Arizona republican., 1913-03-02
Tasks Too Great Even for a God

There was war always between the Morse gods whose dwellings Asgaard and the giants Among the gods none mighty than Thor whose weapon Was huge hammer. Now. Thor set out one day for the country of the giants accom- panied by his Thialfi who was the swiftest of all men alive, and by Loki, the mischief maker of the gods.
 Now when the night came these three found themselves d great dark forest where they came upon a large hall where they lav down to sleep But scarcely had they fallen asleep before they were awakened by trembling of the earth and a fearful sound of grooming. Then the others went into chamber on the right of the hall while Thor stood all night long, hammer hand, in the entrance to defend them
 In morning. going forth, they found a huge giant lying the ground and snoring; his snoring that had shaken the ground the night before Then the giant took up his glove from the ground; this glove was the hall into which they had crept.
 Now the giant, whose was Skrymir, trav- eled that day with Thor and his comrades and at night they lay down to >sleep under oak But only Skrymir slept, for the noise of his ing like storm of wind among tall trees. Then Thor rose, angry, and taking his hammer smote Skrymir on the head; but the giant only turned and said, "A leaf fell on my face Twice Thor struck with all his strength, but Skrymir only murmured in his sleep, Moss fell upon my face" and at the third blow, An acorn fell
 So Thor left this creature, whom his utmost strength did dismay, and made haste to the city the giants, where Utgard Ioki their king, ruled Him they saIuted; but the king, vasty man, smiled scornfuIy and pointing with his thumb said to q courier:
 If I mistake not, yon striping is the god Thor
 Then turning Thor;
 Perhaps thy skill is more than doth appear. None may stay here who do not in some feat excel What thou do and thy feoWs?"
 Then Lod. the mischief maker, spoke, and told how he eXcelled in eating, quickly and in vast quan- titles. So trough brought and filled with roast meat. and LOki and of the giants men, who called LOg began their contest. But when they in the middle the trough, found that Lok had eaten only the meat while his opponent had devoured the meat bone and his half iI1,sr awarded
 Then Thalfi swifest of mortals, offered a race, and of Utgard-Loki's men stood up against him, man called Hugi, who ran so swiftly that he had reached the goal and returned when Thiafi q few yards from the starting place
 Thor then proposed drinking bout and Utgard- Loi handed him drinking horn.
 A good drinker empty it at a single draught," he said though most men take two; the most puny drnker do it i'll three
 Thrice Thor pulled deeply at the drinking horn, which seemed bigger than common, though some what long. but he lowered the wine therein only a little.
 Long laughed the giant king. Utgard -Loki, and his men, and drank and laughed and drank again; then said the king
 We have a very trfling game here, in which We exercise except but children It consists in merely lifting my from the ground; nor should l have dared propose it to the great Thor had l not already observed thou art by no means what we took thee for"
 Then a large gray cat sprang the floor and Thor put his hand under it and did his utmost to lift the cat; but he could only lift paw.
 Tt is d large cat" said Utgard-Loki, and Thor is a little man.
 Little not cried Thor. T will wrestle any you for am in wrath
 Then Utgard-Loki. looking at his men ranged benches along the wall, said: There is none here who would not think it beneath him Wrestle thee, little man; but stay, call my old nurse Eli, and let him wrestle with her
 So they brought in old and toothless woman, who took hold of Thor and though he struggled nightly. thrust him last upon his knees. Then Thor and his companions slept. and the next morn ing when they had eaten well and drunk, Utgard took them to the grate of the city. Here the god Thor hung his head for shame saying he was nightly humbled.
 Nay said Utgard- Loki, since thou of and | have wrought upon thee by entertainments and illusions Thrice when thou struckest at me l slipped aside, and thou wilt find three deep glens where thou struckest. Your servant, Loki, ate like hunger itself but my IOg, against whom he conended Fire itself which devours all things. And Hugi, against whom Thalfi ran Thought, which swiftly than god mortal. The which you attempted to drain-one end of that reached to the and by my trOth when you the coast you may how the waters of the have receded at your mighty drinking.
 As the you lifted up that cat was Mdgard Serpent, which encompasses the earth, lifted him-almost he lost his grip Eli, with whom you WreStled-Elli is Old Age who, late or early lays low every man"
 Then Thor angry to have been deceived, lifted his hammer to crush Utgard-Loki; but when he looked the giant had disappeared and the city, he stood in the midst of a verdant plain.