THE LIBRARY 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 WONDERFUL STORIES
 
 LONDON I PRINTED BY 
 
 SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SO.UAR1 
 AND PARLIAMENT STREET
 
 
 HOW THOR RECOVERED HIS HAMMER. 
 
 'A J Loki drew near, the king of the frost-giants stopped 
 in his task'' (p. 5). 
 
 Frontispiece.
 
 WONDERFUL STORIES 
 
 FROM 
 
 NORTHERN LANDS 
 
 JULIA GODDARD 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 ' THE BOY AND THE CONSTELLATIONS ' ' KARL ANI 
 ' MORE STORIES ' ETC. 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. GEORGE W. COX, M.A. 
 
 and 
 
 Six Illustrations from Designs by W. J. Weigand 
 Engraved by G. Pearson 
 
 LONDON 
 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 
 
 1871 
 
 The right of translation is reserved
 
 AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 ALTHOUGH English children have long been 
 delighted with the legends of Germany and 
 Scandinavia as collected in the ' Household 
 Stories ' of Grimm, and in Dasent's ' Popular 
 Tales from the Norse/ no use has yet been 
 made of the materials of the Eddas and 
 Sagas of Northern Europe for the amusement 
 and the instruction of the Young. In the 
 belief that these materials may be presented 
 in a form as delightful as that of the old 
 stories with which all are familiar, I have 
 clothed a few of the Edda and other nar- 
 ratives in language which, I trust, the youngest 
 child may understand with ease, and from 
 which even they who have left childhood 
 behind them may derive some enjoyment. 
 
 545113 
 
 Fo u -c
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 INTRODUCTION Vll 
 
 I. HOW THOR RECOVERED HIS HAMMER. . I 
 
 II. THE STORY OF BALDER . . . . l6 
 
 III. THE STORY OF VOLUND .... 41 
 
 IV. THOR'S ADVENTURES AMONG THE JOTUNS . 54 
 V. SIF'S GOLDEN HAIR . . . -74 
 
 VI. THE WONDERFUL QUERN STONES . . 85 
 
 vn. THORWALD'S BRIDAL 96 
 
 vin. CHRISTIN'S TROUBLE no 
 
 IX. HOW THE WOLF FENRIS WAS CHAINED . I2O 
 
 X. THE STORY OF IDUNA . . .' .133 
 
 XI. HOW THOR GOT A CAULDRON FOR ACER, 
 
 LORD OF HELSEYIA . . . -155 
 
 XII. KING OLAF THE SAINT 176 
 
 XIII. THE STORY OF FRITHIOF . . . .185
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 THE KING OF THE FROST-GIANTS (page 5) Frontispiece 
 THE DWARFS AT WORK . . to face page 78 
 
 MENIA AND FENIA . . . ,,93 
 
 SIR PETER AND THE UGLY SPRITE . 117 
 
 THOR AMONGST THE GIANT'S CATTLE . 1 66 
 
 KING OLAF AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE . 182
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 AMONG the marvels of the inchanted land of Folk- 
 lore none is greater than the freshness which every 
 form retains, although it may be presented to us in 
 a hundred different dresses. We may see and feel 
 that under all these disguises we are looking on the 
 same being ; but we are never tired of listening to 
 the tale of his adventures, slightly as these may be 
 varied in each of the many versions of his history. 
 The repetition never wearies us : the monotony 
 never becomes irksome. Even when by long 
 acquaintance with some of these tales we know 
 what is going to happen in others, we read or listen 
 for the thousandth time with the feeling that 
 whether for old or young these stories can never 
 lose their charm. The child to whom is told the 
 old Greek tale of Psyche and Love, how she was 
 carried away to a cave in a lonely garden, where 
 her sisters told her that she was wedded to a
 
 x Introduction. 
 
 hideous monster, how by their evil counsels she 
 rose up in the night to look at her lover, how Love 
 wakened by a drop of oil from her torch vanished 
 away in the form of a dove, how Psyche sought for 
 him in all lands and found him again at last after 
 achieving three marvellous tasks, will say at once, 
 This is the story of Beauty and the Beast, or some- 
 thing very like it. But neither the child's wonder 
 nor his delight will be lessened when he reads in 
 Grimm's story of the Soaring Lark, how the 
 youngest of three daughters whose father had to go 
 a long journey, would have him bring her a singing, 
 soaring lark ; how he found the bird on a tree near 
 a splendid castle, and how, as he was going to take 
 it, a lion sprang from behind and said that he 
 should never have it unless he promised to give 
 him his daughter as his wife ; how, when she had 
 been wedded, the loathly lion became at night a 
 beautiful prince who told her that no ray of light 
 must fall upon him ; how after a while at the mar- 
 riage of one of her sisters a ray pierced through a 
 chink of the door and fell like a hair line upon the 
 prince, who in the same instant that it touched him 
 was changed into a dove ; how when the dove flew 
 away she sought him for seven years, and then,
 
 Introduction. xi 
 
 aided by the Sun, the Moon, and the North wind, 
 she found her husband in the power of a monstrous 
 caterpillar; how the maiden attacked the huge 
 insect which turned into a woman and again carried 
 the prince away on the back of a griffin ; and how, 
 when the prince was to be married to her enemy, 
 she was suffered to enter his room first for the golden 
 robe which the Sun gave her, and then for the 
 golden hen and chickens which had been the gift 
 of the Moon, and how on the second night the 
 prince awoke and found by his side the maiden 
 who had sought for him over the wide earth. The 
 child, as he reads, knows here that the maiden is 
 Psyche, and that in the end she shall meet him 
 whom she has lost ; but he is none the less pleased 
 when he sees the same beautiful form in the more 
 homely dress of the Gaelic tale, which tells how 
 the Daughter of the Skies * married a dog who at 
 night became a splendid man, and when he discerns 
 the magic gifts of the Teutonic bride in the wonder- 
 ful shears, needle, and clue which are made the 
 means of winning back the lost love of the Gaelic 
 maiden. When he has read further the tale of the 
 Twelve Brothers, of the Little Brother and Sister, 
 * Campbell, ' Popular Tales of the West Highlands,' i. 282.
 
 xii Introduction. 
 
 of Hansel and Grethel, of the Six Swans, and of 
 Little Snow White in Grimm's ' Household Stories,' 
 he will begin to feel that there is a whole family of 
 legends in which a maiden has a beautiful lover on 
 whom she is not suffered to look, while a jealous 
 mother or jealous sisters insist that the lover is 
 hideous, and tempt her to look at him while he is 
 asleep. In all he will discern the same machinery 
 bringing about the same result, the dropping of 
 the burning liquid, the change of the man into the 
 bird, the weary wandering and the joyful reunion 
 after the accomplishment of superhuman tasks. 
 Soon perhaps he may find that there is another 
 group of legends in which the parts are inverted, 
 and in which it is the bride who is snatched away, 
 while the bridegroom has to seek her through many 
 a weary year. Turn where he may, the same 
 images will meet his eye : and the beings who love 
 and suffer in the Norse tale of East of the Sun and 
 West of the Moon,* are the beings whose joys and 
 sorrows are told again in the Hindu legend of 
 Urvasi and Pururavas,^ in the Deccan tale of the 
 
 * See the tale in Dasent's ' Popular Tales from the Norse,' and 
 the poem so intitled in Mr. Morris's ' Earthly Paradise.' 
 
 f Max Muller, 'Chips from a German Workshop,' ii. 114, &c.
 
 Introduction. xiii 
 
 Rakshas' Palace,* in the True Bride and in the story 
 of the Drummer, in Grimm's collection. -f* He may 
 now be able to take these stories to pieces, and 
 to trace each feature through groups of other tales. 
 Thus, in Grimm's story, the prince shut up in the 
 Iron Stove answers to the maiden Brynhild im- 
 prisoned within the walls of flame on the Glistening 
 Heath, while the little toad which helps the princess 
 is the Frog Prince who brings back the golden ball, 
 the bright orb of the Sun, to the Dawn maiden who 
 has suffered it to fall into the water. Of course 
 the princess has to wander in search of the tenant 
 of the Iron Stove, and to serve like Cinderella as a 
 kitchen-maid ; of course she too has three nuts (the 
 gifts of the little toad), from which she draws forth 
 garments more brilliant than silver or gold, and of 
 course she wins back her lover just like the maiden 
 in the story of the Soaring Lark. 
 
 We have thus in our hands the clue which may 
 guide us through the mazes of folklore stories to 
 fountains of delight which can never be drained 
 dry. It may be impossible, perhaps, to bring back 
 the precise feeling which these stories may severally 
 
 * Frere, ' Old Deccan Days,' p. 205, &c. 
 f ' Household Stories.'
 
 xiv Introduction. 
 
 have inspired in those who knew but few of them ; 
 but even young readers at the present day will 
 probably have devoured not only the ' Household 
 Stories ' of Grimm, and the Norse Tales of Dasent, 
 but the West Highland legends of Campbell, the 
 Deccan Tales of Miss Frere, the Icelandic legends 
 of Powell and Magniisson, and many more. That 
 all these stories exhibit the same elements, he must 
 soon discover. It is well that he should learn to 
 draw pleasure from sources which will never fail 
 him, and withal grow wiser as he recognises old 
 friends under new forms in the legends of Greeks 
 and Hindus, of Norwegians, Germans, Spaniards, 
 and Englishmen. 
 
 Not a few of these old friends will be recognised 
 in the stories gathered in this volume from the 
 Eddas and other sources of Northern folklore. 
 There may be repetition, but there is no same- 
 ness; and the common joys and sorrows which 
 these tales reveal, impart to them an indescrib- 
 able charm. Many, if not most of them, bring 
 before us that great tragedy of nature which has 
 stirred the hearts of poets in all countries and in 
 all ages. Gods and men all mourn the absence of 
 the bright being without whom life and gladness
 
 Introduction, xv 
 
 seem alike to be lost. In the story of Balder (II.) 
 we have, in Bunsen's words, 'the tragedy of the 
 solar year, the murdered and risen god, ' ' familiar to 
 us from the days of ancient Egypt/ and ' of equally 
 primeval origin here.' * When the gods stand 
 round him as the end draws nigh, and shoot their 
 arrows at him, we have the story which the Greeks 
 told of Sarpedon, the chief of the far-off Eastern 
 land, who in one version is brought to life again 
 like Balder, like Osiris, and like Memnon, the 
 glistening Son of the Dawn. But nothing on earth 
 can hurt Balder, except one little plant of whom 
 Odin thought it not worth while to exact the oath 
 sworn by all other creatures. In other words, he 
 can be slain only in one way, as Achilleus and 
 other heroes are vulnerable only in one part ; and 
 thus his death comes from his blind brother, the 
 darkness which slays the summer sun when the 
 nights begin to get longer than the day. But the 
 day of vengeance soon comes, and he is avenged 
 by his young brother Ali or Wali, whose birth 
 marks the gradual rising again of the sun after the 
 winter solstice, until Balder the Beautiful once 
 more reigns in Ganzblick or Breidablick, the abode 
 * ' God in History,' ii. 458.
 
 xvi Introduction. 
 
 of pure light, as Zeus dwells in Lykoreia, the 
 mountain of light, and the sun god treads the 
 shining path of Lykosoura. The same thought 
 marks the story of Christin's trouble (VIII.) ; and 
 in Christin we have the lovely Eurydike who is 
 snatched from her lover as soon as she becomes his 
 bride. Orpheus in the Northern tale has become 
 Sir Peter, but the change scarcely goes beyond the 
 name. Like Orpheus, he seizes his golden harp, 
 which is to rescue her from the ugly sprite who 
 represents Hades or Polydegmon in the Greek 
 story. When he strikes the chords for the third 
 time, a white arm is raised above the surface of the 
 water. It is the arm of Christin. As he goes on 
 playing, Christin lifts her head above the water ; but 
 wiser than Orpheus, he takes care that his bride 
 shall be on firm land before he ceases from his task. 
 The gradual rising of Christin leads us to Grimm's 
 story of the Nix of the Mill-pond, where the parts 
 are again reversed, and the bride is seeking to rescue 
 her lost lover from the waters. The spell of 
 Orpheus and Sir Peter lies in this story in a golden 
 comb, a flute, and a spinning-wheel. When the 
 maiden plies her comb, his hand appears : when 
 she touches the flute, his head is seen ; when she
 
 Introduction. 
 
 xvn 
 
 comes with the wheel, he leaps from the water and 
 once more stands by her side. 
 
 Still more striking is the story of Iduna, whose 
 golden apples are the apples of the Hesperides, 
 which in Grimm's tale of the Old Griffin have the 
 power of instantaneously restoring to health the 
 King's daughter. Iduna is, in short, the beautiful 
 maiden whose capture by the giant Thiasse is the 
 stealing away of Persephone from the plains of 
 Enna by the terrible Hades or Polydegmon. In 
 each case all nature feels her loss, and gods and men 
 mourn because all strength and joy and beauty are 
 taken from the face of the earth. The flowers refuse 
 to bloom, the seed will not grow, the trees will not 
 put forth their leaves, while the maiden remains in 
 the dark land, and the mourning mother grieves at 
 Eleusis until her child comes back. Then the joy 
 of Bragi, like that of Demeter, is greater than the 
 sorrow which has happily passed away, and thus in 
 Bunsen's words we have here a story which ' is an 
 exact counterpart of the earliest myth of Herakles, 
 who falls into the sleep of winter and lies there 
 stiff and stark till lolaos wakes him by holding a 
 quail to his nose.' * Iduna too comes back in the 
 
 * ' God in History,' ii. 488. 
 
 a
 
 xviii Introduction. 
 
 shape of a quail, the bird of spring, the quail 
 Artemis who has her home on the Ortygian island. 
 This return of the stolen or captive maiden is one 
 of the subjects to which the imagination of the 
 North was most powerfully attracted. We have it 
 in Grimm's story of Rapunzel who is imprisoned 
 in the dismal tower, to which the lover ascends on 
 the ladder made by her golden hair, the golden 
 locks which are stolen away from Sif (V.) by Loki, 
 and restored after a while more beautiful than ever. 
 We have it in the story of the Dwarfs,* in which 
 the maiden, like Persephone, eats a golden apple and 
 sinks a hundred fathoms down in the earth, where 
 the prince finds her with the nine-headed dragon 
 on her lap, We see her again in the princess who 
 lies seemingly dead in the House of Wood,f which 
 breaks up in the spring like the ice. There is no 
 mistaking the sudden thaw at the end of a Northern 
 winter, as we read how the ' sides crack,' ' the doors 
 were slammed back against the walls, the beams 
 groaned as if they were being riven away from 
 their fastenings ; the stairs fell down, and at last it 
 seemed as if the whole roof fell in.' In the beau- 
 tiful palace, in which the princess on becoming con- 
 
 * Grimm. f Ibid.
 
 Introduction. xix 
 
 scious finds herself, we see the loveliness which 
 the earth puts on, on the sudden outburst of 
 spring. 
 
 The image of Iduna is but a reflection of that of 
 Ingebjorg in the story of Frithiof (XIII.), who is 
 deprived of his chosen bride as Bragi is despoiled by 
 Thiasse (X.). Here the enemy whose wife Ingebjorg 
 becomes, while Frithiof is gone to the Orkneys, is 
 old King Ring, who appears in a more sombre and 
 less kindly guise in the old Rink-rank of the 
 German story,* and in the Troll in the legend of the 
 Old Dame and her Hen in Dasent's collection.-f- 
 Ingebjorg here becomes the wife of Frithiof's 
 enemy ; but in other respects there is very little 
 difference between his story and that of Odysseus 
 (Ulysses). Like the chieftain of Ithaka, he comes 
 back to find his home spoiled and his wealth gone ; 
 like him, he returns in mean disguise (as do Boots 
 and the Princes in scores of German stories) ; like 
 him he is recognised by his dog, and jeered and 
 flouted by the courtiers, until one who ventures 
 to lay hands on him receives forthwith the punish- 
 ment of Arnaios or Iros in the Odyssey. Like him, 
 when he throws off his mean dress, he appears in all 
 
 t ' Popular Talcs from the Norse. '
 
 xx Introduction. 
 
 the radiant beauty of youth, for Athene, the Dawn 
 maiden, can make men young though twenty years 
 of toil and sorrow may have passed since they 
 had left their homes. Of course, Ring dies, and 
 Ingebjorg becomes at last the wife of Frithiof, as 
 Penelope is at last restored to Odysseus. 
 
 But Frithiof has a magic ship Ellide, which knows 
 his will and obeys his bidding; and this ship is 
 none other than the patient ox in the story of Olaf 
 the Saint (XII.), whose word makes the slow brute 
 bound like a stag and fly with the swiftness of an 
 eagle. These ships are the same as Skidbladnir, 
 the magic bark of Freya, which can hold all the 
 yEsir and can yet be folded up like a kerchief ; the 
 iron-boat in the story of Big Bird Dan,* which 
 ' moves if you only say, Boat, boat, go on ; ' the ships 
 of the Phaiakians which have neither helm nor 
 rigging, but which, veiled in mist, visit every city 
 and corn-field in the earth. The clouds can move 
 where they will, and without helmsmen or rowers 
 they never fail to reach their destination ; and so no 
 harm can befall the fleet of Alkinoos or the good 
 ships of Frithiof and Olaf. 
 
 In the stories of Christin (VIII.) and Iduna (X.), 
 
 4; Dasent, ' Popular Tales from the Norse.'
 
 Introduction. xxi 
 
 we have seen beautiful maidens shut up in the heart 
 of the earth. In the story of the giant Thrym (I.) 
 it is Thor's magic hammer which is stolen away and 
 buried eight fathoms deep. On this hammer, as 
 on the presence of Iduna, the power of the vEsir 
 depends. In the version here followed, Thor goes 
 to the dwelling of Thrym disguised as a woman, 
 an incident which vividly recalls similar scenes in 
 the Greek stories of Theseus, Dionysos, Odysseus 
 and Achilleus. But it was also told that the 
 hammer came back of itself, rising one mile in each 
 year for eight years, till it reaches once more the 
 abode of Thor. Like this hammer, the Glass 
 Coffin* rises through the floors of ice to the upper 
 air, and the case, when opened, expands into a 
 magnificent castle. Like this hammer, too, the 
 brazen hammer in the Greek story takes nine years 
 to descend from the earth into the lowest depths of 
 Tartaros. 
 
 The vein of quiet humour and familiarity with 
 the highest gods is a prominent characteristic of 
 Northern stories. This humour passes into seeming 
 irreverence in the stories of the Master Smith,-fbut 
 
 * Grimm, ' Household Stories.' 
 \ Daient, ' Norse Tales. '
 
 xxii Introduction. 
 
 it is not peculiar to the folklore of Northern Europe. 
 The tricks of Loki the god of the fire are the tricks 
 of the Greek Hermes, the Master Thief who steals 
 cattle when he is six hours old, and then going back 
 to his cradle in the guise of a babe calmly says that 
 he knows not what kind of things cows are ; * nor is 
 Thor himself (IV.) more genial and rollicking than 
 the Greek Herakles in many of the stories related 
 of him. There is close kindred again between Loki 
 and the fire-god Hephaistos, the Latin Vulcanus, 
 who are reflected again in Volund (III.), (the Way- 
 land Smith of Sir Walter Scott's ' Kenilworth,') who 
 has a beautiful Valkyrie wife, as in the Iliad the 
 lovely Charis is the wife of the limping Hephaistos, 
 the youngest of the gods. 
 
 The wonderful quern in the story of Frothi (VI.) 
 is one of a vast number of vessels which are inex- 
 haustible sources of wealth. It is, again, a quern 
 in the Norse tale ' Why the Sea is Salt; ' but the 
 same thought is presented in the horn of Amal- 
 theia, in the can or pail of the milkwoman in the 
 Hindu story of Surya Bai,f in the horn of Oberon, 
 and the cauldron of Ceridwen. It is, in short, the 
 
 * ' Tales of Ancient Greece,' p. 23. 
 t Frere, ' Old Deccan Days.'
 
 Introduction. xxiii 
 
 huge cauldron which Thor got for the giant Oegir 
 (Ager) (XL), and whose savoury contents went spon- 
 taneously to each guest as he might wish for them. 
 It is the goblet of Tegan Euroron, the dish of 
 Rhydderch, the basket of Gwyddno, the table of the 
 Ethiopians to which no good thing is ever lacking, 
 the lamp of Allah-ud-deen,* who has only to rub 
 it and get all that his heart may desire. 
 
 In the chaining of Fenris (IX.) the wolf is the 
 great enemy of the ^Esir, and his kinsfolk are the 
 great serpent Jormungand and Hela the ghastly 
 goddess of death. He is the evil beast who is to 
 devour the moon when the twilight of the gods has 
 come : meanwhile, he finds occupation in swallow- 
 ing maidens or goats, for he is the wolf who eats 
 Little Red Capf or Red Riding Hood, and swallows 
 the six little goats in the German story. J 
 
 The story of Thorvald (VII.) has been sug- 
 gested by a beautiful feature in the mythology 
 which relates to the land of the ^Esir. The 
 search for the foundation of Bifrost, the rainbow 
 bridge of Heimdall, the lord of Himinbjorg, the 
 city of heaven, is that yearning of the soul for a 
 
 * ' Arabian Nights. ' 
 
 f Grimm, ' Household Stories.' 
 
 J Ibid. The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats.'
 
 xxiv Introduction. 
 
 beauty unattainable on the earth, which finds ex- 
 pression in the Christian legend of the Monk and 
 the Bird,* whose singing, like that of Hjarrandi in 
 the Gudrunlied can make a hundred years seem 
 as but a moment. 
 
 Scarcely less powerful than the spell of Hjarrandi 
 is the charm of these stories, which delighted the 
 common forefathers of Danes and Germans, Nor- 
 wegians and Englishmen, Franks and Icelanders. 
 We stand before a palace with a thousand doors, 
 in which each room reveals wonders at once old 
 and new ; and, if I mistake not, the key, which 
 with these few words I place in the reader's hand, 
 will enable him to wander at will through an 
 enchanted abode beautiful as the Ganzblick in 
 which Balder dwelt, for it does indeed bring before 
 us the wonderful works of God, as they appeared to 
 the minds of men and women like ourselves, who 
 lived in the fresh childhood of the world. 
 
 G. W. C. 
 
 * See the poem of Archbishop Trench.
 
 WONDERFUL STORIES. 
 
 i. 
 
 HOW THOR RECOVERED HIS 
 HAMMER. 
 
 THOR was a mighty god. He ruled the summer- 
 heat and raging thunder, and none among the 
 Northern gods was more powerful than he. His 
 beard was red as gold, and he wore a crown of 
 twelve stars. His eyes flashed lightning when he 
 went forth to battle, and the sound of his chariot- 
 wheels echoed through the heavens. Greater was 
 his palace than any ever built by man, and its 
 halls gleamed as with the brightness of fire. 
 
 Strongest of all the gods was Thor, and as if he 
 had not strength enough in himself, it fell to his 
 lot to own three things which made him so mighty 
 that none might withstand him : his belt of power, 
 which gave him double strength whenever he 
 B
 
 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 girded it on; his iron gloves; and the wonderful 
 hammer Miolnir. 
 
 This marvellous hammer was as much coveted 
 by the other gods as it was prized by Thor, since 
 no evil could befall him who possessed it. But if 
 Miolnir should fall into the hands of the Jotuns or 
 giants, Thor would lose his power and the Jotuns 
 would reign in Asgard. 
 
 Asgard was the beautiful country of the good 
 gods who were called Asi smiling and fertile, 
 with green pastures, clear broad rivers, wild hunting- 
 grounds, and fruits and flowers such as no child of 
 earth has ever seen; whilst Jotunheim, where the 
 giants lived, was a bleak desolate land with barren 
 mountains and scarcely a tree or flower. Hence it 
 was not strange that the giants should wish to 
 change their dreary country for the blooming 
 kingdom of Asgard. 
 
 Amongst the Jotuns was a powerful king whose 
 name was Thrym. He was lord of the Thursi the 
 cold, shivering Thursi who knew not what warmth 
 was. Very gloomy was the region over which 
 Thrym reigned, and wherever he went cold and 
 wretchedness followed in his train. 
 
 He was a shaggy-looking giant with wrinkled
 
 How T/wr recovered his Hammer. 3 
 
 brow and furrowed cheeks, and hair and beard as 
 white as snow. His hands were hard and cold as 
 ice, and his touch alone would freeze the blood in a 
 man's veins. He was quite as cold as his shivering 
 people, which is not to be wondered at, since in 
 the land of the Thursi there is no summer. It was 
 winter, bleak winter, all the year round. 
 
 Now Thrym, in his dreary home, often longed to 
 have the beautiful Asgard for his kingdom ; and 
 once he was very near getting it ; for, whilst Thor 
 lay in a heavy sleep, Thrym seized his wonderful 
 hammer, and hid it away. 
 
 Great was the wrath of Thor when he awoke 
 and found his hammer gone. He was a little 
 frightened too ; that is, as frightened as it was- 
 possible for so great a god to be. But he was far 
 more angry than frightened ; for how should a 
 Jotun dare to take the hammer of Thor? 
 
 His anger was hot within him, and yet he must 
 not show it, for it would go ill with him if everyone 
 should know of his loss. Some of the Jotuns, wiser 
 than Thrym, might take advantage of it, as Thrym 
 would certainly have done had he known the value 
 of his prize. 
 
 B 2
 
 4 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Thor therefore calmed himself, and, after ponder- 
 ing for awhile, he called to Loki, the lord of the 
 mighty fire, and told him what had happened. 
 And when they had taken counsel together, they 
 agreed to go to Freyia and ask her to help them. 
 
 Freyia was the lovely wife of Oder. Her eyes 
 were bluer than the blue forget-me-not, her com- 
 plexion fairer than lilies and roses, her teeth were 
 like pearls in a setting of coral, and her hair like 
 glittering threads of gold. 
 
 ' What dost thou want of me, O mighty Thor ?' 
 asked Freyia. 
 
 ' I want a robe with wings that will carry the 
 wearer round the world,' answered Thor. ' The 
 giant Thrym has stolen my hammer, and I must 
 get it back without delay.' 
 
