two of them kf this meal, whicn
caused Hymer TO remark that their next re-
past should be Of fish.
Early the next morning, when Thor saw
the giant making his boat ready for fishing
excursion, he dressed himself quickly and
begged that he might bear him company.
NONSENSE was the reply, "such delicate
fellow as you are could bh of no help TO me:
and besides, if you should go 50 far out to sea
and stay as long as | rean to, you would
catch an awful cold"
But Thor said be was willing to go as far |
rs Hyner wished, and he had an impression |
tlrat the giant would be quite as glad as he to |
get back TO shore. This he said with apDar- /
ent caimnesS, but it was an assumed. for he |
was restrained from letting hiJ concealed |
hammer fly at his enemy's skull only by the |
desire for the more brilliant victory over |
him he meant TO achieve that day
Hymer'tinally told Thor to look around for |
bait, so the god went TO the giants herd of .
cattle, wrung off the head of the largest bull. !
and tumhAing it into the boat, the foes put
out TO sea. Thor took the aft oars and sent /
the craft ahead with swiftness that nearly .
took away Hymer's. breath, and refusing to .
stop at the usual fishing place, sped onward |
till the giant shouted to him to halt. or they
would surely fall into the power of the great
Mdgard Serpent But on and on darted the
boat till the craEs of Johnheim were lost to
view, and paused not TIL it rode above the
writhin% form Of Lol1i's dread ofYspring.
Here Hymer caught two whales on mis- hook
atone haul, and then Thor produced an ex-
ceedinglv strong line, made with an art that
only elves and Asses know, to which was at
tached hook Of equally marvellous qualities.
and fastening the bulls head on it for bait.
be let it down into the water
4 BIC FISH STORY.
Very soon thereiwaS a tremendous tug at
the line. Jormungander had seized the bait.
and, the hook having caught in his palate,
the monster, frantic with rain, dashed about
with such violence that Thor was obliged &c
cling with both hands to the sides of the
boat. At last, his wrath rising at this de-
hance of his diyiae power, the god gave the
line such "A jerk. that both his feet crushed
through the boat; and, standing on the
bottom of the sea, he lifted the serpent
up TO the side Of the vessel Here the
lightning glancestof the Thunderer we're an.
SUered by tloodsl of venom from the mon.
sters gaping jaws, and the added weight
caused the boat TO begin filling with water.
aii OF which so frightened Hvmer that. lust
Us Thor was aloout to dispatch the serpent
with his hammer, the giant cut the line and
the reptile SANK out of sight. Another &C.
count tells Us that Thor succeeded in dealing
Inc monster one blow on the head, so vigor-
ous that all nature shrieked. howled and
horror, and thaJ iIyner then cut the line
ana lost Thor ms uncinny catch. Be that as
L may, Thor repaid Ivmer with sucb ho1
on the ear 1haothe giant pitched head fore
most into the sea. and. YOU may be sure, was
not III the best humoIs when they at last re-
gained the shore
Here Hymer sluny the two whales acros
lis shoulder, Thor picked up the boat with
Is IL.
10 the giants castle. where. aft,r denositinc
heir loads, the former requested his divine
guest 10 give a furt her proof c: MS strength
oy breaking a giants goblet Ehis Thor first
rled 10 accomplish. by throwing against Va.
'lous posts, but without success. Then Tyr's
mother suggested tiaat he would do better =,
'lIn Ii at Hymer'S forehead. rs that was rn11cb
harder than the gcblet and Thor, follovins
Ter counsel, after gathering all MS codlike
'owerS TOR the decisive throw, hurled the
'eaSer at the giants head, where il was in
family broken.
"Ah." said Hvner," that was q pretty hot
rink! And, alas! my precious goblet is
,roken.7
thus 1t Is, when the first spring thunder
iorms come TO thu north, the frost and light
ing hover together over Shc sea with antay- I
alsm IN their hearts, ana the great serpent
'hcSe WrlthlnCS lTSh the ocean IN its winter
ury receives , blow from the summer. pol
lat makes h.tn hide his venomous head ali
he genial sesSou; and JLIS does Thor break s
ne giant ; gbbiets of crystal ice and let the {
iadaenlnS fountains loose on the longing
4ains wkt;e Frey is qu;c6ening the buried :
ram anc .Salder Is wOoing it upward TO the .
Sht.-G innie Ward Patterson III Detroit
rec Press