you appear? What skilful things can you perform? In this place no one is permitted to remain wiio does not distinguish himself in some art or science." Loki an- swered him that he thought himself to be a great eater, and did not believ^ any one was able to cope with him. " We shall see immediately," said the king, and ordered one named Logi, who sat upon the bench, to try an eating-match with Loki. Thereupon a large trough lilk'd with meat was jilaced on the ground. At one end of the trough sat Logi, at the other enil Loki ; and as the former had eaten nothing for quite a w-hile, he devoured very much. But although Loki ate all the meat, Logi, besides having eaten his half, devoured the bones also. All were agreed that Loki had failed in the attempt. •■ What is that young man able to doV" the king in(piircd further. Tliialli answered he woidd try a walking-match with whomsoever Utgartsloki de- sired. The king went out and called a young man named Ilugi to try a running -match, pointed out a track, and fixed the limit. But Hugi was ahead in three successive rounds. The king admitted, however, that of all previous racers, none could have beaten Thialfi. Then tlie king asked Thor what he was able to do, as he liail a great name among the Asas. Thor answered that he would try his skill in drinking. Then the king brought a large horn, and said, "It requires great skill to empty this horn in one drink; some have accomplished it in two, yet none have been so unskilful as not to be able to empty it in three draughts." Thor put the horn to his lips three times; but when he look- ed into the horn, he saw that the water had hardly di- minished in fpiantity. Tlinr gave it uy, and said he did not wish to attempt it any longer. Thereupon the king said, "Now it is evident that your power and skill are not so great as we supposed, and you will re- ceive very little praise should you, in other attempts, be again unsuccessful." Thor answered that he was w'illing to attempt something el.se, and it surprised him much that what he had done was looked upon as a small affair. L^tgartsloki proposed that he should lift a cat from the ground, a feat which the smallest boy could perform, and the king added that he should never have proposed this to Thor were he not persuaded that Thor was In' no means the mighty king he had been repre- sented. A large gray cat was then brought forth, which Thor held around the body and attempted to lift from the ground. But the more he raised the cat from the ground, the more she would ciu've her back ; and, after having exerted himself as much as possible, he found that only one of the cat's forepaws had been lifted from the ground. "Just as I expected," said the king; "the cat is large, and Thor is much behind those who have tried to lift her before," "If I am small," an- swered Thor, " I challenge each of you to a prize-fight, becau-se now, as I am angry. I feel my entire strength has returned to me." Upon this, Utgartsloki said, " There is no one here who would not consider it child's play to fight with you ; however, call in m}- old nurse, who has fought with more men before; she will prob- ably be his match." The king's nurse, Elle, came, and, however much Thor exerted himself, he was not strong enough to move lur one inch ; and when she ap- plied her strength, Thor fell on his knee, until the king separated them. After very hospitable treatment and a good night's rest, the strangers left the castle, much chagrine<l. But when they were outside the door, the king said, "Now yon are out of the castle, to which, as long as I have strength, you shall never again be admitted, and into which you woidd not have entered had I known Thor's strength. Know now that all that has occurred was done tlirough witchery. At first I met you in the forest under the name of Skirner; there I fastened your provision - bag with iron cords, so that you were unable to untie them ; then you struck at me thrice with your hammer, and the force with which you struck at me may be seen in the val- levs hewn out of the hard rocks which, unseen, I had
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placed between you and me. When 3'ou subsequently came to my castle and made your attempts, I selected a man to eat who certaiidy could eat. more than any other man, because Logi is a consuming tire that de- vours wood and bones and everything. Thialli ran with no one but my thoughts, and it is easy to con- ceive how these reached the limit before him. But you have accomplished something supernatural, be- cause the horn which you attempted to empty was at one end sunk in the ocean, and you took such im- mense draughts of water that the ocean for a great dis- tance became dry, which is now called ebb. The cat which you lifted from the ground was the IMidgard's Serpent, and you were so strong as to lift her so high from the earth that only her head and tail were visi- ble. Finalh^ the old nurse with whom you wrestled was Old Age itself, and honor be to that man who flinches from decrepit old age no more than you. Now, farewell. Although I have numerous stratagems re- maining to shield my castle, still I hold it advisable that you and I should meet no more." Thor, very wroth to see himself thus fooled, grasped his hammer to strike, but immediately Utgartsloki and the castle became in- visible, and afterwards they saw each other a great dis- tance ajiart on the great plain. To seek revenge at least u]ion the Midgard's Serpent, Thor sailed shortly afterwards upon the ocean with the giant Ymer, and went out so far that the giant became afraid. Then he threw the head of a large ox, attached to a strong rope, into the water, which the Serpent seized upon. When she felt herself wounded, she started back with such force that Thor's hands, holding the line, struck against the ship. He then applied his entire strength, and placed ills foot so firmly upon the bottom of the boat that it went through, and he stood upon the bottom of the ocean. The giant was very much frightened when Thor drew up the Serpent by the line, and gazed at her with his tier}' eyes, as she aimed a stream of poi- son at him. Then Thor raised his hammer, but, be- fore he could strike, Ymer had cut the line, and the Serpent fell hack into the water. Thor then threw the giant head-foremost into the ocean, so that liis feet ap- peared above the water. He then waded ashore. An- other deed was done by Thor under Gejwod and Hvug- ner. The Wends also worshipped Thor as one of the highest gods. They erected to him numerous monu- ments, cut from a willow-tree, which was to represent the face of the god without any form. A platform built about the monument was useil as an altar to wor- ship upon. — Vollmer, Wihietb. d. Mi/thol. s. v.