 'Thou shalt have a robe, and that speedily,' 
 returned Freyia, ' though it should be woven with 
 silver and gold.' 
 
 For Freyia knew how needful it was that Thor 
 should win back his hammer, and forthwith she 
 brought forth from one of her great brazen-clasped 
 chests a shining robe, with wings that flashed and 
 sparkled in the sunlight. 
 
 Thor took it very thankfully, and giving it to
 
 How Thor recovered his Hammer. ,5 
 
 Loki, said, ' Now put it on and fly away to Thrym, 
 and bid him to give me back Miolnir, lest I come 
 in wrath and take terrible vengeance upon him.' 
 
 Then Loki donned the shining dress, highly 
 pleased to find that the sparkling wings moved so 
 easily that they would bear him through the air 
 like a bird ; and he answered cheerily, ' No fear ! 
 No fear ! I will bring Miolnir home with me.' 
 
 And away he flew ; and the moving of the silver 
 wings made a pleasant noise like the clashing of 
 sweet-toned cymbals ; and Thor watched him 
 flashing along like a shooting star until he was lost 
 in the distance. 
 
 On, on he flew, swifter than the wind, on towards 
 Jotunheim. 
 
 Thrym was seated upon his throne, a great 
 mound of snow, frozen so hard that the Thursi had 
 carved it into the form of a chair. And Thrym 
 was making collars for his dogs, and combing his 
 horses. 
 
 As Loki drew near, the king of the frost-giants 
 stopped in his task, and, looking up, said, ' How 
 are you, Loki, and what brings you to Jotunheim ?' 
 
 Now Thrym knew quite well why Loki had 
 come, but he wished to hear what he would say. .
 
 6 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' The gods are full of anger because you have 
 stolen Thor's hammer,' replied Loki; 'and they 
 will not be appeased until you have given it up 
 again.' 
 
 ' That is a likely thing/ returned Thrym. ' Why 
 should I give it back when I have had the trouble 
 of taking it ? If they will give me something in 
 exchange, then I may perhaps think about it.' 
 
 ' What do you want ? ' asked Loki. 
 
 Thrym considered for a moment, and then he 
 said, ' You see that I am very dull and lonely here, 
 in spite of my being king. I should be much happier 
 if I had a wife, and I can't find anyone among the 
 Jotuns to suit me. Now, I have never seen anyone 
 so beautiful as Freyia, and Freyia I must have for 
 a wife.' 
 
 ' Freyia ! ' shouted Loki ' Freyia, the wife of 
 Oder ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, Freyia/ answered Thrym, quite calmly. 
 ' And no one shall have Thor's hammer unless 
 Freyia comes hither to be my bride.' 
 
 'Freyia!' repeated Loki, for he was too much 
 surprised to say anything else. 
 
 ' Yes, Freyia/ said Thrym once more. ' I have 
 stowed the hammer away safely. It is hidden eight
 
 How Thor recovered his Hammer. 7 
 
 fathoms deep under the ice and snow, and unless 
 you bring Freyia with you, you need not trouble 
 yourself to come here again.' 
 
 And Thrym went on combing the tangled mane 
 of one of the horses ; and as he combed it, he 
 hummed a song at least what sounded like a 
 song to him, but if you had heard it you would 
 have thought it a peal of thunder. 
 
 After he had combed the mane to his pleasure, 
 he whistled to one of his dogs. And if you had 
 heard him whistling, you would have supposed it 
 to be the great north-wind warring and blustering 
 as though it would tear up the giant oaks. 
 
 A great fierce dog came bounding up in answer 
 to the summons, and Thrym fitted one of the 
 golden collars round his neck. 
 
 After which Thrym looked up at Loki. 
 
 ' Why are you waiting ? ' said he ; ' you had better 
 fly away with my message to the gods. Tell them, 
 If Thor wants his hammer, he shall have it as 
 soon as they send Freyia to me.' 
 
 Loki knew that there was no use in further 
 words. The giant Thrym had made up his mind, 
 and nothing that he could say would alter it. 
 
 So, spreading out his wings, he sped again to
 
 8 Wonderfiil Stories. 
 
 Asgard, to tell the gods how ill he had fared 
 with his errand. 
 
 On his way to the palace, of Oder, he met with 
 Thor. 
 
 ' What is to be done ? ' asked Thor, when he had 
 heard what Loki had to tell him. 
 
 * We must take counsel again with Freyia, and 
 see if she can help us.' 
 
 Together they went to the palace. 
 
 ' How have you prospered ? ' asked Freyia. 
 
 ' But ill,' replied Loki ; and then he told her 
 what had befallen him with Thrym. 
 
 The roses in Freyia's cheeks turned crimson as 
 peonies when she heard what Thrym wanted, and 
 her blue eyes shot forth flames like fire. She 
 stamped with rage, and paced wildly up and down 
 the marble floor. How should the beautiful wife 
 of Oder become the wife of the Jotun Thrym ? 
 
 ' You should have taken better care of the 
 hammer,' said she to Thor. ' Do you think that I 
 am going to leave Asgard just to please you ? 
 Thrym may keep Miolnir for all I care. I will 
 never be queen of the Thursi. I tell you I will 
 not go.' 
 
 ' If you do not go, we shall all have to leave
 
 How Thor recovered his Hammer, 9 
 
 Asgard together,' replied Thor ; ' for it will soon be 
 noised abroad that Thrym has stolen my hammer, 
 and the J-otuns will come at once and seize our 
 beautiful country, and no one can hinder them.' 
 
 Then all the gods who had been waiting for 
 Loki's return began to urge first one thing and then 
 another; and as no one liked to have his counsel 
 set aside, they all waxed fierce and shouted at one 
 another, until there was such an uproar that it was 
 quite impossible to hear anything that was said ; 
 and all the time Freyia was pacing up and down, 
 tearing her hair and weeping, and saying again and 
 again that she would never be the bride of the 
 Jotun Thrym. 
 
 I do not know how long this state of things 
 would have lasted, had not a very wise god, named 
 Heimdall, stepped forward to say how they might 
 win back Thor's hammer, though Freyia should yet 
 remain in Asgard. 
 
 ' Let us dress Thor in Freyia's garments,' said 
 Heimdall. ' With Freyia's silken robes, and bright 
 necklace, and a long veil over his face, he may 
 deceive Thrym, and win back the hammer himself.' 
 
 ' That will do, that will do,' shouted the gods, all 
 excepting Thor.
 
 io Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' That will do,' cried Freyia ; ' the thought is 
 good.' 
 
 But Thor did not think it good, and his wrath at 
 the counsel was even greater than the rage of 
 Freyia had been. The walls of the palace shook as 
 he strode up and down the great hall, and he waved 
 his arms about so fiercely that the other gods were 
 fain to keep out of his way, since a blow from the 
 heavy hand of Thor would have smitten them to 
 the ground. But the crafty Loki crept near to him 
 and whispered, ' Nay, Thor, be not angry. Think 
 yet again. Heimdall has not spoken unwisely. 
 Something must be done, and that right quickly, if 
 the gods are to reign yet in Asgard. If your 
 hammer is not forthwith brought back, we shall 
 have the Jotuns upon us before we are aware ; 
 and then all will be over with the Asi, and they 
 must, sorrowing, depart from this land of joy and 
 beauty.' 
 
 'What! am I to be dressed as a woman?' 
 thundered Thor. 
 
 ' It is only a wise trick to enable you to act as a 
 man and a god,' returned Loki. ' What matters 
 it if, for once in your life, you put on a flowing veil 
 and glittering ornaments ? It is better than to be
 
 How Thor recovered his Hammer. 1 1 
 
 banished from your home, or, worse still, to be a 
 slave to the Thursi.' 
 
 Thus spake Loki, till at last Thor suffered him- 
 self to be dressed as a bride. His hair was braided 
 and hung with jewels, Freyia's necklace was placed 
 round his neck, while her keys dangled at his belt. 
 And over all the tiring maidens flung a long veil of 
 shimmering silver-gauze. Truly he looked a very 
 stately bride, a head taller than most of the Asi ; 
 but then you must remember that Thrym was a 
 giant, so that by his side Thor would not look so 
 large. 
 
 Well pleased that he had thus prevailed with 
 Thor, Loki made ready the chariot drawn by two 
 strong he- goats, and he and Thor stepping into it, 
 they set off upon their journey. 
 
 The mountains shook at the rumbling of the 
 chariot- wheels, the earth trembled, and the great 
 oaks bent their heads ; for all things knew that 
 Thor, the son of Odin, journeyed along, and that 
 he was in terrible wrath. 
 
 Soon there was a stir throughout the land of the 
 Thursi. For Thrym had heard the panting of the 
 he-gcats, and had called to his people and said, 
 ' Up, up, ye Thursi ! stir yourselves, make ready a
 
 1 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 feast, and prepare for merry doings. My bride 
 cometh from the land of Asgard. Up, up ! and 
 greet her loyally.' 
 
 And the Thursi roused themselves, and the feast 
 was spread in the banqueting-hall. Great barrels 
 of mead ; oxen and sheep roasted whole ; huge sal- 
 mon, and savoury cates, all mighty in size, as 
 became the greatness of the Jotun Thrym. 
 
 And Thrym, king of the Thursi, listened eagerly. 
 Louder and louder sounded the whirring of the 
 chariot- wheels. Swiftly the chariot drew nearer, for 
 the he-goats sped too fleetly to touch the ground. 
 Thrym could see it now a small speck far away 
 in the blue distance. Soon he could discern the 
 polished horns of the goats shining in the sunlight, 
 and the showers of glittering sparks and flashes of 
 fire that played around the chariot. Nearer nearer. 
 And then was heard a roar of many voices shout- 
 ing, ' Welcome to the wife of Oder ! Welcome to 
 the beautiful Freyia ! Welcome to the bride of 
 Thrym !' 
 
 Thor's wrath burned within him, but Loki 
 twitched his veil and besought him to curb his 
 anger, whilst Thrym, stalking through the frost- 
 giants, stepped forward to hand out the bride from
 
 How Tkor recovered Ids Hammer. 1 3 
 
 the chariot. But Loki glided in between them. 
 ' Let me lead the bride into the banquet/ he said. 
 ' None must speak to her until after supper.' 
 
 And Loki led Thor to the festal board, whisper- 
 ing as he went along, ' Do not betray yourself too 
 soon.' 
 
 Thor was scarcely in the humour to take counsel 
 from anyone ; nevertheless he remained silent, and 
 moodily seated himself at the table. 
 
 The Thursi looked admiringly at the splendid 
 figure, covered with sparkling jewels that shone out 
 hazily through the flowing veil. The king himself 
 gazed with delight, for he believed that he had won 
 a right fair bride, and had humbled the pride of 
 the Asi. 
 
 She can eat well, too, thought he, as the bride 
 devoured a full-grown ox and eight salmon, and 
 drank three firkins of the frothing mead. 
 
 ' What a hungry maiden ! ' quoth he in an under- 
 tone. 
 
 Loki heard it, and, leaning forward, answered, 
 ' Her appetite is great, O Thrym ! for she hath 
 neither eaten nor drunk for eight long days, so 
 much hath she desired to see thee.' 
 
 Then Thrym, king of the Thursi, felt pleased,
 
 14 Wonderf id Stories. 
 
 and, when supper was over, he lifted the veil to give 
 the bride a kiss. 
 
 The tiring maidens had painted Thor's face with 
 white and red to look like a woman's ; but they 
 could not take away the fierce glitter of his eyes, 
 that gleamed more fiercely than ever now. 
 
 Thrym started back. ' Her eyes seem on fire,' 
 he said. 
 
 But again the crafty Loki put in his word. ' Ah! 
 she hath had no sleep for eight long nights, so 
 much did she long to see thee.' 
 
 Then again was the foolish Jotun well pleased, 
 and called for his sister to come and greet the beau- 
 teous princess from Asgard. 
 
 And when she came, and beheld the golden rings 
 and armlets that Thor wore, she said, ' If thou 
 wouldst win my love, give me of thy jewels.' 
 
 But Thor made no reply. 
 
 Then said the king of the Thursi, ' Bring out 
 Thor's hammer ; so shall we fulfil our word. A 
 bride as fair as Freyia is well worth its ransom.' 
 
 The heart of Thor was full of gladness when 
 Miolnir was laid before him. He could scarcely 
 keep down his joy, but it was not yet time to show 
 himself.
 
 How Thor recovered his Hammer. 1 5 
 
 He waited till Thrym drew near to take his 
 hand in token of betrothal ; then up he sprang, and 
 brandishing the hammer high above his head, he 
 shouted, ' I am Thor ! ' 
 
 And down he struck the giant to the earth, with 
 so fell a blow that Thrym lay dead at his feet. 
 
 Next he set to work to slay all the giants who 
 had taken part in the feast, and, this done, he turned 
 and slew the Jotun's sister who had asked him for 
 bridal gifts. 
 
 Then, as there were no more Thursi to kill, he 
 said quietly to Loki, ' Make ready the chariot, that 
 we may return home.' 
 
 And as they drove along, lo ! everything was 
 changed : the mountains shook not, neither did the 
 forest trees tremble, for there flashed no fire forth 
 from the chariot-wheels, which rolled smoothly and 
 noiselessly over the ground. The dark clouds fled 
 away, the hills burst into verdure, the earth was 
 hung with garlands of flowers, and the tall pines 
 raised their crests proudly, as though they would 
 touch the heavens. 
 
 Thor had won back his hammer, and was re- 
 turning in triumph to Asgard, and his power and 
 glory were felt throughout heaven and earth.
 
 1 6 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 II. 
 THE STORY OF BALDER. 
 
 BALDER'S DREAMS. 
 
 ODIN, the king of the Asi, had many sons. Thor 
 was the eldest and bravest, but Balder was the best 
 and the most beautiful. His hair was bright as 
 the sunshine, his eyes shone as the stars of heaven, 
 and no flower of earth was so fair as his smooth 
 white brow. His voice was sweet as the murmur 
 of running waters, and the words he spoke were so 
 full of wisdom that the Asi were never tired of 
 listening to them. 
 
 Truth reigned in his heart, and no evil thought 
 ever found entrance there. All the gods loved 
 Balder, and his praises sounded throughout Asgard. 
 
 He had a fine palace in the broad heavens, 
 called Breidablik, into which nothing evil might 
 enter ; and on its pillars were carved Runic rhymes 
 that had the power of giving back life to the dead. 
 
 Balder had a wife named Nanna, who loved him 
 tenderly, and they dwelt in all happiness together.
 
 The Story of Balder. \ 7 
 
 Quickly the days flew by as Balder and Nanna 
 loitered among the pleasant groves and gardens, 
 listening to the song of the birds, and gathering the 
 fruits and flowers that never failed nor faded, for in 
 the country of the Asi there was always summer. 
 
 But suddenly, in the midst of his happiness, came 
 to Balder dark dreams, which filled him with a 
 secret fear that danger was nigh at hand. 
 
 ' What aileth thee ? ' asked Nanna, who saw that 
 her husband's step was not light, as it was wont 
 to be; that his voice had a mournful tone; and that 
 his eyes were full of sadness. 
 
 ' Dreams that I cannot understand come to me 
 night after night/ said Balder ; ' I cannot forget 
 them.' 
 
 ' Dreams are idle things,' answered Nanna 
 ' Balder should be wiser than to care about them.' 
 
 But when she looked at Balder's anxious face, 
 she too began to feel frightened ; and she told her 
 fears to the Asi, and when they heard of Balder's 
 dreams, they also were afraid. 
 
 Then Balder went to his mother. 
 
 He found her weaving with her maidens in one 
 of the many halls of Odin's palace. 
 
 ' O mother Friga ! is there aught to fear in these 
 dreams of mine ?' asked Balder. 
 C
 
 1 8 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 And Friga listened whilst he told her of the dark 
 visions that came to him night after night ; but she 
 replied not to his question, for she knew that the 
 dreams foretold death. 
 
 'I will talk with thy father/ she said. 'Now 
 hasten back to Nanna and comfort her. Tell her 
 that Odin is all-wise, and will be able to turn aside 
 evil from thee.' 
 
 Yet after Balder had departed, the queen sat 
 down and wept, for her heart was very heavy. 
 
 Must Balder the Beautiful indeed die ? 
 
 Odin found her still weeping when he returned 
 from hunting. She was so full of grief that she 
 did not hear his footstep, and when he lard his 
 hand upon her shoulder she started with fear ; for 
 she was dreaming of death, and thought that the 
 hand of Death lay already heavy upon her. 
 
 Then she told Odin of Balder's dreams and 
 asked, ' O Odin, shall our son indeed die ? Can 
 nothing be done to save him ? ' 
 
 Odin looked sad as he made answer, ' If all 
 things were loving to him as we are, then could no 
 ill befall him.' 
 
 And Friga said, ' Thou canst command all 
 things. Let all things take an oath that they will
 
 The Story of Balder. 19 
 
 not hurt Balder. Let us go through the world 
 ourselves and see that this is done. There is 
 nothing that can withstand the king and queen of 
 heaven.' 
 
 THE OATH. 
 
 The sun rose upon the palace of Odin, the famous 
 Valhalla, whose ceiling was formed of glittering 
 spears, roofed in with golden shields. Over the 
 benches of the great hall were strewn coats of mail 
 of cunning workmanship, while armour and weapons 
 of war were piled on every side. 
 
 The king and queen and all the Asi were 
 gathered together. 
 
 And Odin spoke : ' O Asi, will ye swear to do 
 no harm to Balder?' 
 
 And the voices of the gods sounded like a burst 
 of glorious music as they answered, ' We swear!' 
 
 And Odin spoke again, ' I ask ye, O spears and 
 arrows, poisoned barb and pointed javelin, sword, 
 shield, and weapon of every kind, that ye take an 
 oath to do no harm to Balder.' 
 
 And a fierce clash rang through the splendid 
 hall. For so the weapons answered back their 
 lord and master. 
 
 c 2
 
 20 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 And forth from the mighty palace, through the 
 outer courts, through the broad roadways, through 
 one of the five hundred and forty gates through 
 each of which eight hundred warriors might march 
 abreast, the king and queen went forth into the 
 world alone, and on foot, for they went on an 
 errand of love, and not on a journey of state. 
 
 First, of the dazzling sun did Odin take an oath, 
 that neither in his noon-day heat, nor in his rising 
 beams, nor in his setting rays, would he ever do 
 hurt to Balder. 
 
 And every cruel beast that prowled for prey, 
 and every harmless beast that roamed the earth, 
 the treacherous snake and the hideous worm, swore 
 that from them no harm should come to Odin's 
 son. 
 
 And every bird that twittered on the boughs, 
 the soaring eagle and the keen-eyed hawk, and 
 every creeping thing, and every humming insect, 
 and every fish that swam in shallow rivers swore to 
 the king and queen that they would do no hurt to 
 Balder. 
 
 And every giant tree of the forest, and every 
 bending bush by the river-side, every reed that 
 sighed, and every twining plant that crept over the
 
 Tlte Story of Balder. 21 
 
 earth, swore that no harm should come through 
 them to Balder. 
 
 And every flower lifted up its perfumed blossoms 
 as Friga bent over them, and softly swore the oath, 
 even before she asked them ; and the rich ripe fruit, 
 that glowed all yellow and purple and crimson, 
 echoed the words of the gods. 
 
 Through forest, through meadow, through fallow 
 land, on they went to the shores of the great ocean ; 
 and the waves reared their crested heads and roared 
 back, ' We swear,' in answer to the prayer of the 
 king of heaven. 
 
 Up rose the whale, the glittering dolphin, and 
 the shark, and all the tribe of fishes and sea- 
 monsters, and swore to do no hurt to Balder. 
 
 The mighty rocks trembled as they heard the 
 shout, and they too swore to do him no harm. 
 
 The winds awoke when Odin called upon them, 
 and wailed and shrieked, 'We swear, we swear !' 
 
 And the clouds rolled together, and from their 
 midst the thunder pealed, 'I swear;' and the 
 forked lightning sealed the oath. 
 
 Then Odin and his wife turned their steps to- 
 wards the vast cities dotted over the world, and all 
 the people took the oath. And pale Sickness and
 
 2 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 wasting Famine came forth to meet the king, but, 
 before he suffered them to go back to their lurking- 
 places, he had made them swear that their hands 
 should never touch the form of Balder. 
 
 Swiftly the king and queen then travelled on- 
 wards swiftly, as only the gods can travel. And 
 the sun went down in the heavens, and the evening 
 dews fell, and the moon and stars shone out in the 
 night sky. 
 
 And from the rimy dew, and from the moon and 
 stars, did Odin take an oath, even from the night 
 itself, that its dark shadows should never hurt 
 Balder. 
 
 Odin and his wife were in the snow-regions now, 
 and the great ice-blocks sparkled in the moonlight ; 
 and ice and frost and snow and hail and thaw swore 
 faithfully to do no harm to Balder. 
 
 And still the king and queen of Asgard jour- 
 neyed on. The way was cold, and the moon was 
 hidden behind the clouds ; but huge fires were 
 burning on either side, to light them on their way. 
 And from the fire that leaped and twisted and 
 roared like a living creature, did Odin take an oath 
 that neither fire nor heat should ever injure Balder. 
 
 Then the king and queen sat down to rest, for
 
 The Story of Balder. 23 
 
 their work was done. All things had sworn to do 
 no harm to their son, and Balder henceforth need 
 fear no evil. 
 
 Everything had sworn but one small twig, that 
 seemed to Odin and his wife too young and tender 
 to take an oath from. It was too weak to hurt 
 anyone. 
 
 So the king and queen rose up with fresh 
 strength, and went back to their own land. And 
 Balder's dreams were thought of no more, and all 
 went well with him. 
 
 Now, since the oath had been taken, the Asi 
 often amused themselves with shooting arrows at 
 Balder, or throwing spears, or hurling stones, as 
 he stood for a target ; and none could wound him, 
 since wood and iron, stone and poisoned barb had 
 sworn the oath to do no harm to Balder. 
 
 LOKTS TRICK. 
 
 But Loki, the lord of fire, was very angry when 
 he found that no harm happened to the good 
 Balder. 
 
 ' How is it/ he asked, ' that nothing can hurt 
 Balder?'
 
 24 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 And answer was made to him : 
 
 ' All things have sworn an oath that they will do 
 no hurt to Balder.' 
 
 Then was Loki still more wroth. Why should 
 all things swear such an oath ? Why should Balder 
 be safe from all harm ? It was only an idle story 
 that the Asi were telling him ; he would not believe 
 that it was true. 
 
 And he determined to find out for himself all 
 about it from Friga. Therefore he made himself 
 look like an old woman, because he knew that if 
 he went in his own form the queen would not speak 
 to him. 
 
 And first he praised up Balder, and said ho\v 
 good and beautiful he was, and what a great thing 
 it was that everything in the world had promised 
 not to hurt him. He must be greatly loved by all. 
 
 ' Yes,' said Friga, ' the work was easily done. 
 Everything loved Balder and was willing to take 
 the oath.' 
 
 ' Everything ? ' said Loki, in wonder. 
 
 ' Everything,' answered the queen, 'that is, every- 
 thing except one poor little twig that grew upon 
 an oak planted eastward of Valhalla a slender
 
 The Story of Balder. 2 5 
 
 sprout called mistletoe ; it was so weak that it was 
 not worth while to take an oath from it.' 
 
 ' Yes ; it was quite useless,' said Loki. And he 
 went away, but not home. He bent his steps to 
 the oak that Friga had spoken of, and there he 
 found the little twig grown into a strong bush, with 
 pliant green boughs and pearly berries. 
 
 Carefully he cut the plant away, and carried 
 it off to Niflheim, the home of the Mist, where, 
 in a secret room of his palace, he fashioned the 
 straightest and strongest branch into a sharp arrow. 
 
 He dared not use any feathers, for the feathers 
 would not have carried it against Balder, so he 
 split the fibres as fine as it was possible- to split 
 them, and made them so like feathers that one 
 could scarcely have told them from real ones. 
 And when it was done he made a present of it to 
 Hoder, one of Balder's brothers. 
 
 Now Hoder was blind, and therefore could not 
 see who had given him the arrow, or perhaps he 
 might have suspected mischief.
 
 26 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 THE SHOOTING MATCH. 
 
 Outside the gates of Valhalla there is a wood 
 called Glasir. In this wood the leaves of the trees 
 are all of red gold. 
 
 Here the heroes who have fallen in battle on 
 earth, and have been taken to Asgard, amuse them- 
 selves with fighting and slaying each other afresh, 
 but they always come back to life at breakfast-time. 
 When they care no more for this sport, they hunt 
 the wild boar Schrimner, upon whose flesh they 
 feast at eventide ; but in the morning they find him 
 alive again, and ready for another day's hunting. 
 
 Here, in an open space, were the gods assembled 
 for a shooting match, and Balder stood ready to 
 serve as a mark for them. 
 
 Beautiful he looked, with folded arms, still as a 
 statue. His fair hair flowed over his shoulders, and 
 his blue eyes were placid as a blue lake when the 
 wind has gone down. 
 
 Nanna, his wife, was there, and Friga and all her 
 court, to see the shooting. 
 
 Each tried his skill. 
 
 Some hit Balder, and others missed the mark ; 
 but of those arrows that struck, none harmed him.
 
 The Story of Balder. 27 
 
 Last came the blind Hoder. Strong he was, 
 and his skill in shooting was wonderful. 
 
 ' Welcome, good brother,' cried Balder ; and 
 Hoder aimed his arrow in the direction of the 
 voice. 
 
 Once, twice he shot. 
 
 * Well done ! thou hast hit the mark/ said Balder, 
 laughing ; ' blind men have better eyes than those 
 who can see.' 
 
 Then Hoder fitted his third arrow to the bow. 
 It was one that Loki had given him. 
 
 'Take steady aim, good Hoder,' said Balder, and 
 again, guided by the voice, Hoder drew his bow. 
 
 The arrow whizzed through the air. It struck 
 Balder, and, with a sudden cry, he fell. 
 
 'I die! I die!' 
 
 Quickly was Balder raised up, but it was of no 
 avail. The light had gone out of his blue eyes, 
 and his arms hung powerless. Balder was dead ! 
 
