The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-19
THOR, the GOD OF THUNDER
HE WAS THE FIRST HAMMER THRoWER IN HISTORY AND AN
INTERESTING CUSs.

Then Thor babe the peasant care
we'll for his goats and set out afoot
with Loki and with the peasants son
and daughter, whom hat good man
had given him to appease his anger.
At last they came to the country Of
the giants. which is called Utgard.
Skrymir, the giant, whom they fell in
with on their way. acted as their
guide and ere he fell asleep that night
told them to make free with his wal
let. and eat what they would of the
and stiff was the knot the giant had
tied that Thor could not undo it.
Then, angry because the sleeping
giant snored so loudly. Thor dealt
him three fearful blows with his
hammer, but Skrymir only muir.
INJURED that a lead had fallen upon
his cheek.
Next day the gods am to Utgard.
which was built of huge blocks Of
ice, and the gateway guarded by
~icicles. The gods. slipping between
the bars of the great gate. presented
themselves boldly to Utgard-Loki,
king of the giants. who, surprised at
their small size. asked some proof Of
their proves.
Loki Immediately said he was ready
to eat a wager with any one and the
giant ruler caused a huge wooden
trough filled with roast meat to be
brought forth. and placing Loki at
one end of the trough and his own
cook. Logi, at the other, bade them
see which was the mightier. AL
though Loki soon reached the middle
of the trough. vet he was beaten, for
his vile opponent ate not only the
bones which Loki had left, but his
half of the wooden trough also.
Thereat the king of the giants smiled
contemporary and said it was clear
that Loki was a puny creature.
Then Thor spoke up and said that
he himself would try a drinking bout
with any of the giants people. At
once a horn was brought in and
Utgard-Loki told Thor that good
drinkers emptied it at m draught.
moderately thirsty persons at two.
and small drinkers at three. But,
though Thor drank as deep as he was
able three times. the horn was not
nearly empty.
Then the peasants sol Thialh, Of
fered to run a race. and a young fell
though Thialf was swift beyond the
race Of mortal men. Then Utgard-
Loki threw back his great head and
laughed SO that the icy walls Of the
place rang, cold and bitter. and said
perchance the mighty Thor could lift
the giants cat, when the Thunderer
essayed the task, he could only raise
n paw Of the great animal.
Yet one more test was imposed
upon the Thunderer. Utgard- Loki
bade them bring forth his old nurse,
who, bent and feeble and leaning
upon a cane. came forth. and the
king of the giants told her to wrestle
= with this cooling of the hammer. So
Thor wrestled with the old crone,
whose name was ELI. but he could
not stand against her. Then the gods
were given food and drink and enter
tainment. and next day they were
taken beyond the walls Of Utgard. and
there the king told them he was the
giant skrymir. who had been their
guide, and that had he not taken the
~precaution to interpose a mountain
between his head and Thor's blows,
he must have been slain. as deep
clefts IN the mountain side showed.
Other magic. too, this giant had used,
and he explained that Loki's oppon-
ent at the trough was wild hre; that
iThialh had run a race with Thought,
than which no swifter runner lives.
The horn that Thor had tried to
drain was connected with the ocean,
and though the god had failed. there
had been a perceptible ebb in the
worlds waters. The cat which Thor
had tried to lift. he explained, was
in reality the terrible Midsard snake
which enctrcles the earth, and Thor
had nearly wrenched its hold loose.
And Eli, the nurse. tho giant de-
clared, was Old Age, whom no man
can resist. Then a mist enveloped
the castle Of the giants ana Thor
returned to Asgard.