 ' Balder is dead ! is dead ! ' echoed through the 
 wood. 
 
 ' Dead ! Nay, who hath broken the oath ? ' cried 
 Odin, as he rushed forward. 
 
 And Friga followed him, and leaning over her 
 son, strove to call him back to life.
 
 28 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Nanna held Balder's head on her lap. ' Hush ! ' 
 she said, ' he only sleeps, he is not dead ; all things 
 have sworn that they will do no harm to Balder.' 
 And she tenderly drew the arrow from the wound. 
 
 Friga took it, and, looking carefully, she saw that 
 it was made of the wood of the slender twig that 
 grew on the oak eastward of Valhalla. 
 
 Then she knew at once that there had been 
 treachery. She remembered the old woman. ' It 
 is Loki,' she said, ' who has done this.' 
 
 FRIGA'S COUNSEL. 
 
 Odin's grief was very terrible. Balder was so 
 good, so greatly beloved. What would the Asi 
 do without Balder ? 
 
 And the mourning throughout the land of 
 Asgard was very bitter. It was as if the sun had 
 set for ever since Balder was gone. 
 
 At length Friga roused herself. ' Why should 
 we give up hope ? Perhaps we may be able to 
 win back Balder. Hela is not always cruel; it may 
 be that she will give up him who has fallen by 
 crafty wiles into her hands.' 
 
 But Odin shook his head. ' Balder is too fair a 
 prize for Death to give up.'
 
 The Story of Balder. 29 
 
 ' At least we may try/ answered Friga. ' Who,' 
 she asked, 'amongst the Asi is bold enough to 
 ride to Hell and ask Hela to give us back our 
 beloved Balder ? ' 
 
 Then stepped forward Hermod, another of Odin's 
 sons. ' O mother Friga, I will ride to Hell, and see 
 whether I may not win back our brother Balder.' 
 
 ' Up, then ! There is no time to lose ; the journey 
 is long and the path is rugged. Hasten away, and 
 we will perform the funeral rites, so that there may 
 be no hindrance on that score.' 
 
 Then was Odin's horse Sleipner saddled, and the 
 brave Hermod mounted him and rode away. 
 
 Now the horse Sleipner had eight legs, and his 
 speed was as the speed of the wind. 
 
 BALDER'S FUNERAL. 
 
 Then the Asi made all things ready, that 
 the body of Balder should receive due honours ; 
 and they gave command that it should be carried 
 on board his own ship Ringhorne, and that then 
 the funeral pile should be raised. 
 
 The good ship Ringhorne lay upon the beach, 
 fast driven on the sand ; and when the Asi strove 
 to move her, not an inch could she be stirred.
 
 30 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' It needs a giant to do this,' said the Asi. 
 And they sent to Jotunheim. 
 
 Soon came the giantess Hyrrocken, riding upon 
 an enormous wolf; her reins were vipers, and she 
 brought four berserks to hold the wolf when she 
 alighted. 
 
 She went straight to the shore, and going to the 
 prow of the vessel, gave it one push. 
 
 Straightway from the rollers on which it was 
 raised, fire shot forth, the earth shook, and the ship 
 glided into the water. 
 
 Thor was wroth at this, for it seemed too much 
 like his own power over the lightning, and he 
 would have killed the giantess had not the other 
 gods besought him for her. 
 
 The funeral train was a very long one : Odin, 
 with his ravens Huginn and Muninn; Friga and 
 the Valkyries, the goddesses of slaughter, who 
 waited on Odin, each with her glittering spear and 
 proud unmoved countenance ; Frey, in a chariot 
 drawn by Gullinborst, the golden-haired boar 
 that drew the sun-god's chariot round the world ; 
 Heimdaller, on the horse Guldtopp; and all the 
 Asi in their brightest array. The one-eyed 
 Hrimthursi were there, and the mountain-giants
 
 The Story of Balder. 31 
 
 had come from their barren homes, for Balder was 
 loved by every one far and near. 
 
 Upon the funeral pile was placed the favourite 
 horse of Balder and his riding gear. 
 
 At the last the body of the beautiful god was 
 laid there also, and Odin took a torch and lighted 
 the pile. The flames sprang quickly up, and into 
 the flames he cast Balder's ring, Dropner. 
 
 Higher, higher flashed the fire. Soon would the 
 body of Balder be quite burnt up. 
 
 Wild was the mourning of the Asi; and they 
 bowed their heads and cried, 'Woe! woe! for 
 Balder the Beautiful is snatched from life. Cruel 
 Death holds him in her cold arms. Woe ! woe ! 
 for there is none among the Asi like unto Balder 
 the Fair ! ' 
 
 As for poor Nanna, the wife of Balder, she had 
 died of grief. 
 
 HERMOD'S RIDE. 
 
 Now when the brave Hermod mounted Sleipner, 
 he let the reins hang loose, so that the swift steed 
 might feel no curb. And on and on, faster than 
 the flight of the swiftest eagle, he galloped along.
 
 32 WonderfitlStories. 
 
 Nothing stayed him. Over hill, through valley, 
 lake, and river, the horse Sleipner dashed without 
 once stopping. 
 
 Then the skies grew darker, but it was not the 
 darkness of night. He was drawing nigh to the 
 regions of Hela, the regions trodden only by the 
 dead. Nine days and nine nights he rode through 
 deep dark valleys, so dark that he could not see 
 where he was going. 
 
 ' On, Sleipner, on ! ' 
 
 And Sleipner paused not, but thundered through 
 the deep valleys, whose silence was broken only by 
 the sound of the horse's hoofs. 
 
 ' On, Sleipner, on ! ' 
 
 Darker grew the valley, blacker than midnight ; 
 on galloped the horse and the rider a flash of 
 lightning across the valley of thunder. 
 
 'Whither, O Sleipner, whither dost thou bear 
 me?' 
 
 There is a dark river whose waters are blacker 
 than pitch and almost as thick. Across it is 
 thrown a bridge overlaid with gold. It is the bridge 
 Gyall, and none but the dead pass over it. 
 
 Out came Modgunn, the maiden who keeps 
 the bridge.
 
 The Story of Balder. 33 
 
 ' What is thy name ? ' she asked. 
 
 ' Hermod, the son of Odin.' 
 
 ' Five companies of dead men have crossed the 
 bridge/ she said, ' but it rang under no step but 
 thine. Thou hast the look of the living, not of the 
 dead ; wherefore dost thou follow in their path ? ' 
 
 ' I ride to Hell to seek for Balder. Tell me, 
 hast thou seen him ? ' 
 
 ' Yea, he hath passed the bridge. Over the 
 bridge Gyall he came. If thou wouldst follow him, 
 take the road northward ; that leads to Hell.' 
 
 On galloped Hermod. 
 
 And long did Modgunn hear the clattering of 
 Sleipner's hoofs in the distance. Darker and 
 harder became the path ; but Sleipner thundered 
 on. Nine days and nine nights had he galloped 
 without resting, yet neither rider nor horse was 
 weary. 
 
 At length they reached the fence that surrounds 
 the palace of Hela. But there was no entrance for 
 the living. 
 
 And Hermod saw that the fence was high, and 
 that every gate was locked and barred, and the air 
 was so heavy that he could not raise his voice loud 
 enough to make anyone hear. 
 D
 
 34 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' On, Sleipner, on ! ' 
 
 And Sleipner pricked up his ears and with one 
 bound cleared the fence, and Hermod was at the 
 door of Hela's palace. 
 
 HELA'S DECREE. 
 
 Hermod found the palace door open, and he 
 walked in and wandered through many rooms and 
 passages until he came to the great hall, where he 
 found Balder in a place of honour. 
 
 There too he found Hela, and he told Hela how 
 the gods grieved for the death of Balder, and 
 besought. her to let Balder go back to Asgard. 
 ' The king offers anything he has for a ransom.' 
 ' Nought that the king has would be of any 
 worth to me,' said Hela ; ' what are the treasures 
 of the living to the dead ? I covet nothing that 
 Odin owns.' 
 
 But Hermod was not daunted, and he still 
 besought Hela to find a way for Balder to return 
 to life. 
 
 Then Hela thought for awhile, and after deep 
 pondering, she said : ' I have heard that Balder 
 is greatly beloved. If he is so beloved that 
 everything in the world weeps for him, then may
 
 The Story of Balder. 35 
 
 he go back to Asgard ; but if one single thing 
 refuses to weep for him, then must he remain with 
 me for ever." 
 
 Then Balder came near and said : ' I give thee 
 my thanks, O Hermod, that for my sake thou hast 
 ridden on this perilous journey. If I should not 
 come back, tell Odin to keep the ring Dropner in 
 memory of me, and tell Hoder not to grieve, since 
 my death was no fault of his.' 
 
 Then he gave the ring Dropner to Hermod, and 
 the ring had a strange power, for every ninth night 
 it brought forth eight rings like itself, because it 
 had passed through the fire on Balder's funeral 
 pile. 
 
 Nanna too came near and sent gifts to Friga, 
 and a gold ring to Fulla, the queen's handmaiden. 
 
 And Hermod remounted Sleipner, and rode 
 away from Hell. 
 
 WHO WILL WEEP FOR BALDER? 
 
 The Asi listened day after day for the sound of 
 Sleipner's hoofs. 
 
 Day after day Friga went up to the topmost 
 tower of the palace, but Hermod was not in sight. 
 
 D 2
 
 36 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' Heimdall, Heimdall ! canst thou not yet hear 
 him ? ' she asked. For Heimdall's ears were sharper 
 than those of the other Asi, so sharp that he 
 could hear the wool growing on the backs of the 
 sheep, and the tender blades of grass springing 
 up in the meadows. But Heimdall could hear 
 only what was going on in the upper world, his 
 hearing could not pierce the regions of Hela. 
 
 At last Heimdall spoke : ' Hermod has reached 
 the upper world ; I hear the hoofs of Sleipner 
 strike the ground.' 
 
 Then Friga took her station upon the watch- 
 tower, so that she might catch the first glimpse of 
 the rider. Perchance he might bring her beloved 
 Balder back with him. 
 
 ' Is he very far off, Heimdall ? ' 
 
 ' Three thousand leagues away ; yet never fear, 
 Sleipner runs like the wind, and he will soon be 
 here.' 
 
 Friga waited a little, then again she looked forth. 
 
 'I see a speck, a tiny speck. Can it be 
 Hermod?' 
 
 Then Heimdall looked forth and listened eagerly. 
 ' It is Hermod ! ' 
 
 ' Is he alone ? '
 
 The Story of Balder. 37 
 
 ' He is alone. But one rider touches the panting 
 sides of Sleipner.' 
 
 Then the queen wrung her hands, and went 
 down into the great hall to await with the king and 
 the Asi the coming of Hermod. 
 
 Through the wide gates, and up the stately ave- 
 nue, the rider came. He scarcely waited for his 
 steed to stop before he sprang from the saddle. 
 He dashed up the broad steps into the palace, and 
 there was a great cry : ' What news, O Hermod ? ' 
 
 Then Hermod told how Hela had decreed that 
 if all things in heaven and earth should weep for 
 Balder, then might he come back to Asgard. 
 
 Then Friga took courage again, for she knew how 
 much Balder was beloved. 
 
 And the bidding went forth, ' Let everything 
 weep for Balder.' 
 
 And all around were sighs and lamentations. 
 There was not a dry eye among the Asi; the 
 tears rolled down to the beard of Odin, and even 
 Thor wept. Hoder had never ceased to weep, 
 and all things wept, showing the sorrow of the 
 gods. 
 
 The clouds burst into gentle showers, the earth 
 was bathed in dew, the air was dimmed by the veil
 
 3 8 Wonder fu I Stories. 
 
 that the dewdrops threw over it, and the moon and 
 the stars grew pale from sorrow. 
 
 And beasts, and birds, and trees, and flowers, all 
 mourned, there was nothing in heaven and earth 
 that wept not. 
 
 ' Surely he may come back,' said Friga, ' for all 
 have wept for Balder.' 
 
 'All?' 
 
 Then came a messenger who had been sent forth 
 to see if there was anyone who did not weep. His 
 face was pale and grave, and he looked as one who 
 bore heavy tidings. 
 
 The queen approached him anxiously. 
 
 And thus spake the messenger, ' There is a 
 giantess named Thock. She doth not weep for 
 Balder's death. She sits and mutters, " Neither in 
 life nor yet in death, did Balder give me gladness. 
 Let Hela keep her prey." ' 
 
 Then Friga threw herself on the ground, and 
 wept, for she knew that Balder would never come 
 back to Asgard. 
 
 And Odin also knew that hope was at an end. 
 Moreover, he believed that the giantess Thock was 
 none other than the evil envious Loki.
 
 7 he Story of Balder. 39 
 
 THE RETURN OF BALDER. 
 
 But not for ever will Friga weep for Balder, not 
 for ever will Odin mourn his son, not for ever will 
 Hela keep her prey, for the day is at hand, nay is 
 even now come, when the gates of her dreary 
 kingdom shall be unlocked, and she shall no longer 
 hide in darkness those who are born to light. 
 
 A gentle breeze is blowing over a country more 
 beautiful even than Asgard, a new sun is shining. 
 The corn is springing from unsown fields, the flowers 
 are bursting into blossom on every side ; laughter 
 and joy and sweetest strains of music resound 
 over the plains of Ida, and there rises a glorious 
 palace, the palace of Gimli, more splendid even than 
 Valhalla. There the Asi have assembled in peace 
 once more, for the dark days of Ragnarok have 
 passed away, and Surtur has purified the world 
 with fire. 
 
 A train moves slowly over the plain, and at its 
 head are seen two who move like kings Balder 
 the Beautiful and his brother Hoder whom Vali the 
 avenger slew. Him Balder had welcomed to the 
 dreary home of Hela and soothed his grief and 
 bid him not despair, for he had learned the won-
 
 4o Wonder/id Stories. 
 
 drous runes that told how Hela should in time 
 set all her prisoners free. 
 
 And so the brothers waited and hoped for the 
 day of freedom, and the scales fell from Hoder's 
 eyes, and he was no more blind. He looked upon 
 Balder, and the two loved one another better even 
 than in the olden days, for sorrow and captivity 
 bound them closer together. 
 
 Over the plains of Ida moves the train. Nanna 
 is there, and many a long-imprisoned one ; and as 
 it advances the Asi standing around the throne of 
 Odin send forth a shout that rends the air: 'All 
 hail ! all hail ! Hail Balder the Beautiful ! ' 
 
 And Friga clasps her long-lost Balder in her 
 arms, and all her grief is swept away in that 
 ecstasy of joy. 
 
 Joy for ever and ever ; for nevermore can harm 
 happen to Balder. He will dwell with those he 
 loves for ever in the halls of Gimli. And Friga has 
 ceased to weep, for she has regained her long-lost 
 son.
 
 The Story of Volund. 4 1 
 
 III. 
 
 THE STORY OF VOLUND. 
 
 THERE \v&s once a king of Finnland who had 
 three sons, all eager lovers of hunting. The two 
 elder were named Slagfin and Egil, the youngest 
 was called Volund. 
 
 But Volund not only loved hunting like his 
 brothers ; he had a power which his brothers did 
 not possess. He was a wonderful craftsman at the 
 forge, and could make arrow-heads, spears, and 
 weapons of all kinds. Moreover, he could model 
 shields with rare chasing, and sometimes would 
 fashion chains and armlets of fine gold that the 
 daintiest queen might be proud to wear. 
 
 So well he loved his work that he spent more 
 than half his time at the forge, and never gave it 
 up but for a day's hunting with his brothers. And 
 more than once he even gave up the chase, for 
 though he loved hunting well, he loved his anvil 
 better. And his workshop was quite a sight to see
 
 42 Wonderful Sturies. 
 
 with all the wonderful things that he had made 
 hanging round. 
 
 At last Slagfin said to Egil, ' Volund spends too 
 much of his time at the forge, it is not work be- 
 fitting a king's son. He will lose all interest in the 
 chase, unless something is done to rouse him.' 
 
 And Egil replied : ' Thou hast spoken well, my 
 brother, and a thought has come into my mind 
 I am growing tired of the hunting grounds near 
 home ; the sport is not so good as it used to be. 
 But far away in Ulfdal, on the shores of Ulf lake, 
 is a mighty forest. There we may chase the wolf 
 and the wild boar, and in the lake we may catch 
 more fish than we shall know what to do with. 
 Let us go thither and take Volund with us. Then 
 will he forget his forge and his bellows, and live as 
 a king's son ought to live.' 
 
 The idea pleased Slagfin greatly, and away he 
 went to Volund to propose the plan. 
 
 He found Volund at work upon slender spears 
 of a new pattern. ' Ha ! ' he said, as he took one 
 of them up to look at, ' we could make good use of 
 this at Ulfdal. What do you say to going there 
 with Egil and myself? We might build a hut on 
 the borders of the lake, and live upon the game we
 
 T/ie Story of Volund. 43 
 
 kill. You have been toiling at your forge too long, 
 the change will do you good.' 
 
 ' I must finish this spear first,' returned Volund, 
 ' it is the best of the lot, and though it is so light, it 
 is so strong that nothing can blunt its point or 
 break it in twain.' 
 
 ' Work away, then,' said Slagfin, ' but be ready 
 to start with Egil and myself by to-morrow's dawn. 
 You must bring your choicest weapons with you, 
 for we expect rare sport.' 
 
 ' Take any you please,' answered Volund, ' for I 
 have no time to choose for you. The spear I am 
 working upon will suffice for me, I shall want no 
 other weapon.' 
 
 Then Slagfin chose out arrows, and sharp spears, 
 and hooks, and strong chains, long nails and a 
 heavy hammer. 
 
 ' We must build for ourselves,' he said, ' for no 
 man dwells on the borders of Ulf lake.' 
 
 ' So much the better,' responded Volund ; ' I like 
 the sound of my hammer, and the song of the birds, 
 better than the voices of men.' 
 
 And Slagfin went away well pleased that Volund 
 was willing to go to Ulfdal. And early in the 
 morning, just as the sun was rising over the low
 
 44 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 hills, the three brothers were seen loaded with their 
 hunting gear, starting off for the wild forest that 
 bordered the lake. 
 
 Volund was strong" and mighty of limb ; he had 
 muscles almost as strong as those of Thor, his 
 eyes were dark, and his black hair curled crisply 
 round his brow. He was not so handsome as his 
 fair-headed brothers, but he was taller and more 
 like a king, and everyone said as he passed along, 
 ' There is no one in Finnland to equal Volund.' 
 
 Further and further they left the city behind, 
 wilder grew the country and the sun shone high 
 above them. 
 
 ' Shall we not rest ? ' asked Egil ; ' we have 
 journeyed many a mile and my limbs are weary ; 
 besides, it will be pleasanter travelling when the 
 sun goes down.' 
 
 Then Volund smiled : ' If you were accustomed 
 as I am to the heat of the forge, you would not 
 mind the sun's rays. Nevertheless, let it be as you 
 please/ he added throwing himself down at the 
 foot of a tall pine tree; 'there is no hurry for 
 getting to Ulfdal, the game will not chide our 
 loitering, since it will give them longer life in the 
 forest.'
 
 The Story of Vb'lund. 45 
 
 So the three brothers rested and after awhile set 
 out again on their march. There remained yet 
 three days' journey to Ulfdal. But at length they 
 reached it, and were repaid for their toil when they 
 saw the tall pines shoot up their branches high 
 into the air, and heard the low growl of the wolf 
 not far off, and beheld the blue lake stretching out 
 like a quiet sea with the wild swan sailing on its 
 glassy waters and the water-fowl rustling among 
 the reeds and rushes. 
 
 ' This is a pleasant place,' quoth Slagfin. 
 
 Then the brothers heaped together a pile of 
 boughs and brushwood and made themselves a fire. 
 And Egil fitted an arrow to his bow and shot the 
 sea-fowl as they lazily fluttered by, whilst Slagfin 
 cast a net into the lake and hauled up a plentiful 
 supply of fish. 
 
 Meanwhile the strong Volund had cut down 
 several pines and built up a hut so quickly that 
 Slagfin and Egil thought it had been done by magic. 
 
 It was but a rude hovel for the sons of a king, 
 but what did the princes care ? The summer sun 
 shone brightly and the nights were warm, and 
 besides they loved hunting well enough to care 
 little for all discomforts.
 
 46 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 They spent their time in the forest, and many a 
 wolf-skin would they have to carry back to Finn- 
 land. Many a wild boar fell under the spear of 
 Volund, and there was great slaughter among the 
 water-fowl and the wild-deer. 
 
 Day after day went by, and Volund rejoiced so 
 much in the great free forest that Slagfin and Egil 
 hoped that he had forgotten his forge. 
 
 One morning when they went forth from the hut 
 they marvelled at hearing voices in the distance ; 
 and not the voices of men, but low sweet tones and 
 gentle laughter, such as they were accustomed to 
 hear from the queen's ladies at court. 
 
 And lo, close by the water's edge there sat three 
 fair maidens spinning flax. And as they span they 
 sang a song that even to Volund sounded sweeter 
 than the notes of the forest birds. 
 
 The brothers drew nearer, and never had they 
 seen faces so fair as those of the three maidens, 
 who were so busily engaged in their task that they 
 did not see Volund and his brothers until they 
 were close to them. 
 
 When however they did see them, they seemed 
 in no whit abashed, but began to talk to them, and 
 to tell them how they too had heard of the quiet
 
 The Story of Volund. 47 
 
 Ulf lake and had determined to leave their own 
 country and abide on the outskirts of the wild 
 forest. 
 
 ' So we put on our swan-coats and flew away/ 
 said the maidens, ' and the king, our father, knows 
 not what has become of us.' 
 
 When Slagfin heard that the damsels were king's 
 daughters he was very glad, for he had already 
 fallen in love with one of them. 
 
 So also had Egil, and so even had Volund, and 
 by good luck each had chosen a different princess. 
 There was no need of quarrelling in the matter, 
 and it was soon arranged that the three princes 
 should marry the three princesses and that they 
 should all remain in Ulfdal together. 
 
 For a long time everything went on well, and 
 they were all very happy, and Volund and his 
 brothers would have been content to live for ever 
 in the forest with their beautiful wives. They 
 went out hunting together, and Volund had built 
 up a forge and he made all sorts of ornaments for 
 his wife and her sisters. 
 
 But it happened that the sisters grew tired of 
 the life they were leading. Though Volund and 
 his brothers did not know it, their wives were
 
 48 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Valkyries, who loved war better than anything 
 else, and so they became weary of the pleasures of 
 hunting and longed to go to battle again. And 
 one day when their husbands were absent they put 
 on their swan-coats and flew away. 
 
 When the brothers came back and found that 
 their wives had left them they were in great trouble, 
 and Slagfin and Egil determined to stay no longer 
 in Ulfdal, but to seek through the world for their 
 lost princesses. But Volund resolved to stay where 
 he was, hoping that perchance his wife might come 
 back to him ; and he continued to make armlets 
 and necklaces and delicate chains to please her 
 when she should return. But alas ! she never came 
 back. 
 
 And after a time it came to pass that Nidad, 
 King of Sweden, heard tell of Volund and how he 
 could make all sorts of armour and weapons and 
 trinkets. And Nidad sent a band of armed men 
 to Ulfdal, who took Volund and brought him to 
 Sweden. 
 
 There he was obliged to work at the forge for 
 the King's pleasure, and to make swords of sharp- 
 ness and shoes of swiftness, and other marvels for
 
 The Story of Vb'lund. 49 
 
 the king and his people. And Volund was very 
 angry and several times sought to escape. 
 
 Then the queen counselled Nidad to cut the 
 sinews of Volund's legs, so that he should be 
 unable to walk and might remain with them 
 always. 
 
 And when this was done Volund was put on the 
 island of Sjoa-stad, where he was obliged to work 
 day and night with scarcely any rest. 
 
 Volund was very wroth at being thus cruelly 
 treated, and determined upon revenging himself; 
 but it was a long time before he was able to do so. 
 He was lame and could not move about, and he 
 grew very weary and began to languish. At last 
 two of the king's sons came to him, and with 
 bitter taunts bade him make two swords, sharper 
 than any he had yet made ; and Volund's wrath 
 was roused yet more, and he rose up and slew 
 the two young men, and of their skulls he made 
 drinking cups which he sent to the king, and of 
 their teeth a breast jewel for the queen. And 
 the king and queen admired them greatly, little 
 knowing how they had been made. 
 
 Soon the king's sons were missed, and search 
 was made for them, but they were not to be found. 
 E
 
 50 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Long mourned the king and the queen; but 
 Volund kept his secret, and worked on at the 
 forge. 
 
 One fine morning when he was toiling at a 
 shield which the king had bidden him make, the 
 king's only daughter came to ask him to make a 
 ring and a chain of gold for her. 
 
 She was very fair, fairer even than his Valkyrie 
 wife, and she spoke in a gentle tone to Volund, 
 for she felt the more sorry that he had to work so 
 hard, because she knew he was the son of a king. 
 
 And Volund gazed eagerly upon her, and her 
 soft voice was like music to his heart. He pro- 
 mised to make a ring and a chain of gold more 
 beautiful than any she had ever seen, and the 
 princess went away well pleased, promising to come 
 for them in two days. 
 
 The two days seemed very long to the princess, 
 for she was eager to see what her ring would be 
 like, and she wanted to see Volund again, for she 
 pitied him greatly. 
 
 To Volund the time went more quickly, for he 
 had work to do, and the chain and the ring were 
 only just made when the princess came for them. 
 
 She was delighted when she saw them, for never
 
 The Story of Vb'lund. 5 r 
 
 had anything been so delicately wrought in 
 Sweden. 
 
 And Volund threw the chain around her neck, 
 and gently put the ring on her finger, and then he 
 sighed. 
 
 ' Why do you sigh ? ' asked the princess. 
 
 ' For my sorrows,' replied Volund. 
 
 ' Ah, you wish to go back to your own land,' 
 said the princess ; ' I do not wonder at it, for it is 
 sad to be a captive.' 
 
 ' Until two days since I wished to return/ 
 answered Volund, ' but not now unless, indeed,' 
 he added, 'you would go with me and be Queen of 
 Finnland.' 
 
 The princess made no answer, but Volund knew 
 that she was not angry, for there was a smile upon 
 her lips. 
 
 And after she was gone, Volund began to work 
 away at something that he had not thought of 
 before, and that was not in the way of his trade. 
 He made two coats of feathers, so light that they 
 would rise into the air of themselves ; and the 
 next time that the princess came he asked again 
 if she would fly away with him and be Queen of 
 Finnland. 
 
 E 2
 
 52 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Still the princess made no answer, but she took 
 a ring from her hand and gave it to Volund and 
 then went away, and Volund knew that before 
 long he should fly home to his own country. 
 
 Again came the princess and again Volund 
 asked her if she would fly away with him and be 
 Queen of Finnland. 
 
 And the princess took up one of the feather 
 coats, and without saying a word drew it over her 
 dress. Then Volund put on the other coat and 
 they rose up high into the air. 
 
 King Nidad and his queen were sitting on the 
 terrace in front of the palace when Volund and the 
 beautiful princess floated by. 
 
 The king shouted loudly, ' Ah, traitor ! thou art 
 carrying away my daughter. Out, archers, out 
 and shoot him.' 
 
 And Volund answered : ' I have revenged myself 
 for thy cruelty to me. Thy sons have I slain, and 
 from their skulls hast thou drunk the sparkling 
 wine, and the queen wears their teeth in her shining 
 breast jewel. And now do I take thy daughter 
 from thee, since she loves me better than she loves 
 thee.' 
 
 Then higher, higher, rose Volund and the
 
 The Story of Vohind. 53 
 
 princess into the air, and soon they were out of 
 sight. 
 
 There were great rejoicings in Finnland when 
 Volund alighted at the palace, for the old king was 
 dead, and Slagfin and Egil had not yet come home 
 from searching after their wives, and the people 
 had no one to reign over them. 
 
 So Volund reigned over Finnland, and ruled his 
 people wisely and well. Nevertheless he loved his 
 forge better than ruling, and all his spare time he 
 worked away at his smithy, and may be working 
 there yet if one could only tell where to find him.
 
 54 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 IV. 
 
 THORS ADVENTURES AMONG THE 
 JOTUNS. 
 
 ONCE upon a time Thor set out upon his travels, 
 taking Loki with him, for despite Loki's spirit of 
 mischief he often aided Thor, who doubtless, in the 
 present expedition, felt that Loki might be of use 
 to him. 
 
 So they set off together in Thor's chariot drawn 
 by the two strong he-goats, and as night drew 
 nigh, stopped at the hut of a peasant, where they 
 asked food and shelter. 
 
 * Food I have none to give you,' said the peasant, 
 ' I am a poor man and not able even to give supper 
 to my children, but if you like to rest under my 
 roof you are welcome to do so.' 
 
 ' Never mind the food, I can manage that,' said 
 Thor, dismounting from the chariot and entering 
 the hut 
 
 It was a poor place, and not at all fitted to receive 
 one of the Asi, but Thor was glad enough to meet 
 with it, wretched as it was.
 
 TJwr among the J'otuns. 55 
 
 ' You can kill the goats,' said he, ' they will make 
 us an excellent rneal.' 
 
 The peasant could not help thinking that it was 
 a pity to kill two such fine animals ; but wisely 
 thinking that this was no affair of his, and that the 
 stranger had a right to do as he pleased with his 
 own, he set himself to obey Thor's orders, and 
 with the help of his daughter Raska soon spread 
 a savoury repast before the hungry god and his 
 attendant. 
 
 * Sit down all of you,' said Thor, ' there is enough 
 and to spare.' 
 
 So they all sat down, and the peasant and his 
 children shared a more plentiful meal than had 
 fallen to their lot lately. Thor and Loki also 
 did ample justice to the food, and when supper 
 was over the thunder-god bade the peasant gather 
 the bones and place them in the goatskins, and 
 making them into a bundle he left them on the 
 floor until the next morning. 
 
 When the morning came and the early sun 
 shone in through the crevices, Thor raised his 
 hammer and instead of the bundle of bones the 
 peasant and his son and daughter saw the two 
 goats standing as fresh and lively as if nothing had
 
 56 Wonder fid Stories. 
 
 happened to them, saving that one of them halted 
 a little in his walk. 
 
 When they sought to learn why this should be, 
 it was found that Thialfe, the boy, in getting the 
 marrow out of one of the bones, had broken it, and 
 it was this that caused the goat to go lame. 
 
 Thor was very angry, and was very near killing 
 not only Thialfe but also the peasant and his 
 daughter Raska, but they begged so hard for their 
 lives that he consented to spare them on condition 
 that the boy and girl should follow him hi his 
 travels. 
 
 To this they agreed, and Thor, leaving the chariot 
 and goats in the peasant's care, went on his journey, 
 giving Thialfe, who was a very swift runner, his 
 wallet to carry. 
 
 On and on they journeyed until they came to a 
 great sea. 
 
 ' How are we to get over this ? ' asked Loki. 
 
 ' Swim across it,' replied Thor. 
 
 And in they all plunged, for Thialfe and Raska 
 were used to a hardy life, and so were able to swim 
 with scarcely more weariness than Thor and Loki, 
 and were not long in reaching the opposite shore. 
 
 'The country does not improve,' said Loki
 
 TJwr among the Jb'tuns. 5 7 
 
 looking round upon the desolate plain that lay 
 outstretched between them and the borders of a 
 dark forest, which they could just see in the far 
 distance. One or two huge rocks thrust their 
 jagged points high into the air, and great blocks of 
 stone were scattered about, but there was no sign 
 of herbage and not a tree to be seen nearer than 
 the forest belt bounding the horizon. Heavy grey 
 clouds were drawing nearer and nearer to the 
 dreary earth, and twilight was fast approaching. ' It 
 looks not well, in good sooth,' answered Thor, 'but 
 we must push on and perhaps may find it better 
 as we go onward. Besides, night is drawing nigh, 
 and as there are no dwellings to be seen we must 
 try to gain the shelter of the forest before it is too 
 dark to see where we are going.' 
 
 So they pushed on, and though they looked to 
 the right hand and to the left soon found that they 
 were in a land where no men lived. There was 
 therefore nothing to be done but to quicken their 
 speed, in order to reach the shelter of the forest. 
 But though they strove to the utmost, the twilight 
 deepened into darkness and the darkness became 
 so deep by the time they reached the forest, that 
 they only knew they had arrived there by Loki's
 
 fcg Wonderful Stories. 
 
 striking his head against a low branch, and soon 
 after this Thor cried out : 
 
 ' Good luck ! I have found a house. Follow close 
 after me and we will make ourselves comfortable 
 for the night.' 
 
 For Thor in groping along had come to what he 
 supposed to be a wall of solid masonry. 
 
 ' Where are you ? ' asked Loki, ' for it is so dark 
 that I cannot see you.' 
 
 ' Here/ answered Thor stretching out his hand ; 
 ' take hold and follow me.' 
 
 So Loki clutched Thor's arm and Thialfe in 
 turn seized the arm of Loki, whilst Raska clung to 
 her brother and wished herself safe at home in her 
 father's hut 
 
 And thus they groped their way along the wall 
 seeking to find an entrance to the house. 
 
 At last Thor found a huge entrance opening into 
 a wide hall, and passing through this they turned 
 to the left into a large room which was quite empty, 
 and here, after eating some food, they stretched 
 themselves upon the hard floor and wearied out 
 with the day's march soon fell asleep. 
 
 But they did not sleep long, their slumbers were 
 broken by a rumbling sound as of a coming earth-
 
 Thor among the Jo tuns. 59 
 
 quake, the walls of the house shook and peals of 
 thunder echoed through the lofty chamber. 
 
 Thor sprang up. ' We are scarcely safe here,' he 
 said, ' let us seek some other room.' Loki jumped 
 up speedily, as did also Thialfe and Raska, who 
 were in a great fright wondering what dreadful 
 thing was going to happen to them. They willingly 
 followed Thor, hoping to find a safer place. 
 
 To the right they saw another room like a long 
 gallery with a huge doorway, and into this Loki, 
 Thialfe, and Raska crept, choosing the furthest 
 corner of it ; but Thor took his stand at the door- 
 way to be on the watch if any fresh danger should 
 threaten them. 
 
 After a somewhat uncomfortable rest, Loki, 
 Thialfe and Raska were not sorry to find that the 
 day had dawned, though as there were no windows 
 in the house, they only knew it by hearing the cock 
 crow. 
 
 Thor was better off, for the doorway was so 
 wide that the sunlight came pouring in without 
 hindrance. Indeed the huge size of the doorway 
 made Thor think that the builder must have given 
 up all hope of ever finding a door large enough to 
 fit into it.
 
 60 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 He strolled away from the house, and the first 
 thing that he saw was a huge giant fast asleep 
 upon the greensward ; and now he knew that the 
 thunder that had so frightened them in the night 
 had been nothing more or less than the loud snoring 
 of the giant. 
 
 So wroth was Thor at the thought that such a 
 thing should have made him afraid, that he fastened 
 on his belt of strength and drew his sword and 
 made towards the giant as though he would kill 
 him on the spot. 
 
 But the giant opening his great round eyes 
 stared so steadily at Thor, that the god became 
 mazed and could do nothing but stare in return. 
 
 At last however he found voice to ask, * What 
 is your name ? ' 
 
 'My name,' said the giant, raising himself on 
 one elbow, thereby causing his head to rise so high 
 into the air that Thor thought it was taking flight 
 altogether, 'is Skrymner; you I believe are the god 
 Thor ? ' 
 
 ' I am,' answered the god. 
 
 ' Do you happen to have picked up my glove ? ' 
 asked the giant carelessly. 
 
 Then Thor knew that what he and his com-
 
 T/ior among the Jotitns. 6 1 
 
 panions had taken for a large house was only the 
 giant's glove, and from this we may judge how 
 huge a giant Skrymner must have been. 
 
 Thor made no answer, and Skrymner next 
 asked whither Thor was travelling ; and when he 
 found that he was journeying to Utgard, offered 
 to bear him company, as he too was going to the 
 same place. 
 
 Thor accepted the giant's offer, and after eating 
 a hearty meal, all were ready for another day's 
 march. 
 
 Skrymner showed himself a kindly giant, and 
 insisted upon carrying Thor's bag of meal, putting 
 it into his own wallet, which he slung across his 
 broad shoulders. 
 
 It must have been a strange sight indeed to see 
 the great giant stalking along with his smaller 
 companions at his heels ; and we may well marvel 
 how they managed to keep pace with him, or how 
 Thor was able to raise his voice to such a pitch as 
 to reach the giant's ears. 
 
 Nevertheless all went well, and they trudged 
 cheerfully along, never flagging in their talk. 
 
 Once Skrymner took Raska on his shoulder, but 
 the height made her so giddy that she was glad to
 
 62 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 come down again and walk quietly by the side of 
 Thialfe. 
 
 When night overtook them they encamped 
 under one of the great oak-trees, for they were not 
 yet out of the bounds of the forest. Skrymner to 
 judge by his loud snoring fell asleep the moment 
 he lay down upon the ground, but Thor and his 
 comrades were not so tired as to forget that they 
 had tasted nothing since breakfast time. Accord- 
 ingly they set to work to open the wallet that 
 Skrymner had given into their hands before closing 
 his eyes. 
 
 But it was no easy task, and with all their efforts 
 they failed to open it. Not a knot could they 
 untie, and their fingers were chafed and aching. 
 
 Neither were they more able to awaken Skrymner, 
 and Thor's anger waxed exceeding fierce. ' You 
 shall pay for this,' said he, flinging his hammer at 
 the giant. 
 
 Skrymner half opened the eye nearest to Thor 
 and said in a very sleepy voice, ' Why will the 
 leaves drop off the trees ?' And then he snored as 
 loudly as before. 
 
 Thor picked up his hammer, and approaching 
 nearer drove it into the hinder part of the giant's
 
 Thor among the yd tuns. 63 
 
 head, who again half waking up, muttered, ' How 
 troublesome the dust is.' 
 
 Thor was exceedingly astonished at this, but 
 thought nevertheless that he would once more make 
 trial of his power ; so coming up close to Skrymner 
 he struck with such force as to drive the hammer 
 up to the handle in the giant's cheek. 
 
 Then Skrymner opened both eyes and lazily 
 lifting his finger to his face said, ' I suppose there 
 are birds about, for I fancied I felt a feather fall.' 
 
 Now was Thor fairly disconcerted ; and the next 
 morning when the giant told him that they must 
 now part as his road led him another way, he was 
 by no means ill-pleased, and he let Skrymner go 
 without so much as bidding him ' good speed/ 
 Skrymner however seemed not to notice that Thor 
 was glad to be quit of his company and gave him 
 some very friendly advice before he left him. 
 
 ' If you will take my advice,' said the giant, 'you 
 will give up this thought of visiting Utgard. The 
 people there are all giants of greater stature even 
 than I, and they make nothing of little men, such 
 as you are. Nay, more, you yourself are likely to 
 fare but badly amongst them, for I see that you are 
 rather apt to think too much of yourself and to take
 
 64 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 too much upon you. Be wise whilst there is time, 
 think of what I say, and don't go near the city.' 
 
 ' But I will go there,' shouted Thor, almost choked 
 with rage; 'I will go in spite of all the Jotuns of 
 Jotunheim. None shall hinder me, and the giants 
 shall see and wonder at the mighty power of the 
 god Thor.' 
 
 And as he spoke the rising sun fell full upon the 
 city of Utgard, whose huge brazen gates glittered in 
 the sunlight. Even though they were so far away, 
 Thor could see how high they were, and as he drew 
 nearer their vast size filled him with amazement ; 
 but when he reached them his wonder was beyond 
 all words, for he and his companions seemed no 
 larger than grasshoppers, in comparison with their 
 height. 
 
 The gates were not open, for it was yet early ; so 
 Thor and his comrades crept through the bars and 
 entered the city. As they passed along the streets 
 the houses were so tall, that it was only by crossing 
 to the opposite side of the broad road that they 
 were able to see the windows in the topmost stories. 
 And the streets were so wide that it was quite a 
 journey across them. 
 
 Once a mouse darted out of a hole and Raska
 
 Tkor among the Jotuns. 65 
 
 screamed, for she thought it was a grisly bear. The 
 mouse also shrieked and made much more noise 
 than Raska, as well it might, for a cat so huge that 
 Thialfe half thought it must be the monster of 
 Midgard seized it, and giving it a pat with one 
 of its paws laid it dead on the pavement. 
 
 As for the horses their hoofs were terrible to look 
 at, and Thialfe and Raska must have climbed up 
 ladders if they wished to see their heads. 
 
 The people were quite as large as Skrymner had 
 described, and Thor and his companions were 
 obliged to be very careful lest they should get 
 trodden upon, as it was very doubtful if the people 
 even saw them. 
 
 Still Thor walked along with the proud con- 
 sciousness that he was the god Thor ; and feeling 
 that though he was so small he was yet a person of 
 some importance, made his way to the palace, and 
 desired to see the king. 
 
 After some little time he and his fellow travellers 
 were ushered into the presence of Utgarda Loke, the 
 king of the country. And Utgarda Loke, hearing 
 the door open, raised his eyes, thinking to see some 
 great courtier enter, but he knew nothing of the 
 bows and greetings of Thor, until happening to 
 F
 
 66 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 cast his eyes to the ground, he saw a little man 
 with his companions saluting him with much 
 ceremony. 
 
 The king had never seen such small men before, 
 and there was something so absurd to him in the 
 sight, that he burst out laughing. 
 
 And then all the courtiers laughed also, pretend- 
 ing that they had not seen the little creatures 
 before. 
 
 It was some time before they all left off laughing, 
 but at length there was a pause, and Thor essayed 
 to make himself heard. 
 
 'Though we are but small in comparison with 
 the Jotuns,' said he, angrily, ' we are by no means 
 to be despised, but are gifted with powers that may 
 surprise you.' 
 
 'Really!' answered Utgarda Loke, raising his 
 eyebrows. And then he and his courtiers laughed 
 louder than before. 
 
 At last there was another pause in their mer- 
 riment, and the king added : ' However, we are 
 willing to give the strangers a fair trial in order to 
 prove the truth of what their spokesman, whom I 
 take to be the god Thor, says. How say you ? 
 What can this one do ? ' And he pointed to Loki.
 
 Thor among the Jotuns. 67 
 
 ' Please your majesty, I am very great at eating,' 
 returned Loki. 
 
 ' Nay,' answered Utgarda Loke, ' you must grow 
 a little before you are great at anything.' 
 
 At which speech the courtiers again shouted with 
 laughter ; but Utgarda Loke, turning to his ser- 
 vants, bade them make trial of Loki's powers. So 
 they brought a great trough full of food, and 
 Loki was placed at one end, and a courtier named 
 Loge at the other. They both fell to work to 
 devour what was before them, and met at the 
 middle of the trough. But it was found that 
 whilst Loki had only eaten the flesh of his 
 portion, Loge had eaten, not only the flesh, but 
 the bones also. Therefore Loki was, of course, 
 vanquished. 
 
 Then Utgarda Loke turned to Thialfe. 'And 
 pray, in what may this youth be specially skilled ?' 
 he asked. 
 
 ' I am a swift skater,' answered Thialfe. 
 
 ' Try him,' said the king. 
 
 And Thialfe was led to a plain of ice, as smooth 
 as glass, and one named Hugr was set to run 
 against him. But though Thialfe was the swiftest
 
 68 Wonderfiil Stories. 
 
 skater ever known in the world, yet Hugr glided 
 past him so fleetly that he had returned to the 
 starting post before Thialfe had done more than 
 a quarter of the distance. 
 
 Three times did Thialfe match his speed against 
 Hugr, and, three times beaten, withdrew from the 
 contest as disconsolate as Loki. 
 
 'And now may I ask what you can do your- 
 self?' said the king to Thor. 
 
 ' I can drain a wine-cup with anyone/ replied the 
 god. 
 
 ' Try him,' said Utgarda Loke. 
 
 And forthwith the royal cupbearer presented a 
 drinking-horn to Thor. 
 
 ' If you are as great as you pretend to be,' 
 said the king, ' you will drain it at one draught. 
 Some people take two pulls at it, but the weakest 
 among us can manage it in three.' 
 
 Thor took up the horn, and being very thirsty 
 took a steady pull at it. He thought he had done 
 very well, but on removing it from his lips he mar- 
 velled to see how little had gone. 
 
 A second time he took a draught, but the horn 
 was far from being emptied.
 
 Thor among the Jotuns. 69 
 
 Again a third time he essayed to drain it, but it 
 was full almost to the brim. 
 
 Therefore he set it down in despair, and confessed 
 himself unable to drain it. 
 
 ' I am disappointed in you,' said Utgarda Loke, 
 ' you are not half the man I took you for. I see it 
 is of no use asking you to do warrior's feats ; I must 
 try you in a simpler way, in a child's play that we 
 have amongst us. You shall try to lift my cat 
 from the ground.' 
 
 Thor turned quite scarlet, and then became white 
 with rage. 
 
 ' Are you afraid ? ' asked Utgarda Loke, ' you 
 look so pale.' 
 
 And a large grey cat came leaping along, and 
 planted itself firmly before Thor, showing its sharp 
 claws and glaring upon him with its fiery eyes. 
 
 Thor seized it, but in spite of all his efforts he 
 was only able to raise one of the cat's paws from 
 the ground. 
 
 ' Pooh ! pooh ! ' exclaimed Utgarda Loke, ' you 
 are a mere baby, fit only for the nursery. I believe 
 that my old nurse Hela would be more than a 
 match for you. Here, Hela, come and wrestle with 
 the mighty god Thor.'
 
 jo Wonderful Stories. 
 
 And Utgarda Loke laughed disdainfully. 
 
 Forth stepped a decrepit old woman, with lank 
 cheeks and toothless jaws. Her eyes were sunken, 
 her brow furrowed, and her scanty locks were white 
 as snow. 
 
 She advanced towards Thor, and tried to throw 
 him to the ground; but though he put forth his 
 whole strength to withstand her, he was surprised 
 to find how powerful she was, and that it needed 
 all his efforts to keep his feet. For a long time he 
 was successful, but at length she brought him down 
 upon one knee, and Thor was obliged to acknow- 
 ledge himself conquered. 
 
 Ashamed and mortified, he and his companions 
 withdrew to a lodging for the night, and in the 
 morning were making ready to leave the city 
 quietly, when Utgarda Loke sent for them. 
 
 He made them a splendid feast, and afterwards 
 went with them beyond the city gates. 
 
 ' Now tell me honestly,' said he to Thor, ' what 
 do you think of your success ? ' 
 
 ' I am beyond measure astounded and ashamed/ 
 replied the god. 
 
 ' Ha ! ha ! ' laughed Utgarda Loke, ' I knew that 
 you were. However, as we are well out of the city
 
 Thor among the Jotuns. 7 1 
 
 I don't mind telling you a secret or two. Doubt- 
 less you will receive a little comfort from my 
 doing so, as you confess that your coming hither 
 has been to no purpose. 
 
 ' In the first place, you have been deceived by 
 enchantments ever since you came within the 
 borders of Jotunheim. I am the giant you met 
 with on your way hither, and if I had known as 
 much of your power then as I do now, you would 
 never have found your way within the walls of 
 Utgard. 
 
 ' Certainly I had had some slight experience of 
 it, for the three blows you gave would have killed 
 me had they fallen upon me. But it was not I, 
 but a huge mountain that you struck at ; and if 
 you visit it again, you will find three valleys cleft 
 in the rocks by the strokes of your hammer. 
 
 ' As for the wallet, I had fastened it with a 
 magic chain, so that you need not wonder that you 
 could not open it 
 
 ' Loge, with whom Loki strove, was no courtier, 
 but a subtle devouring flame that consumed all 
 before it ' 
 
 Here Loki uttered an exclamation of delight, 
 but Thor bade him be silent, and Utgarda Loke 
 went on :
 
 7 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' Thialfe's enemy was Hugr or Thought, and let 
 man work away as hard as he pleases, Thought 
 will still outrun him. 
 
 ' As for yourself, the end of the drinking-horn, 
 though you did not see it, reached the sea, and as 
 fast as you emptied it, it filled again, so that you 
 never could have drained it dry. But the next 
 time that you stand upon the seashore, you will 
 find how much less the ocean is by your draughts. 
 
 ' The grey cat was no cat, but the great Serpent 
 of Midgard that twines round the world, and you 
 lifted him so high that we were all quite frightened. 
 
 ' But your last feat was the most wonderful of all, 
 for Hela was none other than Death. And never 
 did I see anyone before over whom Death had so 
 little power. 
 
 ' And now, my friend, go your way, and don't 
 come near my city again, for I tell you plainly I 
 do not want you there, and I shall use all kinds of 
 enchantment to keep you out of it.' 
 
 As he ended his speech, Thor raised his hammer, 
 but Utgarda Loke had vanished. 
 
 ' I will return to the city, and be avenged,' said 
 Thor. 
 
 But lo ! the giant city was nowhere to be seen.
 
 Thor among the Jotiins. 73 
 
 A fair pasture-land spread itself out around him, 
 and through its midst a broad river flowed peace- 
 fully along. 
 
 So Thor and his companions, musing upon their 
 wonderful adventures, turned their steps home 
 ward.
 
 74 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 V. 
 SIFS GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 SIF was the wife of Thor, and Thor was the son of 
 Odin. Thor lived in a splendid palace which had 
 five hundred and forty halls. 
 
 Sif sat weeping bitterly as she gazed into the 
 stream that served her as a mirror. Why should 
 she be so unhappy ? Surely it was a great thing to 
 be the wife of the god Thor, and mistress of a palace 
 with five hundred and forty rooms ; nevertheless 
 she wept, and good reason she had for doing so. 
 
 Sif had prided herself very much upon her long 
 golden ringlets, which were so beautiful that they 
 were praised throughout the land of Asgard. Now 
 they were all gone, there was not a single hair left 
 upon her head. 
 
 Doubtless, the sight was strange, and had you 
 seen her you might have felt half inclined to laugh ; 
 but Sif thought it no laughing matter. All her hair 
 was gone, and there were no wig-makers in Asgard 
 to supply her with new tresses. So Sif was very
 
 Sif's Golden Hair. 75 
 
 sorrowful. Besides, what would Thor think of her 
 when he saw her? Would he know her for the 
 beautiful Sif? and as she caught a glimpse of 
 herself in the watery looking-glass her tears fell 
 faster than ever. 
 
 Not far from the spot where she was sitting, there 
 was a cavern, whose mouth was half hidden by 
 a tall pine tree, and from behind this tall pine tree a 
 dark face, whose eyes gleamed with malicious joy, 
 peered forth. The more Sif wept, brighter shone 
 the cruel eyes, and Loki (for it was he) laughed 
 softly to himself. 
 
 Loki was at the present time at enmity with 
 Thor, and to vex him he had charmed away Sif's 
 beautiful hair. He was now making merry at her 
 grief, and rejoicing in the thought of how vexed 
 Thor would be at what he had done. 
 
 Soon a sound of thunder was heard among the 
 rocks, and Loki knew that Thor was near at hand. 
 He did not feel altogether comfortable as he heard 
 the god draw near, for he had felt his power more 
 than once, and he began to think it might not be 
 altogether pleasant to meet him in the first burst 
 of his wrath. So, as Loki could change, himself 
 into any form he pleased, he plunged into the
 
 7 6 Wonder fu I Stories. 
 
 stream and became a salmon-trout, thereby hoping 
 to escape Thor's notice. 
 
 But Thor had already seen him, and at the same 
 time his eye fell upon the weeping Sif, shorn of 
 all her hair. 
 
 ' Who has done this ? ' he asked. 
 
 ' Loki,' sobbed Sif. 
 
 ' Thou caitiff,' said Thor, addressing himself to 
 the salmon-trout, ' thou shalt be sorely punished 
 for what thou hast done.' And changing himself 
 into a huge sea-gull Thor dived into the water and 
 seized the salmon-trout in his beak. 
 
 ' Now will I break all thy bones, as a miller 
 crushes the grain to powder,' exclaimed Thor. 
 
 Then Loki took again his own shape and an- 
 swered : 
 
 ' If you break my bones to pieces and scatter 
 them to the winds, it will not help to bring back 
 Sif's hair. Now, if you will only spare me this 
 time I will get fairer tresses for Sif than those she 
 has lost. This I swear by the eye of Odin, by the 
 moss on the grave of the wise Mimir, and, greater 
 than all, by thy wondrous hammer.' 
 
 Then Thor thundered forth, ' Thou knave, how 
 darest thou swear by my hammer. ? Dost thou
 
 Sif's Golden Hair. 77 
 
 not know that Miolnir is hidden beneath the 
 waters ? ' 
 
 Then Loki shook and trembled like an aspen 
 leaf, but he found voice to answer, ' If thou wilt 
 spare me this once, O mighty Thor, I will go to 
 my kinsmen, the dwarfs, and from them I can 
 get whatever I ask for. In their underground 
 kingdom there are wonderful forges, and they can 
 make for thee a better hammer than the one thou 
 hast lost. Spare me this once, O most gracious 
 Thor, spare me ! ' 
 
 ' No/ said Thor, ' I will not spare thee. Thou 
 dost deserve death, and death shall be thy fate. 
 I have come hither with Freyr, my sworn comrade, 
 and we will have thy life.' 
 
 Then Loki fell weeping at the feet of Freyr. 
 ' O Freyr, have pity upon me. Prevail upon Thor 
 to forgive me, and I will bring thee a courser the 
 like of which hath never been seen. Never shall 
 he grow weary, though thou shouldst ride him day 
 and night. He shall gallop alike over land and 
 sea, and from his hair shall come a bright light 
 that will light thee on the darkest midnight.' 
 
 And Loki begged so earnestly and swore so 
 solemnly and promised repentance so fairly, that
 
 7 8 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 at length Thor and Freyr let him go on condition 
 that he should bring them the gifts he promised. 
 
 So Loki slunk away, and down he crept through 
 the cold hard rocks into the colder earth, down, 
 down, until he came to the underground world 
 where the dwarfs were at work. 
 
 Loki was not sorry to feel the pleasant warmth 
 of the forge fires, for he had had a very chilling 
 journey, and the bright ruddy glow of the flames 
 was a cheerful sight, and there was something lifelike 
 and cheering in the sharp ring of the hammers, 
 and in the roaring of the great bellows. It was 
 wonderful to see the dwarfs in their leather aprons 
 working away so busily and hammering the brown 
 stone into pure gold. 
 
 But if this were wonderful, it was equally 
 wonderful and perhaps a more beautiful sight to 
 see them make precious stones out of common 
 rock-crystal. Some they tinged with dye got 
 from deep crimson rosebuds, and lo they made 
 rubies and carbuncles. Into some they pressed 
 the juice of early violets, and behold there glittered 
 priceless sapphires ; whilst the purple grape juice 
 and the greenest grasses furnished delicate tints 
 for amethysts and emeralds. 
 
 .-
 
 SIF'S GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 ' It was -wonderful to see the dwarfs in their leather aprons working 
 away so busily' (p. 78).
 
 <Sif's Golden Hair. 79 
 
 It was a wonderful place, this underground world 
 of the dwarfs, and they kept their secrets carefully 
 from the people of the upper world. 
 
 ' Welcome,' said Dvalin, one of the dwarfs, to 
 Loki; 'welcome to our kingdom. What errand 
 may have brought you hither ? ' 
 
 Then Loki told how he had charmed away Sif 's 
 hair, and that he wanted new ringlets for her, and 
 a steed for Freyr, a new hammer for Thor, and a 
 ring for Odin. 
 
 'All these shalt thou have, and of the best,' 
 returned Dvalin ; ' thou art our kinsman, and it 
 shall never be said that the dwarfs failed in their 
 friendship.' 
 
 Then the dwarfs took the skin of a wild boar 
 and threw it into the furnace, where the flames 
 leaped round it till it turned red and seemed to be 
 consumed by a million tiny stars, then it burned 
 and burned until we might think that it must have 
 been burnt to tinder ; but it was not so. It had 
 simply grown into a solid block at which the dwarfs 
 pounded away with their sledge-hammers as if it 
 had been a piece of red-hot iron. 
 
 Then again they thrust it into the furnace, and 
 taking their bellows blew the flames into such a
 
 8o Wonderful Stories. 
 
 roaring sparkling column that Loki half thought 
 they meant to set the upper-world on fire, and 
 whilst some blew the others plied their hammers so 
 quickly that the cave rang with the clang of their 
 blows. 
 
 Now all this time Loki was sitting by, regretting 
 that he had made so many promises and sorry to 
 see how well the work was going on. For now 
 that he was safely away from Thor and Freyr he 
 did not wish them to have the wonderful gifts that 
 he had promised to get for them, and though he 
 knew that he should be obliged to keep his word, 
 he determined that if he could in any way injure 
 his kinsmen's work he would do so. So he changed 
 himself into a venomous fly and perched upon the 
 wrist of Brokur who was blowing the bellows' 
 Happily Brokur's skin was so tough that he did 
 not feel the bite that Loki gave him and went 
 on blowing steadily, and in due time the work was 
 finished and out of the fire leaped the golden- 
 haired Gullinborst, the most wonderful wild-boar 
 that was ever heard of, and this was the fleet steed 
 that Freyr the sun-god was to have to carry him 
 round the world. 
 
 Then the dwarfs set to work to make the ring
 
 Sif's Golden Hair. 81 
 
 for Odin, and a wonderful ring it was, of broad 
 gold, shaped like a serpent with its tail in its 
 mouth, and studded all over with precious stones. 
 This was the ring Dropner that afterwards became 
 so well known. 
 
 No sooner was it finished than the unwearied 
 dwarfs set to work again to make the hammer for 
 Thor ; and for this purpose they took a bar of cold 
 iron, v/hich, without heating, they began to beat 
 with their hammers. 
 
 They used neither file nor fire ; yet it grew 
 shapely and strong beneath their even blows. Loki 
 soon saw that this hammer would be better than 
 Miolnir, and vexed exceedingly, he determined to 
 do his best that it might not be as perfect as the 
 dwarfs wished to make it. 
 
 After some thought as to the best means of 
 doing his work, he changed himself into a hornet 
 and stung the chief worker so terribly on the fore- 
 head that the blood gushed forth, and the dwarf 
 raising his hand to the wound before the steel was 
 quite beaten out, missed his stroke and so the 
 haft was left an inch too short, and there was not 
 time to make another. Still, in spite of this, the 
 G
 
 82 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 hammer was a very strong hammer, much stronger 
 than Loki wished it to be. 
 
 All the gifts were now ready excepting the hair 
 for Sif. But this was not the work of Dvalin or 
 Brokur. 
 
 At the other end of the cave sat a dwarf woman 
 with a spinning-wheel, and presently an elf bearing 
 a load of gold upon his head came to her. The 
 dwarf woman took the gold and began to spin it 
 into a slender thread, and as she spun she sang 
 this song : 
 
 ' Golden hair I spin 
 For Sif the fair- 
 Golden hair I spin 
 Bright beyond compare. 
 Golden hair I spin, 
 It shall bring her love 
 Golden hair I spin, 
 Not e'en the queen above 
 Can such beauteous tresses show 
 As these that o'er Sif s neck shall flow. 
 Golden hair I spin, I spin, 
 Nought shall harm these locks of gold, 
 Magic spell, nor malice bold ; 
 Golden locks I spin, I spin. ' 
 
 And then the dwarf-woman rolled the golden 
 thread into a great ball, and after snipping it in 
 several places with her long scissors shook it out, 
 and it fell into the most lovely ringlets possible.
 
 Stf's Golden Hair. 83 
 
 She gave the glossy tresses to Loki, who was 
 very sorry to see how beautiful they were. 
 
 'As soon as they touch Sif's head/ said the 
 dwarf woman, ' they will grow to it just like her 
 own hair.' 
 
 ' Will they ? ' said Loki rather curtly, for he was 
 not half so well pleased with the dwarf woman's 
 success as she was herself. 
 
 ' And Sif will be more beautiful than ever ! ' she 
 added. 
 
 But Loki moved away so as not to hear what 
 she was saying ; and, bidding the dwarfs farewell, he 
 departed with his presents to the upper regions. 
 
 Thor was delighted with the hair and confessed 
 that Loki had indeed kept his promise well. The 
 hammer too was far beyond his hopes, and he was 
 quite satisfied with it. 
 
 Freyr too was overjoyed at the sight of Gullen- 
 borst, and, leaping on its back, rode away at full 
 speed. 
 
 As for Sif, she danced for joy when Thor brought 
 her the golden locks, and her fingers trembled so 
 that she could scarcely put them on. However, 
 the curls seemed to go right of themselves ; and 
 as the old dwarf woman had said, they grew to her
 
 84 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 head at once, and were even more shining and 
 beautiful than her own hair had been. 
 
 The ring was brought to Odin on a great feast- 
 day, and it was agreed that all Loki's previous 
 misdoings should be pardoned because he had 
 kept his promises so well. 
 
 So Loki was forgiven ; but as he was always 
 happiest when he was in mischief it is not to be 
 supposed that he would remain very long without 
 again offending the gods.
 
 VI. 
 
 THE WONDERFUL QUERN STONES. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there was a king of Denmark 
 or Gotland, as it was then called, whose name was 
 Frothi. He was a great-grandson of the god Thor 
 and a very mighty king, and wherever the Danish 
 language was spoken there was Frothi's name 
 honoured and respected. 
 
 Among his treasures were two quern stones ; 
 nothing much to look at, simply two common mill 
 stones in appearance, and no one who did not 
 know what they could do would think of taking 
 any notice of them. Nevertheless, these quern 
 stones were of more worth than anything that 
 King Frothi had, for they could produce anything 1 
 that the grinder of the quern or handmill wished 
 for. They would bring gold, silver, precious stones, 
 anything and everything ; and besides this they 
 could grind love, joy, peace ; therefore it is not too 
 much to say that these stones were worth more 
 than all the treasures of the king put together.
 
 86 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 At least they would have been if he could have 
 made use of them, but they were so heavy that 
 few could be found to turn the quern, and just at 
 the time of which I am speaking there was no one 
 at all in the land of Gotland able to work away at 
 the quern handle. 
 
 Now the more King Frothi pondered over his 
 wonderful quern stones, the greater became his 
 desire to use them, and he sought throughout the 
 land from north to south, from east to west, if per- 
 chance he might find some one strong enough to 
 help him in his need. But all to no purpose, 
 and he was utterly in despair when, by good 
 luck, he happened to go on a visit to Fiolnir, 
 king of Sweden, and to hear of two slave-women 
 of great size and strength. Surely, thought Frothi, 
 these are just the women to grind at my quern 
 Grotti (for so it was called), and he asked King 
 Fiolnir to be allowed to see them. 
 
 So King Fiolnir ordered the slaves to be brought 
 before Frothi, and when Frothi saw them his spirits 
 rose, for certainly Menia and Fenia were strong- 
 looking women. They were eight feet in height, 
 and broader across the shoulders than any of 
 Frothi's warriors, and the muscles of their arms
 
 The Wonderful Quern Stones. 87 
 
 stood out like cords. And they lifted heavy 
 weights, threw heavy javelins, and did so many 
 feats of strength that Frothi felt quite sure that 
 they would be able to turn the quern handle. 
 
 ' I will buy these slaves,' said he, ' and take them 
 with me to Gotland.' 
 
 Menia and Fenia stood with their arms folded 
 and their proud heads bowed down, whilst Frothi 
 counted out the gold to the seller. They were 
 slaves ; with money had they been bought, with 
 money were they sold again. What cared Frothi 
 who was their father, or how they had come into 
 the land of Sweden ? 
 
 And he took them home with him and bade 
 them grind at the quern. Now he should be able 
 to test the power of the wonderful stones. 
 
 -' Grind, grind, Menia and Fenia, let me see 
 whether ye have strength for the work.' 
 
 So spake King Frothi, and the huge women 
 lifted the heavy stones as though they had been 
 pebbles. 
 
 ' What shall we grind ?' asked the slaves. 
 
 ' Gold, gold, peace and wealth for Frothi.' 
 
 Gold ! gold ! the land was filled with riches. 
 Treasure in the king's palace, treasure in the
 
 88 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 coffers of his subjects gold ! gold ! There were 
 no poor in the land, no beggars in the streets, no 
 children crying for bread. All honour to the quern 
 stones ! 
 
 Peace ! peace ! no more war in the land, Frothi 
 is at peace with everyone. And more than that, 
 there was peace in all countries where Frothi's 
 name was known, even to the far south ; and 
 everyone talked of Frothi's peace. Praise be to 
 the quern stones ! 
 
 Wealth ! yes, everything went well. Not one 
 of the counsels of King Frothi failed. There was 
 not a green field that did not yield a rich crop; 
 not a tree but bent beneath its weight of fruit ; not 
 a stream that ran dry; not a vessel that sailed 
 from the harbours of Gotland that came not back, 
 after a fair voyage, in safety to its haven. There 
 was good luck everywhere. 
 
 ' Grind on, grind on, Menia and Fenia ! good for- 
 tune is mine,' said King Frothi. 
 
 And the slaves ground on. 
 
 ' When shall we rest, when may we rest, King 
 Frothi ? It is weary work toiling day and night.' 
 
 'No longer than whilst the cuckoo is silent in 
 the spring."
 
 The Wonderful Quern Stones. 89 
 
 ' Never ceasing is the cry of the cuckoo in the 
 groves ; may we not rest longer?' 
 
 ' Not longer,' answered King Frothi, ' than whilst 
 the verse of a song is sung.' 
 
 'That is but little!' sighed Menia and Fenia, 
 and they toiled on. Their arms were weary and 
 their eyes heavy, they would fain have slept ; but 
 Frothi would not let them have any sleep. They 
 were but slaves who must obey their master, so 
 they toiled on, still grinding peace and wealth to 
 Frothi 
 
 ' To Frothi and his queen 
 
 Joy and peace 
 May plenty in the land 
 
 Still increase, 
 Frothi and his queen 
 
 From dangers keep ; 
 May they on beds of down 
 
 Sweetly sleep. 
 No sword be drawn 
 
 In Gotland old, 
 By murderer bold. 
 
 No harm befall 
 The high or low 
 
 To none be woe, 
 Good luck to all. 
 
 Good luck to all, 
 We grind, we grind. 
 
 No rest we find, 
 For rest we call. '
 
 90 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Thus sang the two giant women ; then they 
 begged again, ' Give us rest, O Frothi ! ' 
 
 But still Frothi answered, ' Rest whilst the verse 
 of a song is sung, or as long as the cuckoo is silent 
 in the spring.' 
 
 No longer would the king give them. 
 
 Yet Frothi was deemed a good king, but gold 
 and good luck were hardening his heart. 
 
 Menia and Fenia went on grinding and their 
 wrath grew deeper and deeper, and thus at last 
 they spoke. 
 
 First said Fenia, ' Thou wert not wise, O 
 Frothi. Thou didst buy us because like giants 
 we towered above the other slaves, because we 
 were strong and hardy and could lift heavy 
 burdens.' 
 
 And Menia took up the wail : ' Are we not of 
 the race of the mountain giants ? Are not our 
 kindred greater than thine, O Frothi ? The quern 
 had never left the grey fell but for the giants' 
 daughters. Never, never should we have ground 
 as we have done, had it not been that we remem- 
 bered from what race we sprang.' 
 
 Then answered Menia : ' Nine long winters saw 
 us training to feats of strength, nine long winters
 
 T/ie Wonderful Quern Stones. 9 1 
 
 of wearisome labour. Deep down in the earth we 
 toiled and toiled until we could move the high 
 mountain from its foundations. We are weird 
 women, O Frothi. We can see far into the 
 future. Our eyes have looked upon the quern 
 before. In the giants' house we whirled it until 
 the earth shook, and hoarse thunder resounded 
 through the caverns. Thou art not wise, O Frothi. 
 O Frothi, thou art not wise ! ' 
 
 But Frothi heard them not; he was sleeping 
 the sweet sleep that the quern stones had ground 
 for him. 
 
 ' Strong are we indeed,' laughed Fenia, sorrow- 
 fully, ' strong to contend with the puny men. We, 
 whose pastime in Sweden was to tame the fiercest 
 bears, so that they ate from our hands. We who 
 fought with mighty warriors and came off con- 
 querors. We who helped one prince and put 
 down another. Well we fought, and many were 
 the wounds we received from sharp spears and 
 flashing swords. Frothi knows not our power, or 
 he would scarce have brought us to his palace to 
 treat us thus. Here no one has compassion upon 
 us. Cold are the skies above us, and the pitiless 
 wind beats upon our breast Cold is the ground
 
 92 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 on which we stand, and the keen frost bites our 
 feet. Ah, there are none to pity us. No one cares 
 for the slaves. We grind for ever an enemy's 
 quern, and he gives us no rest. Grind, grind ; I 
 am weary of grinding; I must have rest.' 
 
 ' Nay/ returned Menia, ' talk not of rest until 
 Frothi is content with what we bring him.' 
 
 Then Fenia started : ' If he gives us no rest, let 
 us take it ourselves. Why should we any longer 
 grind good for him who only gives us evil ? We 
 can grind what we please. Let us revenge our- 
 selves.' 
 
 Then Menia turned the handle quicker than 
 ever, and in a wild voice she sang : 
 
 ' I see a ship come sailing 
 With warriors bold aboard, 
 There's many a one that in Danish blood 
 Would be glad to dip his sword. 
 Say shall we grind them hither ? 
 Say shall they land to-night ? 
 Say shall they set the palace a-fire ? 
 Say shall they win the fight ? ' 
 
 Then called Fenia in a voice of thunder through 
 the midnight air : ' Frothi, Frothi, awake, awake ! 
 Wilt thou not listen to us ? Have mercy and let 
 us rest our weary limbs.'
 
 THE WONDERFUL QUERN-STONES. 
 
 ' Again Fenia shouted "Frothi Frothi, awake ! the 
 beacon is Hazing" ' (p. 93).
 
 The Wonder fid Quern Stones. 93 
 
 But all was still, and Frothi gave no answer to 
 the cry. 
 
 ' Nay,' answered Menia, ' he will not hearken. 
 Little he cares for the worn-out slaves. Revenge, 
 revenge ! ' 
 
 And Frothi slept, not dreaming of the evil that 
 was coming upon him. 
 
 And again Fenia shouted : ' Frothi, Frothi, 
 awake ! The beacon is blazing. Danger is nigh. 
 Wilt thou not spare ? ' 
 
 But Frothi gave no answer, and the giant women 
 toiled on. 
 
 ' O Frothi, Frothi, we cannot bear our weari- 
 ness.' 
 
 And still no answer came. 
 
 ' Frothi, Frothi, danger is nigh thee. Well- 
 manned ships are gliding over the sea. It is 
 Mysingr who comes, his white sail flutters in the 
 wind. His flag is unfurled. Frothi, Frothi, awake, 
 awake ! thou shalt be king no longer.' 
 
 And as the giant women ground, the words 
 they spake came to pass, they were grinding 
 revenge for themselves, and brought the enemy 
 nearer and nearer. 
 
 ' Ho ! hearkne to the herald ! Frothi, Frothi, the
 
 94 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 town is on fire. The palaces will soon be ruined 
 heaps. Grind, Menia, ever more swiftly, until we 
 grind death to Frothi.' 
 
 And Menia and Fenia ground and ground till 
 Mysingr and his followers landed from the ships. 
 They ground until they had reached the palace. 
 
 ' To arms, to arms,' shouted the warders, but it 
 was too late. The Gotlanders armed themselves ; 
 but who could stand against the army that the 
 slave women were grinding against them ? 
 
 Not long did the struggle last. Frothi and his 
 Gotlanders fought bravely, but the sea-king and 
 his allies were mightier, for the giantesses were in 
 giant mood, and turned the handle faster and 
 faster, until down fell the quern stones. Then 
 sank Frothi pierced with wounds, and the fight 
 was over. The army that Menia and Fenia had 
 ground to help Mysingr vanished ; and Mysingr 
 and his men alone were left conquerors on the 
 bloody field. 
 
 They loaded their ships with treasure, and 
 Mysingr took with him Menia, Fenia, and the 
 quern stones. 
 
 But, alas! Mysingr was no wiser than King 
 Frothi had been.
 
 The Wonderful Quern Stones. 95 
 
 Gold, however, was not his first thought ; he had 
 enough of that, but he wanted something else 
 that just then was more to him than gold. 
 
 There was no salt on board the sea-king's 
 vessels ; so he said, ' Grind salt.' 
 
 And Menia and Fenia ground salt for Mysingr. 
 
 At midnight they asked if they had ground 
 enough. 
 
 And Mysingr bade them grind on. 
 
 And so they ground and ground until the ship 
 was so heavy with salt that it sank, and the sea- 
 king and all his men were drowned. 
 
 Where the quern stones went down there is to 
 this day a great whirlpool, and the waters of the 
 sea have been salt ever since.
 
 96 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 VII. 
 
 THORWALD'S BRIDAL. 
 
 DESOLATE is the cold dark north, with its ice-walls 
 and its ice-citadels rising amidst everlasting snows. 
 
 Well does the north king guard his fortress, so 
 that few dare approach it, for he breathes death on 
 those who rashly seek to do battle with him, and 
 bleached bones show to them the fate of those who 
 have gone before. 
 
 The Elivagi issuing from dreary Niflheim have 
 thrown up their waters in rimy spray, which has 
 frozen into fantastic shapes, and Ginnungagap, 
 grown wider and wider, sends forth a death-blast to 
 mortal men. 
 
 Dreary is the north, what beauty is to be seen in 
 it ? The tall pine trees with their thick bristling 
 crowns wave solemnly and shadow the deep lakes 
 and the steep hill-sides, but even they draw not 
 nigh to the ice-palace where the grey old monarch, 
 with frosty beard and crown of icicles, sits on his
 
 Thorwald's Bridal 
 
 97 
 
 awful throne. Like a statue, he sits with his white - 
 robed menials, who stand spell-bound like mourn- 
 ful ghosts, nor stir till, at the raising of his sceptre, 
 they flee forth to plant the north king's banner in 
 sunnier lands. 
 
 Southward, southward, to catch a glimpse of 
 beauty and to die for the sun-god fights for the 
 fairer lands, and the ice-clad army with their hail- 
 slings and their frosted spears, fades away as his 
 great flaming sword leaps from its scabbard. So 
 they perish, but they have seen before they die the 
 soul-entrancing beauty which they dreamed of in 
 their dreams. 
 
 Yet there is beauty in the rugged north, when 
 Night drives through the dark blue vault with her 
 black courser, and the golden stars shine out as 
 lamps along her heavenly path. Around her flash, 
 in bars of brilliant radiance, fair lights that, stream- 
 ing athwart the northern skies, light up the masses 
 of ice which the Elivagi roll up from Niflheim. 
 
 And there is beauty in the north when the beauti- 
 ful Day wakes up from peaceful slumbers in his 
 mother's arms, and gaily springs into his glittering 
 chariot. Lightly he seizes the reins, and at his 
 touch, Skinfaxi paws the air and shakes his glowing 
 H
 
 98 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 mane, and sparks of dazzling light float around, and 
 the heavens are lit up with their splendour. . The 
 stars hide their heads, and the moon turns pale, and 
 the ice-rocks glitter in a brighter and fresher light. 
 And if for a moment the lovely bridge should 
 be seen that stretches its gem-studded archway 
 from earth to heaven, the blue and rose-stained 
 crystal peaks quiver with rays of amethyst and 
 emerald. 
 
 No mortal hath yet found the spot on earth 
 whence the arch springs, else would he find a 
 treasure hidden by the gods of old, that would 
 make him rich beyond his fellows, and wiser too, 
 for when the foundations of the bridge were laid, 
 Odin, the All Father, whispered words of deep wis- 
 dom into the earth, that have lain buried there for 
 long ages. 
 
 And when this corner stone of Bifrost is found, 
 those words shall issue forth like sweet-toned music, 
 and fill the soul of the finder with the wisdom of 
 the gods ; and in his heart shall rise such undreamed- 
 of sense of bliss, that he will never care to leave 
 the earth. 
 
 So ran the old tale, and Thorwald believed in it, 
 and many an hour and many a day he spent in
 
 Thorwald's Bridal. 99 
 
 searching for the stone that would bring not only 
 wealth, but happiness and wisdom, and open to 
 him the pathway of the gods. For Thonvald's 
 heart told him that there were higher things than 
 those on earth. A voice was ever crying, 'seek, 
 seek,' and his heart-strings vibrated to the sound. 
 
 He sought amidst Norwegian Fjelds, for there 
 have the Jotuns left their traces, and he thought 
 that perchance amongst the huge boulders the Asi 
 might have laid the corner-stone of Bifrost. 
 
 Often did he wander for days without catching 
 a glimpse of its brilliant colours ; then all at once 
 some distant spot would be bathed in its rays, and 
 he would dart forward, hoping to find, amidst blue 
 and crimson flowers, that which he sought. But 
 as he drew near, the blue and crimson blossoms had 
 paled into the purest white, and the rainbow was 
 dying away behind the clouds. 
 
 Then would wild bursts of unearthly laughter 
 issue from the pine-grove, but no one was in sight. 
 Louder and shriller the laughter resounded, and 
 Thorwald knew that it was the Skogsra or wood- 
 spirit, and he must take heed how he answered it 
 
 Yet he was undaunted, and each fresh disap- 
 pointment seemed but to give him more strength,
 
 ioo Wonderful Stories. 
 
 and still his song breathed, ' Hope ! hope ! ' 
 The world was wide before him, life was in its 
 spring-tide, the sun was riding high in the glorious 
 noon, and time spread out a never-ending stream 
 that glided at his feet. And as he went his way, 
 the forest rang with echoes of his sweet spirit-stir- 
 ring voice. The branches waved as if to cheer him 
 on his way, and the birds answered the burden of 
 his song, and soared aloft as though luring him to 
 follow them into the calm blue heights above. 
 
 And Thonvald's soul fled after them, and rose 
 higher and higher than their flight. Soon would 
 he have gained the realms of the gods, and the fair 
 halls of Gimli be open to him. 
 
 ' Hope, hope/ he sang, ' art thou the bridge that 
 bears man up to heaven ? ' 
 
 Onward and ever onward he travelled, and turn- 
 ing his back on the cold north, he wended south- 
 ward like the north king's army, trusting to find in 
 more genial lands the treasure which he sought. 
 
 Suddenly, a jagged bough shot out before him, 
 that seemed with straggling fingers to point the 
 way which he should take. So at least Thorwald 
 thought, and he went musing on. 
 
 He had not gone far, before he heard a low song
 
 Thorwald' s Bridal. 101 
 
 that came stealing through the trees like the whisper 
 of the softest summer breeze, so sweet, so low, that 
 he paused, fearful lest his foot-fall might disturb it. 
 And as he listened, the sad notes filled his heart 
 with pity, and a gentle sadness stole over him. 
 
 He gave a sigh ; but the voice did not cease, and 
 Thorwald stole breathlessly towards the singer, and 
 forgot the bridge Bifrost in the spell that was cast 
 over him. He could now hear the words distinctly, 
 
 ' No hope, no hope, 
 Lost, lost, for evermore ; 
 Barred is the golden door, 
 Closed is the golden gate. 
 Lost, lost too late, too late ! 
 There is no path to heaven 
 For us to tread ; 
 There is no quiet grave, 
 No silent bed 
 
 Wherein to lie at rest, for rest hath fled ; 
 Lost, lost too late, too late ! ' 
 
 And as the last words died away, they were 
 followed by deep sobs, and Thorwald, going nearer, 
 saw a fair maiden with her arms clasped round 
 the trunk of a moss-grown pine, weeping bitterly. 
 
 Thorwald was greatly moved at her grief, and as 
 he gazed upon her, the bow shone out and its 
 glorious rays fell upon the figure of the kneeling 
 maiden.
 
 i o 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' Bifrost, Bifrost ! ' murmured Thonvald, ' thou art 
 found/ and he sprang forward to mark the spot ; 
 but when he reached it there was no trace of the 
 rainbow left, and he clasped the weeping damsel in 
 his arms. 
 
 She rose, and looked in wonderment on Thor- 
 wald. The rainbow had left its violet light in her 
 eyes, and its ruby dye yet flushed her cheek and 
 lips. Her waving hair fell like a veil around her, 
 as with crossed arms she stood mute before him. 
 
 Then there sprang up in Thorwald's heart a 
 feeling he had never known before, sweeter than 
 all the dreams of his soul ; and he thought that 
 perchance he had found the secret of all wisdom 
 that Odin had whispered into the earth the 
 precious stone from which upstarted the pathway 
 to heaven. 
 
 It seemed to him as though a fountain of joy had 
 burst forth and was overflowing the world, whilst 
 above him floated clouds of incense \vhose edges 
 were gilded with the rays of a newly risen-sun, and 
 the sun's name was Love. 
 
 He turned to the maiden: 'And art thou also 
 seeking the road to heaven ? ' he asked. 
 
 Then the maiden's tears fell fast, and she an-
 
 Tkorwald's Bridal. 103 
 
 swered : ' The gate is closed upon us, we cannot 
 enter/ 
 
 ' Nay,' replied Thorwald, ' wilt thou not let me 
 lead thee thither ? I have found the corner-stone, 
 and we will tread the pathway of the gods together.' 
 
 Then she arose, and casting her silver harp into 
 the stream, she said : ' Go, bear the tidings of 
 my happiness to my kindred. Never again shall 
 my touch awake thy mournful strains. A golden- 
 stringed harp shall be mine, and wood and hill shall 
 echo to my song of rejoicing.' 
 
 And Huldra took Thorwald's hand and kissed it. 
 Now should she become one of the mortal race. 
 
 ' We will go home,' said Thorwald. 
 
 And the words sank into the maiden's heart, 
 filling it with deep peace. .... 
 
 ' I have found the gate of heaven,' said Thorwald 
 to his mother ; ' Love can carry the human soul 
 high above the world, until it finds a dwelling-place 
 in Gladsheim, a home among the gods.' 
 
 The mother smiled sadly, for she had had her 
 dream in youth, but it had vanished, and she had 
 not yet reached heaven. Nevertheless, she an- 
 swered gently, ' Be it so, my son,' for she hoped a
 
 IO4 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 better lot might be his, and she loved Huldra for 
 Thorwald's sake, and entered into his dreams. 
 
 The wedding feast was made ready and the 
 guests were bidden, and Huldra prayed that she 
 might send for some of her own people to be 
 present at her marriage. 
 
 ' They are not far off,' she said, ' the harp bore 
 a message to them.' And so the shapely Trolls 
 mingled with the wedding guests, but none knew 
 them from human beings save Thorwald and Huldra. 
 And they ate of the feast and joined in the 
 dance, and drank health and happiness to the bride 
 and bridegroom. And Thorwald's cup of joy was 
 overflowing, and he stepped aside from the gay 
 throng to dwell for a moment in silent thankfulness 
 upon his happiness. 
 
 He threw himself upon the mossy turf, smooth 
 as velvet, and looking up into the skies, he saw the 
 shadowy bridge far, far away, floating in mid air ; 
 and as he cast down his dazzled eyes, lo ! the 
 bright-coloured beams played on a mound of earth 
 close to the spot whereon he rested. 
 
 Perchance it was the treasure-mound wherein 
 lay the coffer hidden by the gods, the golden 
 treasure !
 
 Thorwald's Bridal. 105 
 
 ' O Thonvald ! hast thou not enough already ? ' 
 
 Not for himself; he wished no greater treasure 
 for himself than that which he already had, but who 
 knew what rare- fashioned jewels might be buried 
 there which would gladden the eyes of Huldra ? 
 
 And he thrust his sword deep into the mound. 
 
 It struck against something hard, and Thonvald 
 staggered back as though he had received a blow, 
 but before he had time to recover from it, he found 
 himself seated at a festive board, around which tiny 
 elves were holding uproarious revelry. And one 
 advancing with a goblet, begged Thonvald to drink 
 to the health of the Elfin-king and queen before he 
 went back to his own bridal feast. So Thonvald 
 drained the cup, and would have returned it to the 
 hand of the elf who brought it ; but the elfin train 
 had vanished, and he found himself stretched on 
 the mossy turf. 
 
 The mound had disappeared, and he turned his 
 face in wonder towards the place where he had left 
 his bride. But everything seemed strange to him : 
 there were no signs of feasting ; no wedding 
 guests ; no bride ; but all was silent The old 
 grey tower that he called home was an ivy-grown 
 ruin ; people whose faces he knew not were
 
 io6 Woitderful Stories. 
 
 wandering hither and thither, and seemed sur- 
 prised to see a knight in rich costume roaming 
 through the woods and fields. 
 
 Thorwald was as one stunned. What had 
 happened ? He had left his home but a moment 
 since. How, then, should it be thus changed ? 
 
 He stopped an aged peasant woman. ' Where 
 are the bridal guests that feasted here but a moment 
 ago ? ' he asked. 
 
 But the old crone made no answer, she only 
 stared at him in amazement. 
 
 ' I am the bridegroom, where is my bride, where 
 is Huldra ? ' 
 
 Then the old crone started, for she thought of 
 a strange story of a wedding that had taken place 
 in her grandmother's days, and that she had often 
 heard of when a little child. 
 
 ' There has been no bride called Huldra in these 
 parts,' she said, ' since Thorwald the bard vanished at 
 his marriage feast ; but that is a hundred years ago.' 
 
 A hundred years ! And the heart of Thorwald 
 sank within him. 
 
 * Tell me the story.' 
 
 Then the crone began : ' More than a hundred 
 years ago, there lived a strange poet who dreamed
 
 Thorwald' s Bridal. 107 
 
 that he might find the path that led from earth to 
 heaven. He journeyed forth ' 
 
 But here Thorwald stopped her : ' Nay, nay, 
 good mother,' quoth he, ' I know all that, tell me 
 of the wedding feast, the bride ' 
 
 And the old woman went on : ' The wedding 
 guests were bidden to the feast ' 
 
 But again Thorwald hurriedly broke in on her 
 words. 
 
 ' Tell me how the bridegroom vanished,' he 
 asked. 
 
 ' The bridegroom was missed from the feast ; far 
 and near, high and low, they sought him, but he 
 could nowhere be found. Some said that he was 
 carried away by the Trolls ; others that he had 
 found the spot where Bifrost touches the earth, and 
 that he had crossed it and gained the regions of 
 the gods, and that there in the halls of Gimli he 
 had forgotten his bride. But how it was none ever 
 knew. The bride was wild with grief, and sought 
 after Thorwald twenty days and nights and never 
 rested, and when she came to the place where two 
 streams meet, and where, as the story goes, she had 
 thrown her silver harp away when she first met with 
 Thorwald, she sank down under a stately pine tree.
 
 io8 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 There she died ; and there she is buried. Her last 
 words were : ' Hope ! hope ! O Thorwald ! thou 
 hast given me heaven.' 
 
 Thorwald's heart stood still, his dream of bliss 
 was shattered, and the world grew dark. The 
 treasure, if indeed he had found it, had been 
 snatched away, to show him that on earth is no 
 undying happiness. His high hopes died away, he 
 turned from the wondering crone, and sought the 
 grave of Huldra. And there, in his bitter grief, he 
 wept and called aloud : ' O Huldra ! Huldra !' 
 
 And through the pine-grove came an echo back, 
 clear and sweet, unlike an earthly voice, and it 
 answered: 'Huldra! Huldra!' 
 
 It sounded so far off that Thonvald thought that 
 a voice had spoken to him from heaven. 
 
 And as he gazed upward Bifrost once more 
 shone out, brighter and more beautiful than ever. 
 Thonvald could see clearly now its golden arches 
 dipping into a sea of blue, and its stones of brilliant 
 hues flashing in the sunlight. It rested at his feet, 
 then far away it stretched till it was lost in heaven, 
 and where it touched the clouds he saw the form of 
 his beloved Huldra. A sparkling crown was on 
 her brow, she smiled lovingly and stretched out
 
 Thorwald' s Bridal. 109 
 
 her arms towards him. And as she smiled, he 
 heard a solemn whisper issue from the ground : 
 ' Through death alone can mortals gain the joy 
 that shall know no end.' 
 
 Perhaps this was the secret that Odin had buried 
 long since in the earth. 
 
 The body of Thorwald was never found. The 
 peasants believe that unseen hands laid him in 
 the grave beside Huldra, and that the course of 
 the river was changed so that their resting-place 
 might never be known. 
 
 Yet if some poet-dreamer should find the spot 
 where the bright rainbow takes root in the earth, 
 he may rest assured that he has found the grave of 
 Thorwald and his bride.
 
 1 10 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 VIII. 
 CHRISTIN'S TROUBLE. 
 
 THERE was once a very beautiful maiden whose 
 name was Christin, and she was betrothed to a 
 noble knight. 
 
 Christin had long yellow locks, and when the 
 sun shone upon them they glittered so brightly 
 that one might almost believe they were threads of 
 gold. But when Sir Peter stroked little Christin's 
 shining hair he knew that no gold was ever half so 
 soft. 
 
 Sir Peter was a very valiant knight and little 
 Christin loved him with all her heart, and as he 
 also loved her, it would seem that there was no 
 cause for her to be unhappy. Nevertheless she 
 was unhappy, and she wept so sorely that Sir 
 Peter was much grieved, and tried to find out what 
 was the reason of her tears. 
 
 ' My heart's dear,' said Sir Peter, ' tell me what 
 hath vexed thee.' 
 
 But Christin's sobs prevented her from replying ;
 
 Ckristiris Trouble. 1 1 1 
 
 she tried to speak, but the words died away upon 
 her lips. 
 
 Now it happened that Sir Peter had been 
 amusing himself in the courtyard, and he thought 
 that this might in some way have annoyed the 
 maiden. 
 
 ' Is it saddle or steed that does not please thee ?' 
 he asked. 
 
 But that was not the trouble. 
 
 'Dost thou not love me?' said the Knight. 
 'Canst thou be grieving that thou art to be my 
 bride ? ' 
 
 ' Nay, nay,' replied Christin at last, ' it is not 
 that I grieve for.' 
 
 ' Wherefore then dost thou weep, since to-day is 
 to be thy wedding day?' 
 
 'Ah!' answered Christin, 'it is because I fear 
 lest what was said when I was a child should come 
 true to-day. It was ever told me that some great 
 evil should happen to me on my wedding day ; 
 and now I tremble as I think of passing over the 
 waters of Ringfalla. Two of my sisters were lost 
 in its deceitful depths, and I am afraid of a like 
 fate for myself. Alas, alas! these yellow locks that 
 you prize so much may be wet beneath the cold
 
 ii2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 waves of Ringfalla ere the sun goes down. I see 
 my lost sisters ever before me, and they beckon to 
 me to join them deep down below the flood.' 
 
 Then Sir Peter tried to comfort Christin, and he 
 bade her take courage, for everything should be 
 done to prevent any harm from happening to her. 
 And, as the greatest safeguard he could think of, 
 he promised that the horse she rode should be 
 shod with golden shoes nailed on with golden nails, 
 so that it would be impossible for it to stumble or 
 meet with any mishap. 
 
 ' And besides that,' he added, ' you shall be well 
 guarded, little Christin, for twelve of my courtiers 
 shall ride before you, and twelve at either side, so 
 that you need have no cause for fear.' 
 
 Still Christin wept bitterly. P.erhaps she had 
 not so much faith in golden shoes as other people 
 had. But if she did not trust much in the shoes, 
 perhaps she had some confidence when she saw 
 the brave train of courtiers who were to attend her. 
 Surely they would guard her in case of danger, 
 and even if she fell into the waters of Ringfalla, 
 there were arms strong enough to save her. 
 
 A gallant train they were, in their silks and 
 velvets and holiday plumes, and their scabbards
 
 Christin s Trouble. 113 
 
 gleamed with costly gems, and gay were the trap- 
 pings of the milk-white palfrey that Christin was 
 to ride. The saddle-cloth was of purple fringed 
 with gold, and as the palfrey pawed the ground its 
 golden shoes flashed like fire. 
 
 Christin began to forget her troubles at the 
 sight of the splendour before her. She dried her 
 tears, and the wedding train went merrily onward. 
 
 They rode and rode until the forest of Ringfalla 
 came in sight, and the green boughs waved as 
 though they would welcome the bride. 
 
 They rode on and on until they reached the 
 forest and found themselves in its pleasant shade. 
 Wide spread the branched ceiling above them, and 
 the birds twittered a song of greeting. The sun 
 peeped through the leafy archways, and sent slant- 
 ing rays of light that flickered on the pathway and 
 rested on the edges of the fragrant blossoms. It 
 was very beautiful, so beautiful that Christin's 
 sorrow was quite hushed, and she gazed in delight 
 through the tall ferns, and tangled bushes, and 
 slender tree stems until they became indistinct in 
 the distance ; or she turned her eyes upward 
 through the twining tracery of the branches, and 
 I
 
 1 14 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 caught a glimpse of the summer sky that seemed 
 like an arch of sapphire. 
 
 Meanwhile the courtiers were attracted by a 
 very different sight, and truly it was something 
 marvellous that they beheld. 
 
 A deer with golden horns. Such a deer had 
 never been seen before, so slender, so graceful, 
 with eyes that shone like diamonds, and above 
 alt, with golden horns. No wonder they should 
 look upon it as a prize. A stag's head with 
 golden horns would be a trophy worth having. 
 It was too great a temptation for the courtiers 
 to resist. 
 
 So the twelve courtiers in front, and the twelve 
 on either side, and we are not told how many 
 more, fell to hunting the wonderful deer. 
 
 And poor little Christin was left almost alone, 
 there was no one with her but Sir Peter. The 
 waters of Ringfalla were close at hand, and in 
 another minute she would have to pass over the 
 bridge she so much dreaded with nothing to trust 
 to but her horse's golden shoes. 
 
 Doubtless she felt very much frightened, but 
 there was no help for it, she must cross the bridge 
 on the way to the church.
 
 Christiris Trouble. 1 1 5 
 
 Go on, good steed ; may thy golden shoes enable 
 thee to carry little Christin over in safety ! 
 
 Alas ! alas ! In spite of the golden shoes, the 
 palfrey stumbled, and little Christin was thrown 
 into the calm, still waters. 
 
 Down, down she sank, deep down ; and before 
 Sir Peter had even time to dismount she was no 
 longer to be seen. 
 
 He would have plunged in to save her ; but this 
 he knew would be of no avail, and they would both 
 perish in Ringfalla's flood. 
 
 He turned, therefore, to his little footpage. 
 ' Go swiftly,' quoth he, ' and bring me my golden 
 harp.' 
 
 And the footpage mounted his master's charger 
 and away he rode full fleetly. 
 
 It seemed an age to Sir Peter till the page 
 returned, but he came at last bearing the harp 
 with him. 
 
 Now it may be asked, of what use can a harp be 
 to drowning people ? 
 
 It would be none at all now-a-days, but then 
 these are not the days of wonders. Those old 
 fairy times have passed away, and there is no trace 
 of them left upon the earth.
 
 1 1 6 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Then, too, it may be said: 'Surely Christin 
 must be dead by this time, she has been so long 
 under the water.' 
 
 Ah ! but she has not been drowning ; she has 
 been visiting a mighty palace underneath the 
 waves of Ringfalla, and has seen sights of which 
 mortals have never dreamed, strange water-plants 
 whose flowers have petals of pure crystal, and 
 whose long leaves are like bands of soft green 
 velvet, twisting round the pillars of the palace. 
 And great shining pebbles of blue, and green, 
 and crimson studding the yellow sand. And 
 curious creatures of brilliant hues, of every shape 
 and size, crawling, or swimming, or darting 
 hither and thither on delicate wing-like fins, 
 so that one might suppose them to be water- 
 butterflies. 
 
 And Christin knows that in this river-palace she 
 must live for ever if Sir Peter should not be able 
 to win her back from the ugly sprite who has 
 made her his captive as he did her two sisters 
 long ago. 
 
 And whilst she is thinking of all this, and the 
 ugly sprite is sitting grinning at her, suddenly a 
 sound so soft and beautiful comes through the
 
 CHRISTIN'S TROUBLE. 
 ' As tlie ugly sprite heard it he sprang ashore' (p. 117}.
 
 Christiris Trouble. 117 
 
 waters that the ugly sprite leaves off grinning and 
 listens to it attentively. 
 
 It is Sir Peter striking the first chord on his harp. 
 
 And the ugly sprite, turning away from Christin, 
 rose up to the top of the flood, and there he sat 
 upon a wave and laughed. 
 
 Sir Peter spoke no word, but he struck the harp 
 a second time. 
 
 And a sweet murmuring note stole over the 
 waters, and the waves carried it on and on until it 
 died away for ever. 
 
 And as the ugly sprite heard it he sprang 
 ashore, and, throwing himself on the mossy turf, 
 he wept aloud. 
 
 Still Sir Peter spoke never a word, but struck 
 his harp for the third time. 
 
 And a soft white arm was raised above the 
 stream. It was little Christin's arm. 
 
 But Sir Peter spake never a word, but still went 
 on playing. 
 
 Presently Christin lifted her head above the 
 water and looked at him. 
 
 Of course Sir Peter was overjoyed, but he did 
 not let his joy run away with his good sense. He 
 knew that what had come to pass was all owing to
 
 1 1 8 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 the golden harp, and he determined, as it had been 
 successful so far, to give it a fair trial. 
 
 This was a wise resolve on his part, for, aided by 
 the wonderful music, Christin had grasped some 
 floating lilies which floated her close up to the 
 bank of the river, and she scrambled through the 
 rushes and crept close to Sir Peter. 
 
 The beautiful music had saved her ! 
 
 Now during this time the ugly sprite had been 
 overwhelmed by repentant feelings, and this was 
 what came of it 
 
 He suddenly plunged into the river again, and in 
 another moment Sir Peter and Christin saw him 
 rising to the surface with two fair maidens whom 
 Christin knew at once to be her sisters. 
 
 She sprang forward to meet them, but Sir Peter 
 still went on playing, for perchance the ugly sprite 
 might have changed his mind if the music had 
 ceased. 
 
 And so Christin and her sisters were brought 
 back from the waters of Ringfalla through the 
 sounds of a golden harp. 
 
 The harp was of more use than the golden 
 shoes ! 
 
 Christin's trouble was over. The train of
 
 Christiris Trouble. 1 1 9 
 
 courtiers rejoined Sir Peter again, and they all 
 went merrily on to the church, where Christin and 
 Sir Peter were married. 
 
 Doubtless the lost sisters acted as bridesmaids, 
 and afterwards married handsome knights, with 
 whom they lived as happily for ever after as 
 Christin did with Sir Peter.
 
 1 20 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 IX. 
 HO W THE WOLF FENRIS WAS CHAINED. 
 
 IN the times when Odin and Thor ruled in Asgard 
 there were giants and monsters of all sorts, and 
 some of the evil gods had monsters for children. 
 
 So it was with Loki, who had married Signe, the 
 daughter of one of the Jotuns or giants. Two of 
 his children were Jormungand, the great serpent, 
 and the wolf Fenris ; the third was a daughter 
 named Hela, who, though she was not a monster, 
 was nevertheless very terrible to look upon. They 
 were all born in Jotunheim, where they lived for 
 some time before the Asi heard anything about 
 them. 
 
 When at length the tidings that they lived 
 reached the ears of Odin, he felt very uneasy, as 
 did the Asi generally, for they called to mind 
 certain old prophecies, which said that these 
 monsters should arise, and in due time bring great 
 evils both upon gods and men. Nay, it was even 
 said that the wolf Fenris should devour Odin him-
 
 How the Wolf Fenris was Chained. 121 
 
 self. Well, therefore, might Odin wish that some- 
 thing should at once be done to curb the growing 
 power of Loki's offspring. At the same time he 
 feared to offend Loki, who was his foster-brother. 
 He had never forgotten the days of their child- 
 hood, and would never hold a feast unless Loki 
 were present. 
 
 However, he called together a council of the 
 Asi, and at length it was agreed that the three 
 children should be brought from Jotunheim to 
 some place where they might be more within his 
 power. 
 
 If Odin could have slain them at once, he 
 would doubtless have been well pleased to do so ; 
 but this was not in his power. He was only able 
 to command them, and they were bound to obey 
 him as the greatest of the gods. 
 
 So the summons went forth, and on a given day 
 Loki, with Hela, Fenris, and Jormungand arrived at 
 the palace where Odin awaited them, seated upon 
 his throne, and surrounded by the Asi in their 
 glittering array. 
 
 Loki certainly was not dazzled by the splendour 
 of the gods, he was used to such displays among 
 them. Neither did it seem in any way to
 
 122 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 move his offspring, who drew near to the steps of 
 the throne without looking either to the right or 
 to the left. 
 
 Hela was a little in front. Her face was grim 
 and fierce; half her body was black, half flesh 
 colour. So terrible was she to look at, that a 
 shudder ran through the whole assembly as they 
 gazed upon her awful form. 
 
 ' It is clear that she belongs not to us/ said one 
 of the Asi. 
 
 And Hela at the words half drew the knife out 
 of her belt, as though she would strike at the 
 speaker. 
 
 But Odin said, ' Nay, over the Asi thou shalt 
 have no power. In Midgard, where men dwell, 
 shalt thou be feared, and thy rule shall be over 
 those of human race. Sorrowfully shall they own 
 thee as a sovereign, from whose commands there is 
 no appeal. Over them shalt thou be queen, and 
 the greatest of kings shall stand in awe of thee. 
 Go forth, and from the kingdom I will give thee 
 send forth thy decrees to the children of men.' 
 
 Then Odin gave to Hela a dreary kingdom in 
 Niflheim, the world of mist that is older than 
 heaven and earth; and there she had charge
 
 How the Wolf Fenris was Chained. 123 
 
 over nine worlds, and had a spacious palace with 
 many halls, but all of them were dark and gloomy. 
 4 The dish that thou shalt eat of shall be hunger,' 
 continued Odin ; ' thy bed shall be the bed of sick- 
 ness, and its hangings splendid woe. Only the 
 dead shall people thy kingdom, and the light of 
 day shall be shut out from it for ever.' 
 
 And Hela, having heard her sentence, turned 
 away with a stony countenance. It mattered little 
 to her where she reigned, so long as she could smite 
 and slay. 
 
 Then Jormungand drew near. The slimy mon- 
 ster wound and twisted his huge body towards the 
 throne, and a dull lustre shimmered round his heavy 
 scales. The gods shrank back, for malice flashed 
 from his cruel eyes, and the sound of his hissing 
 was fearful to hear. 
 
 But Odin bade him be silent, and the great 
 serpent lowered his head and crouched at the king's 
 feet. 
 
 And lo, the palace walls suddenly opened, and 
 over the fair gardens of Asgard came a deep, low 
 murmur, and then a mist appeared in the distance, 
 which, as the Asi gazed, shaped itself into the 
 likeness of a troubled sea. Louder yet grew the
 
 124 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 murmur until it changed into a deep roar, and the 
 gods all wondered what was coming to pass, for it 
 seemed as though the great ocean that surrounds 
 all lands were rushing onward and would overwhelm 
 the palace. The waves reared their crests higher 
 and higher, and nearer and nearer rolled the waters. 
 
 ' It is a miracle ! ' exclaimed the Asi. 
 
 But Odin rose and seized the huge serpent and 
 flung him into the advancing tide. 
 
 One heavy plunge, one blinding sheet of mist 
 that hid the sunlight and the bright blue sky, one 
 hideous cry, and then a sudden hush, and as the 
 white mist cleared away, behold the waters had 
 vanished, and naught was to be seen but the fair 
 land of Asgard. 
 
 The ocean had seized its prey, and in its depths 
 the serpent was to grow and grow*until at length he 
 should stretch all round the world, and lie there 
 harmless, with his tail in his mouth, until the day 
 of Ragnarock should dawn. 
 
 Then only Fenris was left to receive the sentence 
 of Odin. 
 
 The palace walls had closed again, and the 
 king of heaven bid the giant- wolf draw near. 
 
 Never had the Asi seen so huge a beast of 
 the kind ; he was, moreover, sleek and well shaped,
 
 How the Wolf Fenris was Chained. 125 
 
 but hi$ look was full of craft and cunning, and he 
 came stealthily along as though he would beg a 
 milder fate than had befallen his brother Jormun- 
 gand. 
 
 The gods pressed forward to gain a better view 
 of the well formed animal, and praised his shining 
 coat and lithe limbs. What would be his doom ? 
 And they waited anxiously to hear what Odin 
 would say. 
 
 ' What say you to our looking after Fenris our- 
 selves ? ' asked the king. 
 
 Then several of the gods stepped forward, and 
 stroked his sleek sides, and patted his comely 
 head, and the wolf seemed so tame that Odin 
 thought that now at least there was nothing to be 
 feared from him. And in the end it was agreed 
 that Fenris shcfuld be brought up among the 
 Asi. 
 
 So Fenris was lodged in Asgard ; and whilst he 
 was quite young all went on well, though some- 
 times he showed signs of such fierceness that none 
 but Tyr, who was a son of Odin, and one of the 
 boldest and most stout-hearted among the gods, 
 dared to feed him. 
 
 As he grew older his strength increased so 
 greatly that the gods began to fear that in the end
 
 1 26 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 he might prove too much for them. They also 
 called to mind the sayings concerning the evil that 
 he was to bring upon them, and they pondered 
 whether they should not bind him fast before he 
 became any stronger. 
 
 Now Fenris, although he knew not what the gods 
 were thinking of, began to fear something when 
 he saw that they never came to him singly, but 
 always many together, and were, moreover, well 
 armed, and more than once brought chains with 
 them as if they would use them if they might be 
 able to do so. He resolved, therefore, to keep 
 watch. 
 
 ' If they want to bind me,' said he to himself, 
 ' they must find stronger chains than any that have 
 been forged in Asgard.' Still he pretended not to 
 see what they were doing. 
 
 ' I wonder if you are as strong as I am,' said 
 Thor to the wolf. 'See, I can break this chain 
 asunder easily. If you were bound with it, could 
 you do the same ? ' 
 
 ' Try me,' answered Fenris, who saw at a glance 
 that the chain was not too strong for him. And 
 he allowed it to be wound round and round his 
 body, and fastened to a great iron staple that ran
 
 How the Wolf Fenris was Chained. 127 
 
 many feet into the earth. Then he shook himself 
 three times, and the third time the fetters fell to 
 the ground, and he was free. 
 
 'I can break a stronger chain than that,' said 
 Fenris. 
 
 And the gods went away, and made another 
 chain heavier and thicker than the last, and called 
 it Dromi. 
 
 Then again they came to Fenris, and asked him 
 if he were willing to try his strength once more. 
 
 Fenris eyed the chain narrowly, but feeling that 
 he had strength enough to break it suffered himself 
 again to be bound, and, as before, he broke the 
 chain in pieces, and the splinters flew far and near. 
 And the gods were rilled with dismay, for Fenris 
 was already beyond their power to bind. What 
 were they to do ? 
 
 Bragi, the eloquent god, stepped forward, and 
 in a long speech, in which he taught them that 
 iron and base metal could not overcome such 
 strength as that of Fenris, he told them that 
 from more subtle elements a magic cord might be 
 woven that would resist the wolf's most vigorous 
 efforts. 
 
 ' But where may we get such a cord ? ' asked Tyr.
 
 1 2 8 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' We have forged to the best of our power, and are 
 unable to make a chain that can hold the monster.' 
 
 ' The gods are not blacksmiths,' returned Bragi ; 
 ' send to those who are. The dwarfs of Black-Elf- 
 land understand the secrets of the craft better than 
 we do.' 
 
 Now the region of Black-Elfland, where the 
 dwarfs and dark elves dwell, is deep below the 
 earth. There they work in metals, and are skilful 
 in all smith's work. 
 
 So Ull, the god who runs swiftly on snow- 
 shoes, was sent to see what the dwarfs could do. 
 And when the dwarfs had heard his story, they 
 told him that they could make a cord so strong 
 that not even the Asas themselves could break it, 
 and yet to outward seeming so slender that Fenris 
 would not be afraid of trying it. It was to be 
 wrought of six things, the sound of a cat's footsteps, 
 the roots of a mountain, and a fish's breath being 
 amongst them. 
 
 And the dwarfs set to work, and twined and 
 twisted the materials so deftly, that none could see 
 the joining, or guess of what woof they were woven. 
 And when the cord was finished, they gave it to 
 Ull, who quickly departed with it for Asgard.
 
 How the Wolf Fenris was chained. 129 
 
 The gods were a little disappointed when they 
 saw so slender a bond, which looked as if it might 
 be easily snapped, but when they had tried their 
 utmost strength upon it, they found that even 
 Thor could do no more than strain it slightly. 
 And in very good spirits, they went to Fenris, and 
 took him with them to the island of Syngvi, in the 
 lake Amsvartnir. 
 
 There they feasted, and made merry, and at 
 last began to try feats of strength. One after an- 
 other broke mighty bars of iron, and rent huge 
 chains in pieces, or hurled stones of prodigious 
 weight. 
 
 Fenris followed their example. One crunch of 
 his jaws shivered the strongest iron, and a stroke 
 of his paw sundered the heaviest chains. And 
 when the gods thought he must be somewhat tired, 
 they showed him the rope. 
 
 ' It is so late in the day,' said Bragi, ' that we 
 will give you no hard task. We have kept the 
 most slender cord until the last. You shall have 
 the first try at it.' 
 
 Certainly the cord was very fragile to look at ; 
 but Fenris was wary, he suspected treachery, and 
 at first refused to be bound with it. But the gods 
 K
 
 1 30 Wonder fid Stories. 
 
 laughed at his fears and said that he was becoming 
 a coward. 
 
 ' No coward am I,' replied Fenris, ' but I fear 
 that ye are playing me false. Let Tyr put his hand 
 into my mouth as a pledge of your good faith, 
 then will I submit to be bound.' 
 
 So Tyr put his hand into Fenris's mouth, and the 
 gods wound the rope Gleipner round and round the 
 wolfs body, and fastened his legs in such a manner 
 that if the rope were as strong as the dwarfs had 
 promised, there would be no doubt of his being 
 their prisoner. 
 
 Fenris lay quite still whilst the rope was being 
 tied, for he had Tyr in his power, and he trusted to 
 that in case there should be any treachery. 
 
 Tyr finding that Fenris was fast bound, at- 
 tempted gently to withdraw his hand ; but the wolf 
 kept a firm hold, nor did he loose it even in the 
 midst of his struggles to break the rope. 
 
 The Asi gave a shout. ' Long live the dwarfs 
 of the Black Elfland, their work is to be trusted.' 
 
 And again Fenris strove with all his might to 
 free himself from his bonds, but in vain, and he lay 
 on the ground panting and well-nigh exhausted with 
 his efforts. Tyr's hand was still between his teeth,
 
 How the Wolf Fenris was chained. 131 
 
 and he glared savagely as much as to say, ' We are 
 captives together.' 
 
 Then Tyr began to try what force might do, 
 and with the hand that was free he sought to open 
 the wolf's jaws so as to free the other. He 
 had half succeeded when Fenris, in fear lest he 
 might lose it, made a sudden snap and bit it off, 
 and Tyr stood clear of the wolf, but with only one 
 hand. 
 
 Fenris was captive now. 
 And the Asi raised a shout of joy. 
 Tyr however was silent, sorrowing over his loss, 
 and yet, perhaps, he felt that it was well to get rid 
 of the monster even at such a cost. 
 
 Then the Asi bound Fenris to a huge rock, and 
 to fasten him the better they drove a sword through 
 his jaws and pinned him fast. 
 
 He howled dreadfully and foam issued from his 
 nostrils. And there he must lie until the day of 
 Ragnarock, when he, as well as Jormungand, shall 
 once more be free. Then terrible things shall 
 come to pass. But the gods hope that that day is 
 far off, for when it comes they must die. 
 
 Three winters without a summer shall go before 
 it, and on the plains of Vigrid, a hundred miles 
 
 K 2
 
 132 Wonder fu I Stories. 
 
 square, a fearful battle shall be fought in which all 
 shall perish. 
 
 The gods, the giants, the living and the dead 
 shall all be present at it. The heroes who are 
 dwelling in Odin's halls shall issue forth when they 
 hear the gold-combed cock. The dead who inhabit 
 Hela's dreary dwellings shall come forth when the 
 red cock crows in hell. Jormungand the serpent 
 and Fenris will be unloosed, and Odin and Thor 
 meet their death as it had been fcretold. 
 
 The gods care not to think of Ragnarock. Though 
 it must come, they put all thoughts of it away ; and 
 perchance they look beyond to the new earth that 
 is promised them, when the world in which they 
 now dwell shall have been destroyed, and to the 
 time when the gods shall wake up after their death- 
 sleep and live for ever in joy and gladness.
 
 The Story of Iduna. 133 
 
 X.. 
 
 THE STORY OF IDUNA. 
 
 ODIN STARTS ON A JOURNEY. 
 
 ALTHOUGH Asgard was very beautiful, the Asi did 
 not care always to remain at home. They were 
 fond of travelling abroad to see the rest of the 
 world and to do great things. Even Odin himself 
 got tired of sitting day after day upon his golden 
 throne and holding councils of the gods in the 
 great hall of Valhalla. 
 
 Odin liked change as well as any of the Asi. 
 And one day he and Haenir and Loki set off 
 together upon a journey. 
 
 As long as they were in the land of Asgard 
 everything was pleasant enough. The grass was 
 soft under their feet ; the fruit was plentiful on the 
 trees ; and there were boars, and deer, and birds 
 innumerable for them to shoot when they needed 
 food. But when they left the bounds of their own 
 land all was changed. Instead of fertile valleys 
 and hills covered with verdure, they found sandy 
 plains on which no shrub would grow, and where
 
 1 34 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 there were no refreshing wells of water. Further 
 on they met with barren mountains whose rocky 
 sides were sharp and steep, and in the flinty valleys 
 at their base rolled rivers of water so salt that the 
 least drop gave them unquenchable thirst, so that 
 Odin, Haenir, and Loki could not even moisten 
 their parched throats. 
 
 This was not very cheering ; but the travellers 
 kept up their spirits, hoping in time to find the 
 wonderful land, beautiful as Asgard itself, which 
 Loki had told them lay beyond this dismal region. 
 And although Odin did not place much trust in 
 Loki's words, he nevertheless thought it likely that 
 they must in time come to something less desolate 
 than the land through which they were passing, 
 and so he journeyed hopefully along. 
 
 Presently he saw what he had hoped for. As they 
 reached the top of a low range of hills, they came 
 in sight of a patch of green pasture-land through 
 which a stream wound peacefully. Here were 
 countless cattle grazing, and the sight cheered 
 Odin and his companions as they had had nothing 
 to eat for some time, for the food which they had 
 brought in their wallets from Asgard they had 
 long since devoured.
 
 The Story of Iduna. 135 
 
 Eagerly they killed one of the oxen; and as 
 Loki said that he would make it ready for supper, 
 since he knew more about such things than either 
 Odin or Haenir, it was agreed that he should be 
 left under a wide-spreading tree, and that the 
 other gods should stroll forth and see the beautiful 
 valley ,which they had happily found. 
 
 LOKI'S ADVENTURE WITH THE EAGLE. 
 
 There was nothing that Loki liked better than 
 being left to his own devices, and having every- 
 thing his own way. So no sooner were Odin and 
 Haenir gone than he gathered and lighted a pile of 
 sticks and dry leaves, and soon had a fire hot 
 enough to roast the largest ox that ever lived. 
 
 Next he made a spit, for Loki was a crafty god, 
 and fastening the ox to it, he went on cooking, con- 
 stantly heaping up fresh fuel on the fire, and so 
 keeping up such a heat that none but Loki himself 
 would have cared to be so near to it. 
 
 In due time the ox was roasted, or at least Loki 
 thought that it was roasted, for the outside looked 
 as if it were thoroughly well cooked ; but when he 
 cut off a small slice and tasted it, he found that it
 
 1 36 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 was as raw as when he had fastened it to the spit. 
 Again he set to work, and piling twice as much 
 wood on the fire as he had done at first, he sat 
 down and waited ; but he waited in vain the ox 
 would not roast. 
 
 Loki was very much astonished ; he had never 
 met with such an ox before, and he did not at all 
 know what to do. He pushed it nearer the fire, in- 
 deed the flames were playing close around it, yet 
 they seemed to do nothing. He thought that he 
 must give up his task in despair, when a voice said 
 from among the branches overhead, ' So you can't 
 roast your ox, Loki.' Loki looked up. 
 
 ' Ah I thought something must be at work some- 
 where,' said he ; 'no, I cannot.' 
 
 ' If you will promise to give me part of it,' con- 
 tinued the voice, ' I will promise that it shall be 
 cooked in half the time that you have been about 
 it.' 
 
 Again Loki looked up, and this time he saw a 
 huge eagle perched upon the topmost branches of 
 the tree. He was so large that his wings stretched 
 all across it, and his eyes looked like two fires 
 shining down upon Loki. 
 
 ' I wonder that I did not see you before, for you
 
 The Story of Iduna. 137 
 
 are large enough,' said Loki. Well, as I cannot 
 cook my supper without your help, I suppose I 
 must make terms. Yes, you shall have part of it.' 
 
 ' Very well,' said the eagle, ' I am very hungry, 
 and I will keep my eye upon it for you.' 
 
 Now, whether it was that the eagle's eyes were 
 really fires as they seemed to be, or whether his 
 great wings fanned the flames until they rose as 
 high as the tree itself, it is impossible to say. What- 
 ever the cause might be, in a very few minutes the 
 ox was ready to be eaten. 
 
 ' And now for my share,' quoth the eagle. And 
 coming 'down from the tree, he planted his claws 
 firmly in the shoulders of the animal, and said that 
 he would take them as his portion. 
 
 Whereupon Loki grew very angry. He and his 
 comrades had killed the ox, and he had skinned it, 
 and had made up the fire, and had been at the 
 trouble of cooking it, and it was not fair that the 
 eagle should claim so large a share. 
 
 ' Where would your cooking have been if I had 
 not helped you ? ' asked the eagle. 
 
 ' There would have been nothing to cook if we 
 had not found the food,' answered Loki. 
 
 ' Might makes right,' said the Eagle, wrenching
 
 138 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 away the shoulders from the rest of the body. But 
 Loki was not going to give way to him without a 
 struggle, so seizing a great faggot that was lying 
 near, he struck valiantly at the eagle. 
 
 ' We'll have a fight for it,' said Loki. 
 
 ' But not here,' answered the eagle. 
 
 And lo, to Loki's amazement, he found that one 
 end of the faggot was firmly stuck to the back of 
 the eagle, whilst the other had so grown to his 
 hand that he could not loose his grasp of it. 
 
 ' Now then,' said the eagle, and up he rose into 
 the air carrying Loki with him. Away they flew, 
 over mountain, over valley, over sea and sandy 
 plain, away ! away ! away ! It was no use for Loki 
 to shout. ' Stop ! stop ! ' which he did with all his 
 might ; the eagle had no thought of stopping, and 
 Loki was dragged along until he thought that his 
 arm would be broken. 
 
 Sometimes the eagle flew low, and then Loki was 
 bruised against the sharp flinty rocks, or blinded 
 with the dust, or dipped into the sea. Sometimes 
 the eagle flew high, and then Loki was smothered 
 among the clouds, or knocked about amongst 
 myriads of hailstones ; and once he thought he was 
 going to be dashed against the stars ; and all the
 
 The Story of Iduna. 139 
 
 time he felt so dizzy, that he feared he was losing 
 his senses altogether. 
 
 Once, too, he thought that far, far away he saw 
 the glittering palace of Gladsheim, shining like a 
 gem in Asgard. Then he shouted as loud as he 
 could to one god after another, Odin ! Thor ! Vidar! 
 Tyr ! Heimdall ! Bragi ! hoping that some might 
 hear him. But no one heeded him. 
 
 ' Bragi,' said the eagle, slackening his pace a 
 little, ' Bragi. He is the husband of Iduna ? ' 
 
 ' Yes,' stammered Loki, almost breathless. 
 
 ' Well, it is of no use calling upon any of the Asi 
 to help you,' said the eagle, ' but you can help your- 
 self if you choose.' 
 
 ' How ? ' asked Loki eagerly. 
 
 ' I am not an eagle,' said the great bird, pausing 
 in his flight, and settling upon a great thunder- 
 cloud that was slowly sailing along. 
 
 ' Are you not ? ' said Loki, opening his eyes. 
 
 ' No, I am the Jotun Thiasse, and I have long 
 been in love with Iduna; and if you will take an 
 oath to deliver Iduna and her apples into my 
 hands, I will set you down as near to Asgard as I 
 dare venture.' 
 
 Now Loki cared little either for Iduna or Bragi.
 
 140 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Indeed, he rather disliked Bragi, who was always 
 gladdening the Asi by his honeyed words, and was 
 therefore applauded by them, and the envious Loki 
 was vexed whenever he heard anyone praised. 
 Therefore he willingly took the oath, and promised 
 to bring Iduna and her apples to Thiasse. 
 
 Whereupon the eagle, hidden from sight by 
 the thunder-cloud, dropped Loki gently down 
 upon the earth, and Loki opening his eyes which 
 he had closed as he fell, found himself near the 
 bounds of Asgard. 
 
 IDUNA. 
 
 Who was fairer in the land of Asgard than 
 Iduna ? Fresh as the morning, blithesome as the 
 singing birds, nimble as the young fawn, never- 
 tiring, never-sorrowing; full of hope, of joy, of 
 gladness, the everlasting rose in the garden of 
 gods. 
 
 Well might the god of the voice sweet as honey 
 choose for his queen the maiden who was the 
 guardian of everlasting youth. Poetry and youth 
 ever go together, and so the Asi had blessed the 
 marriage of Bragi with the daughter of Ivalldr.
 
 The Story of Iduna. 141 
 
 The dwarf Ivalldr dwelt in caverns beneath the 
 earth, and there he wrought at his craft full cun- 
 ningly, and many a gift he made for the gods, but 
 his best gift was given to his child Iduna, who like 
 an imprisoned sunbeam had given light to her 
 father's darksome dwelling. 
 
 Where could a more skilful workman be found 
 than the dwarf Ivalldr ? 
 
 Great was the wonder of the gods when they 
 saw the beautifully chased casket of gold which 
 Ivalldr ave to his daughter on her wedding day, 
 greate**men they learned that it contained a trea- 
 sure which made it a right worthy dower for the 
 bride of one of the Asi. 
 
 In the casket were golden apples which only 
 Ivalldr knew how to make, and which could bring 
 back youth to the withering limbs of the old ; and 
 thus when the Asi felt that they were losing their 
 strength, they had but to taste Iduna's golden 
 apples, and behold they were young again as when 
 the light of the sun had first risen upon them. 
 And there was yet another wonder, for these 
 apples could never fail. No matter how often the 
 Asi ate of them, they still remained as they had 
 been when the dwarf first made them.
 
 1 4 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Iduna, therefore, was a great goddess, and she 
 would be missed more than anyone in Asgard. If 
 then the Jotun Thiasse could make her his wife 
 and have her golden apples, he might think himself 
 a very lucky giant. 
 
 Bragi and Iduna lived in a palace covered with 
 unfading roses. The garden round it was gay 
 with flowers that seemed to have been dipped in 
 the glory of Bifrost, and the birds that sang their 
 ceaseless song by the fountains were like no other 
 birds that fluttered in the groves of Asgard. 
 
 Loki had often been in this garden, though 
 Iduna. did not care much to see him there, for 
 she never felt sure but that he might mean some 
 mischief. 
 
 But Loki knew the way to the garden, and he 
 knew that he should find Iduna there, feeding her 
 doves, or twining up her roses, or gathering great 
 baskets of sweet-scented violets to strew upon the 
 floor of her home. So when he reached Asgard 
 he went at once to the dwelling of the beautiful 
 goddess, and to the garden, where he found her as 
 he thought he should. 
 
 ' You have soon come back from your travels, 
 Loki/ she said.
 
 T/te Story of Iduna. 143 
 
 Loki nodded his head. 
 
 ' I had my reasons,' he said. ' I have left Odin 
 and Haenir in the most wonderful land that you 
 can think of. I never saw anything like it, and in 
 one spot that I alone found there is a tree on which 
 apples grow, far more lovely than yours. I was 
 going to gather one, when suddenly the leaves 
 began to shiver and a voice sighed out of the tree, 
 " None but Iduna may gather the fruit I bear." 
 Therefore I hastened home to tell you of it, and 
 now, if you like, I will take you there, and you can 
 fill your casket up to the brim. It will hold a 
 great many more apples than Ivalldr gave you, 
 and it is a pity that it should not be full.' 
 
 Iduna listened, and as she listened a great 
 longing to have some of the beautiful apples stole 
 over her. 
 
 ' I wish Bragi were at home,' she said, ' and then 
 he could go also.' 
 
 'You will be there and back before Bragi comes 
 home if you like to go with me. I found out a 
 short cut as I hastened hither, and it makes me 
 laugh to think how near Odin and Haenir are to 
 Asgard though they have no idea of it.' 
 
 ' I think I will go with you,' said Iduna.
 
 144 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 'As you please,' answered Loki carelessly, 'only 
 you must soon make up your mind, for I cannot 
 wait.' And he turned away, as though he were 
 going to leave her. 
 
 ' Wait one moment, Loki, I must carry this 
 basket of violets into the house.' 
 
 ' And bring the casket with you so that we may 
 know how many we want to fill it, for I quite 
 forget the size of the apples. I will carry it for 
 you.' 
 
 So Iduna brought the casket, and she and Loki 
 glided through the spacious streets and through 
 the great wide gateway out into the pleasant land 
 that lay-around. 
 
 ' Is it far ? ' asked Iduna. 
 
 ' Only just across the border,' said Loki ; ' you 
 will be well rewarded when you get there.' 
 
 But, alas ! no sooner were they over the boun- 
 dary line than down swooped a great eagle, and 
 before Iduna had time to think about anything 
 Loki had lifted her and her casket on its back, and 
 away flew the Jotun Thiasse with his prize, away 
 to dreary Jotunheim.
 
 The Story of Iduna. 145 
 
 SORROW IN ASGARD. 
 
 When Bragi came home, he asked for Iduna, but 
 no one knew where she was. The servants had 
 last seen her in the garden, and thither went Bragi 
 to seek for her. But she was not there. 
 
 The doves drooped their heads as though they 
 would tell a sorrowful tale if they could only 
 speak ; the flowers had already begun to fade ; the 
 butterflies were fluttering feebly over the withering 
 lilies, as though they had not strength to rise into 
 the air. 
 
 And as Bragi gazed and wondered what the 
 sight might mean, he happened to glance into the 
 glassy pool in which the golden fishes were wont to 
 play, and behold they had sunk as in a deep sleep 
 to its lowest depths. As he bent over the pool, he 
 saw that his own face had suddenly grown older ; 
 and as he raised his head, he felt that his limbs 
 were weaker, and he could no longer walk upright 
 and firmly as heretofore. 
 
 As he passed through the house again, he 
 
 noticed that a change had come over everyone he 
 
 met ; everywhere he saw grey hair, and wrinkles, 
 
 and stooping shoulders. The dogs and cats even 
 
 L
 
 146 Wonderfid Stories. 
 
 had become halt and blind, and nothing anywhere 
 seemed to have any strength left in it. 
 
 Out into the street went Bragi, and he met none 
 but aged people tottering along. On to the king's 
 palace, and there he found a bent and worn old 
 woman in the place of the beautiful Friga, and saw 
 Sif weeping over her golden locks which had 
 turned as white as snow. 
 
 A blight had fallen upon Asgard ; youth had 
 vanished, and age and decay were creeping over 
 everything because Iduna was not there. 
 
 ' Iduna is lost, is lost ! Where is Iduna ? ' 
 
 Such was the wail that greeted Odin as he came 
 back to his royal city. He had turned his steps 
 homeward sooner than he had intended, for as 
 soon as Loki was gone, the green pastures, the 
 cattle, and the flowing river, had vanished also, and 
 Odin and Haenir found themselves in the midst of 
 a flinty region that spread on every side further than 
 eye could see. 
 
 No sooner had the king set foot within his own 
 land than he felt a change come over him, and that 
 his strength was ebbing fast away. He had left 
 his palace in the prime of glorious manhood, he came 
 back to it bent and stricken with age. But the
 
 The Story of Iduna. 147 
 
 change was not in himself alone ; all around were 
 suffering likewise. 
 
 ' Iduna is lost, is lost ! Where is Iduna ? ' 
 
 But no answer came to the cry. 
 
 At last a feeble trembling form drew near, and 
 spoke : ' I saw Iduna leave the city gates with Loki.' 
 
 ' Bring Loki hither.' 
 
 And Loki, shrivelled up, and looking almost like 
 a skeleton, was brought before the king. 
 
 ' Tell me, what hast thou done ? ' said Odin in a 
 hollow tone. 
 
 But Loki, though he shook with fear, made no 
 answer. 
 
 Then Thor, exerting all the strength that still 
 remained to him, caught Loki by the nape of the 
 neck, and tossed him up and down with such right 
 good will that his heels sometimes touched the 
 moon and sometimes the sea. For Loki had 
 shrunk away until he had become as light as a 
 feather. 
 
 'Tell me what thou hast done ?' again said Odin 
 in a voice more hollow than before, ' tell me, or 
 thou shalt suffer unheard-of tortures, and afterwards 
 shalt be put to death.' 
 
 Then Loki fell upon his knees, and in a tre-
 
 148 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 mulous tone told of all that had happened to 
 him since Odin and Hsenir had left him roasting 
 the ox. 
 
 What was to be done ? With Iduna, youth had 
 gone from Asgard, the freshness of life was lost, 
 the ills of mortality were setting in. And not 
 alone did the Asi feel it, but the fruits and flowers, 
 the corn, the vines, the forest trees themselves 
 were dying ; the birds had ceased to sing, and the 
 beasts had lain down to die upon the withered 
 herbage. 
 
 ' If Freyia would lend him her hawk's feather 
 dress, Loki would somehow bring back Iduna.' 
 
 So the dress was brought, and Loki slipped it on. 
 He shook the plumage aright, and as he rose in the 
 air, the Asi watched a gallant hawk dart swiftly 
 towards Jotunheim. 
 
 They watched and watched until the hawk was 
 but a speck against the sky. 
 
 They watched and watched until the speck 
 could no more be seen. 
 
 THE RESCUE. 
 
 Iduna was sitting upon a rock looking over the 
 great grey sea that plashed drearily upon the
 
 The Story of Iduna. 149 
 
 barren shores of Jotunheim. Her golden casket 
 was lying in her lap, and she was counting over 
 the apples and thinking upon the treachery of 
 Loki. 
 
 She was singing a song in her own language, 
 and Thiasse, who had just put out to sea in his 
 fishing boat, hearing it, paused to listen ; and it 
 sent a thrill of joy through his heart. He knew 
 not the words, he only felt how sweet was the 
 voice of the singer. 
 
 For thee my heart is sighing, Asgard mine, 
 For thy fair roses, thy eternal springs, 
 For my meek snow-white doves that o'er the fount 
 Flutter their silver wings. 
 
 Oh, would I were a bird ; then unto thee 
 Upon swift pinions would I wing my flight ; 
 No storm should hinder me, nor would I fear 
 The dark and starless night. 
 
 Oh, would I were a wave upon the sea, 
 I'd flow and flow until I reached thy shore, 
 There plash my song of love at thy dear feet, 
 And rest for evermore. 
 
 Oh, would I were the northern light, that streams 
 In rose-stained flashes o'er the star-lit sky, 
 High in the heavens a flaming wreath I'd weave 
 To crown thy turrets high. 
 
 O, Asgard, Asgard ! O ye Asi hear ! 
 
 Sad pines Iduna in the land of snow, 
 
 Her tears flow fast, her soul longs for the fields 
 
 Where flowers immortal blow.
 
 1 50 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 And Thiasse, still with the sweet song in his 
 heart, rowed further and further away. 
 
 And Iduna began to weep. 
 
 Someone else had heard Iduna's song, and this 
 was Loki, who, in the likeness of a hawk, swooped 
 down and perched beside the sorrowing princess. 
 
 ' So you would like to be a bird,' said he, ' that 
 you might fly away to Asgard ? ' 
 
 ' Loki !' exclaimed Iduna joyfully, for she knew 
 at once who was there. 
 
 ' Yes, Loki ! If you are tired of Jotunheim, I will 
 take you back with me. It is not often that 
 wishers get what they wish for ; but as it was my 
 fault that you came here, it is but fair that I should 
 take you home again.' 
 
 ' Good Loki !' said Iduna. 
 
 'Scarcely that perhaps,' replied Loki; 'neverthe- 
 less, I have come upon a good errand. There is 
 great mourning throughout the land of Asgard, 
 and the Asi find that they cannot do without you.' 
 
 And Loki could not help chuckling as he 
 thought of the miserable plight the gods were in. 
 ' Have you any choice as to what sort of bird you 
 would like to be?' 
 
 'No,' replied Iduna.
 
 The Story of Iduna. \ 5 1 
 
 Then she added, 'Perhaps a swallow is the 
 fleetest.' 
 
 ' Be it so then/ answered Loki. And as he 
 spoke, Iduna vanished, and a swallow rose in the 
 air. Loki seized it in his claws, and away flew the 
 hawk and the swallow through the heavens. 
 
 Away ! Away ! to Asgard. 
 
 Surely the flowers knew that Iduna was coming, 
 for they began to raise their drooping heads ; a 
 gentle dew stole over the grass, and the tiny blades 
 drank thirstily of it. The white doves that had 
 been sitting with ruffled plumage on the brink of 
 the fountain began to stroke their ruffled feathers. 
 The Asi felt a fresh glow in their veins. Iduna 
 was coming, was coming. 
 
 And a flush of hope overspread each grey 
 wrinkled face. 
 
 And on, and on flew the hawk and the swallow. 
 They were in sight of Asgard now. Joy ! joy ! 
 Iduna would see the golden gates and rose- 
 wreathed palaces once more. 
 
 Ha ! what is that dark cloud looming in the 
 distance, that grows larger and darker as it draws 
 nearer, a dark cloud that has dragged two shining 
 stars from heaven, so it appears to the watching 
 Asi.
 
 1 5 2 Wonder fu I Stories. 
 
 As it comes nearer it shapes itself into the form 
 of a bird with fiery eyes and wings outstretched ; 
 they can almost hear the flapping of them as the 
 eagle cleaves the air. 
 
 Yes, it is an eagle; it is the Jotun Thiasse, in his 
 eagle's dress, speeding swiftly after the hawk and 
 the swallow. For Thiasse, when he came back 
 from his fishing expedition, found that Iduna was 
 gone, and he was not slow in divining what had 
 happened ; therefore he drew on his feather garb 
 and started in chase of Iduna. 
 
 Loki knew him, Iduna knew him, and she 
 trembled. But they held on their flight. 
 
 The Asi know him now ; and, lo ! the flowers are 
 drooping again, and a darker look of age and care 
 sits upon the brows of the gods. 
 
 Thiasse is gaining upon them, even as the walls 
 of Asgard are close at hand. 
 
 ' Logs, chips ; heap up a pile as high and higher 
 than the walls ! ' 
 
 ' Higher, higher ! ' so shout the Asi as they work 
 with lusty zeal. And along the outer wall of 
 Asgard a fence of light dry wood is raised. 
 
 Then Bragi takes a torch, and in an instant the 
 quick flames crackle through the crisp' sticks and 
 chips.
 
 The Story of Iduna. 153 
 
 A smoke a blaze How will it end ? Which 
 will win the race : they who flee or he who follows ? 
 
 Nay, Loki does not mind the fire ; he has darted 
 through it, and the hawk and swallow flutter to the 
 feet of the king. 
 
 And the eagle. His heavy wings are fearfully 
 scorched ; they bear him up no longer, and down 
 he falls into the devouring flames. The Asi, with 
 loud cries, rush upon their foe and hew him in 
 pieces. 
 
 So dies Thiasse. 
 
 Then the fire blazed up no longer, the smoke 
 rolled away, the sun shone brightly, and not a 
 cloud was to be seen in the blue skies. 
 
 REJOICINGS IN ASGARD. 
 
 Iduna stood in the midst of the Asi, and as she 
 gazed upon their altered looks she gave a sigh and 
 then a smile, and, opening her golden casket, she 
 offered her apples to those who cared to taste of 
 them. 
 
 The Asi eagerly pressed forward, and, as they 
 tasted, youth, strength and beauty returned to them 
 with renewed glory, and their hearts were filled
 
 i 54 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 with thankfulness that life and youth were brought 
 back to Asgard. Loud shouted they with swords 
 unsheathed and waved above their heads : ' All 
 hail, Iduna ! ' 
 
 And at the shout the birds sent forth a burst of 
 song, the waters rippled into life, and rang a 
 silver peal of liquid bells, the roses breathed a 
 richer perfume round, the golden fishes leaped and 
 kissed the crystal wavelets, the weary beasts that 
 had lain down to die upon the withered grass 
 arose and frolicked in the flower-strewn pastures. 
 
 Sif combed her golden locks in joyous glee, and 
 Friga in new beauty sought her lord. Heimdall 
 heard the sounds of life and joy with keener ear, 
 and Thor, swinging his hammer, felt that he could 
 conquer a world of giants. 
 
 Iduna threw her arms round Bragi's neck, and 
 made him stoop so low that he could hear her 
 softly whisper, ' Perhaps I had never come back to 
 Asgard had not the true Runes of Mimir declared 
 that thy sweet gift of poetry should never die.'
 
 XL 
 
 HOW THOR GOT A CAULDRON FOR ACER, 
 LORD OF HELSEYIA. 
 
 ONCE upon a time, the Jotun Ager, Lord of Hel- 
 seyia, visited Asgard. 
 
 Now there was not much friendship between the 
 Asi and the giants, for the giants were not to be 
 trusted, and most of their fine words came to 
 nothing. However, for some reason or other, the 
 Asi paid good heed to Ager, and feasted him at a 
 splendid banquet; and when the Lord of Helseyia 
 had partaken of the rich fare and of the sparkling 
 mead, he besought Odin and all the Asi to come and 
 see him in his own halls, where he would set before 
 them as good a feast as it was in his power to give. 
 
 Eagerly the gods accepted his bidding, for Ager 
 was a very rich Jotun, and they looked forward to 
 a feast that should be worth going many miles to 
 share. 
 
 But after the Lord of Helseyia had gone to his 
 own country, the Asi, hearing nothing more about
 
 156 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 the feast, began to suspect that Ager meant to 
 play them false, and in order to find this out they 
 slew a goat, and by looking at its entrails they 
 learnt that Ager had neither cauldron nor kettle of 
 any kind. 
 
 Now, if he had no vessels wherein to cook food, 
 how could he make a feast ? So the gods said 
 that Ager's bidding did but show yet more the 
 treachery of the giants. 
 
 The Asi were very wroth at finding they were 
 likely to be balked, and sent Thor to insist upon 
 Ager's giving them the feast he had promised. 
 
 So Thor set off, and found Ager on the sea-shore 
 not far from his castle, where he was just gone to 
 fish. Ager was rather an idle Jotun, and he pre- 
 ferred tossing about in his boat to hunting among 
 the mountains. 
 
 He was somewhat surprised at the coming of 
 Thor, and a good deal frightened, for he guessed 
 upon what errand he had come. However, he 
 pretended to be very glad to see him, and invited 
 him to go fishing with him. 
 
 No,' said Thor bluntly, ' I have not time to do 
 that ; I must carry back an answer to the message I 
 have brought as speedily as I can.'
 
 How Thor got a Caiddron for Ager. 157 
 
 ' And what may the message be ? ' asked Ager, 
 inwardly trembling, though he strove to keep up a 
 bold look. 
 
 ' The Asi have sent to know upon what day 
 they are to sup with you.' 
 
 Then Ager began to stammer, and he tried to 
 show how one thing had happened and then another, 
 which had prevented his giving the banquet ; but 
 his words became so confused that Thor could 
 make nothing of them, and being a very blunt and 
 straightfonvard god, he told Ager to leave off 
 talking, and to answer a simple question, 
 
 ' Are you going to give a feast to the Asi or not ?' 
 
 It was a question to which only ' yes ' or ' no ' 
 was needed, but Ager was not ready to give either 
 of these simple answers, so he said : ' How can I 
 have the food cooked if I have not a cauldron 
 large enough ? And, what is more, I know not 
 where to get one. Now if you will get one for me, 
 the Asi shall have their banquet without delay.' 
 
 It was rather a bold request to make of the great 
 god Thor, but Thor did not seem to be annoyed 
 at it. He had, at any rate, some answer to his 
 question, and he said that he would return to Asgard 
 and take counsel with the Asi about the matter.
 
 1 5 8 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 The Asi at first thought that they would make 
 war upon Ager, and despoil him of all his wealth for 
 having dared to insult them, by asking them to a 
 feast which he knew himself unable to give. 
 
 But Tyr, the son of the Jotun Hymir, one of the 
 most powerful giants in Utgard, stepped forward 
 and said that if a cauldron only were needed, his 
 father had several, each large enough to cook as 
 much food as Ager could possibly require. 
 
 ' And if Thor will come home with me/ added 
 Tyr, ' I think that with a little craft we shall be able 
 to get one.' 
 
 Now Thor was always fond of adventures, and as 
 the Jotun Hymir was mightier in every way than 
 the Lord of Helseyia, he thought that, if there 
 should be any fighting to do, the giant of Utgard 
 would be the worthier foe. 
 
 Therefore, taking Tyr with him, he mounted his 
 chariot, and they sped quickly along on their way to 
 Utgard. 
 
 As the goat knew every turn of the road, Thor 
 had only to let the reins lie loose and to amuse 
 himself with looking at the country as they passed
 
 How T/ior got a Caiildron for Ager. 1 5 9 
 
 along. Not that he had much time for that either, 
 for so fleet was the goat's pace, that Thor and Tyr 
 seemed scarcely to have passed the great gates of 
 Asgard, when they found themselves close to the 
 city of the giants. 
 
 Thor remembered it well enough, and how he and 
 Loki and Thialfe had crept between the bars. But 
 it did not seem so high now, for there was no 
 magical power at work ; and though there were 
 huge giants walking about the streets, Thor was 
 tall himself, and did not look so very small among 
 them. 
 
 They passed by the city, and journeyed on some 
 leagues further into the country, until they came to 
 a great castle, that looked dreary enough amongst 
 the barren mountains. 
 
 * This is my father's castle,' said Tyr ; ' it is one 
 of the strongest in Utgard.' 
 
 And so it was. It was hewn out of the solid rock, 
 the walls were twenty feet thick, the door was of 
 massive iron, the windows were mere loop holes, 
 and it looked altogether more like a prison than 
 like the home of a mighty giant. 
 
 Tyr rang the bell, and a face cautiously peered 
 through a grating.
 
 1 60 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Seeing Tyr, the face disappeared, the door opened, 
 and Thor and his companion entered. 
 
 The passage was dark, and the great hall, which 
 they reached after climbing up a steep flight of 
 stairs, would have been dark also, had it not been 
 for a clumsy lamp that hung from the ceiling, for 
 daylight could scarcely come through the small 
 windows. 
 
 Here they were met by Tyr's grandmother, a 
 wonderful person with nine hundred heads. Thor 
 found it very perplexing to know which to look at, 
 for she nodded first with one head then with another, 
 she spoke first with one tongue then with another, 
 then with several together, which was very con- 
 fusing. She also winked her eyes so quickly, that 
 she made Thor wink also, until the tears stood in 
 his eyes. Her hearing, as we may suppose, was very 
 sharp, when she could give a separate ear to 
 eighteen hundred sounds at once. Thor could not 
 tell how all these heads were placed upon one neck, 
 and as, with all his striving, he could not understand 
 it, he had to rest content with the fact that it 
 was so. 
 
 After her came Tyr's mother, who was a fair- 
 haired beautiful woman. Standing by Thor's hideous
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for Ager. 1 6 1 
 
 grandmother, she seemed perhaps more beautiful 
 than she really was. 
 
 Tyr's mother brought to Thor a welcome-cup, 
 and was very glad to see Tyr, who had been away for 
 some time. 
 
 ' But I fear that my husband will not give you a 
 hearty greeting,' she said to Thor, ' for he often 
 comes home in a very bad temper, and then woe 
 betide the first on whom he vents his wrath. You 
 had better therefore let me hide you until his anger 
 is a little cooled.' Tyr was willing to do this cheer- 
 fully, for he knew what his father was ; but Thor 
 was ashamed to skulk. Nevertheless, he thought, 
 'the wife knows the ways of the household better 
 than I do, and it may be better to follow her 
 counsel.' 
 
 Then Tyr's mother pointed to some huge kettles 
 or cauldrons ; in fact, the very cauldrons of which 
 Tyr had spoken. They were fastened to a great pil- 
 lar at one end of the hall, and made a screen large 
 enough to hide a troop of soldiers. ' There,' she 
 said, ' if you and Tyr will get behind them, you will 
 be hidden very safely.' 
 
 So Thor and Tyr crept under the cauldrons, and 
 there she left them, Thor's heart swelling with 
 M
 
 1 62 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 shame, and burning to show Hymir and his wife 
 what a mighty god he was. 
 
 III. 
 
 After a time, a great roaring and bellowing was 
 heard outside. 
 
 4 It is my father,' whispered Tyr, 4 calling to the 
 dogs.' 
 
 As the noise died down a little, Thor felt the 
 house begin to shake, and great crashes were heard 
 from time to time, so that Thor thought the roof 
 must be falling in. 
 
 4 It is my father coming up stairs,' explained 
 Tyr ; 4 he is a little noisy.' 
 
 ' Oh,' said Thor. 
 
 Then the door of the hall was flung open, and 
 Thor thought that a whirlwind had swept into the 
 room, for everything clattered, and shivered, and 
 seemed to be banging about ; the table creaked and 
 groaned, and the lamp almost went out. 
 
 But Tyr whispered, 4 It is only my father kicking 
 off his hunting boots.' 
 
 4 Oh,' again answered Thor ; and he peeped out 
 from his hiding-place, and saw the huge giant 
 standing in the middle of the room.
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for A ger. 163 
 
 He was so tall that his head touched the ceiling, 
 and his hair was like a waggon load of sheep's 
 wool, all ropy and tangled, his thick beard like a 
 frozen forest, whilst his eyes seemed almost as large 
 as his mother's nine hundred pairs put together, 
 and his voice sounded like the bellowing of a herd 
 of cattle. 
 
 Truly he was a very terrible giant to look at, 
 and, for a moment, Thor himself was glad of the 
 shelter of the cauldrons. 
 
 Hymir's gentle wife stood beside him, and Thor 
 could not help wondering what had made her fall 
 in love with him. 
 
 However, she seemed not to mind his rough ways, 
 and she persuaded him to sit down and listen to 
 what she had to tell him. 
 
 ' Rejoice with me, Hymir,' she said, ' for great 
 happiness has befallen us. Our son, our long-lost 
 Tyr, has come home from his travels, and with him 
 he brings the noble Veorr, sprung from a gentle 
 race.' 
 
 ' I see them not,' answered the giant; 'why are 
 they not here to greet me ? ' 
 
 ' Nay,' replied his wife, ' they are not far off, but 
 no sooner did they hear thy voice chiding the 
 M 2
 
 1 64 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 hounds than they hid themselves, fearing to meet 
 thine anger. Behind yon pillar, whereon the caul- 
 drons hang, stand Veorr and thy son.' 
 
 Then the giant cast so savage a glance at the 
 pillar, and on the ceiling above it, that, unable to 
 bear his look, the beams split asunder, and the 
 heavy pillar shook. 
 
 Then the giant cast a still more savage glance upon 
 
 the eight cauldrons, which fell to the ground with a 
 
 fearful crash that well nigh deafened Thor and Tyr. 
 
 Seven of the cauldrons were broken to pieces, but 
 
 the eighth, which was the largest, was not hurt. 
 
 When the cloud of dust had cleared away, Tyr 
 and his friend stepped forth from behind the pillar. 
 The giant did not seem overjoyed to see them. 
 ' A pretty pair, hiding away like mice,' he said 
 scornfully; then looking more closely at Thor, he 
 started. ' The god Thor ! ' he exclaimed, for he 
 knew his old enemy. 
 
 Thor was not altogether at his ease, for he re- 
 membered how mighty a giant Hymir was, and 
 the breaking of the cauldrons had not cheered 
 him. If the glance of Hymir could do such things, 
 what might not his arm do ? 
 
 However, he spoke as though he was well pleased
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for Ager. 165 
 
 to see the Jb'tun, and said that Tyr, who had been 
 sojourning awhile in Asgard, had persuaded him to 
 visit Utgard. 
 
 ' I had no notion you had such fine castles in 
 your country,' added Thor, trying to say something 
 pleasant. 
 
 ' They are strong,' said the giant, looking round 
 his great dreary hall. ' I don't know that they are 
 handsome. I think not, but they're good enough 
 for me. Wife,' said he, turning suddenly round, 
 ' where is my supper ? ' 
 
 She whispered something to him. 
 
 ' Not enough ?' said he aloud. ' Make it enough 
 then, since the god Thor has come to visit us. 
 Have three oxen slain and dressed at once. I 
 have had a hard day's hunting, and I am hungry.' 
 
 So Hymir's wife went away, and very soon the 
 three oxen roasted whole were brought in on a 
 mighty dish. 
 
 Hymir, willing to make Thor believe that he 
 needed a great deal of food, ate two of them, and 
 Tyr shared the third with Thor. 
 
 The giant's wife grieved sadly to see so much 
 food taken. What were they to do if it should go
 
 1 66 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 1 Never mind/ said Thor, ' I can row a boat, and 
 I can fish, and to-morrow I will go out to sea and 
 bring home fish in plenty, if your husband will only 
 give me some bait.' 
 
 To this Hymir agreed. 
 
 * Let Thor go into the pastures and take what 
 bait he pleases,' said he. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The next morning Thor rose early, and told 
 Hymir that he would go and fish. 
 
 ' A bull's head,' said he, ' is the best bait that I 
 know of, and with that alone will I fish.' 
 
 Hymir wondered at his words, but he said 
 nothing, and waited to see what Thor would do. 
 
 Thor went into the fields where was a drove of 
 fierce cattle grazing ; he walked fearlessly in among 
 them, and seizing a large black bull by the horns, 
 dealt it so heavy a blow with his hammer that it 
 fell down dead on the spot, and then, with one jerk 
 of his hand, he twisted off its head. 
 
 ' You surprise me,' said Hymir. 
 
 And they went down to the boat together. 
 
 They got in, and Thor, taking the oars, made one
 
 HOW THOR GOT A CAULDRON. 
 
 ' Thor went into the fields -where was a drove of fierce 
 cattle grazing' (p. 166).
 
 How TJwr got a Cauldron for Ager. 1 6 7 
 
 or two strokes, which carried them many leagues 
 out to sea. Hymir, however, said nothing ; he was 
 waxing wroth and envious, for he marvelled at the 
 strength of his guest, and longed to be able to 
 show that his own might was greater. 
 
 Thor was using all his strength, for he was very 
 eager that Hymir should see how great his powers 
 were. Neither spoke, but from time to time each 
 looked askance at the other. 
 
 Hymir was the first to throw out his line, and, 
 hiding his fears, he half closed his eyes and 
 waited for a bite. 
 
 Soon he felt a heavy pull at the line, and, drawing 
 it carefully in, he found that he had hooked a 
 tremendous whale. 
 
 He took it off the hook, and threw it into the 
 bottom of the boat as though he caught whales 
 every day. 
 
 It was Thor's turn now to try his luck. 
 
 He fixed the bull's head to the hook, and cast it 
 into the water. 
 
 Then he waited, for he knew that what he angled 
 for would be longer in coming up than the whale. 
 But he did not wait in vain. Presently he knew
 
 1 68 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 by the shock that the boat received that the great 
 serpent of Midgard had fastened on the bait. 
 
 Then began a fierce struggle ; the serpent strug- 
 gling to get free, and Thor striving, with might and 
 main, to bring the monster to the surface of the 
 water. The sea began to heave and roll as though 
 a storm had arisen, and the great heavy-built boat 
 tossed as though it had been but a cockleshell, and 
 it was all that the Jotun Hymir could do to 
 prevent being dashed out. 
 
 Still the struggle went on ; now Thor had almost 
 drawn the monster to the side of the boat, now he 
 was almost dragged into the water himself by the 
 sudden plunges of his wriggling enemy. At last, 
 after a fierce strife, Thor dragged up the serpent's 
 wolfish head on a level with the boat, whilst fold 
 after fold of his shiny body lay for leagues upon 
 the water. 
 
 The Jotun Hymir almost turned to stone with 
 fear at the sight of the monster, which glared 
 hideously with its cruel eyes, and poured forth 
 streams of venomous vapour from its nostrils. 
 
 When he had held it long enough to show that 
 he had indeed caught his prize, Thor gave the 
 serpent a heavy blow with his hammer, whilst the
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for Ager. 1 69 
 
 earth shook with fear, and the mountains groaned ; 
 then, rising up, with his whole strength he hurled 
 the monster into the watery world again. And 
 down sank the serpent of Midgard once more to the 
 lowest depths of the ocean. 
 
 Hymir might well think it hopeless to do a 
 greater feat than Thor had done, and he sat 
 sulkily in the stern of the boat, leaving Thor to 
 row the whole of the way home. 
 
 Thor, however, was so well pleased that he plied 
 the oars cheerfully, and when, as they came near 
 the landing-place, Hymir asked him to help in 
 hauling up the boat on shore, and in carrying 
 home their prize, Thor plunged into the water, and, 
 taking up the boat, threw it, whale, oars, benches, 
 ropes, and all, upon his shoulders and carried it up 
 to the giant's castle. 
 
 Hymir's wife was glad to see the whale; it 
 would surely give food for some days, and she was 
 going to cut it up, when Hymir, in an angry tone, 
 bade her cook it whole. 
 
 ' Our guest has tired himself to-day,' he said. 
 
 ' That have I not,' answered Thor. ' I am as fresh 
 as when I set out this morning.' 
 
 But the Jotun pretended not to believe it.
 
 1 70 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' Well,' said he, ' we will try your strength after 
 supper ; not now, for at present I am too sleepy to 
 look after anything.' 
 
 And Hymir closed his eyes, not that he was 
 really sleepy ; he was only very much vexed, and 
 he did not want to talk to Thor. He wished also 
 to think of some trial of strength in which Thor 
 would be likely to fail, for it would never do to let 
 him return to Asgard triumphing over the great 
 Jotun Hymir. 
 
 The whale was served up for supper with a 
 sauce of which the giant was very fond. This put 
 him in rather a better mood. The ale was also 
 very good, for Hymir's mother had brought her 
 eighteen hundred eyes to see after the brewing 
 of it. 
 
 This warmed the Jotun's heart, and made him 
 feel twice the giant that he was before supper. 
 
 * And now,' said he to Thor, ' if you can in one 
 trial dash my drinking-bowl in pieces, I will own 
 that you are mightier than I.' 
 
 Thor laughed, and without moving from his seat, 
 he raised his hand and struck a granite pillar that
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for A ger. 171 
 
 was near him with such force that he broke it in 
 two. 
 
 'If I can do that,' he said, 'I can break a 
 drinking-cup.' 
 
 ' Pooh,' replied the giant, ' that is nothing. My 
 drinking-bowl is harder than iron.' 
 
 The servants, at a sign from Hymir, placed the 
 bowl upon the ground before Thor. 
 
 'Lift it,' said the giant. It was much heavier 
 than Thor had thought, and the Jotun was much 
 delighted at seeing that Thor had been cheated by 
 its look. 
 
 ' Throw it,' he said. 
 
 Now Hymir's wife was standing near to Thor, 
 and, pretending to be busy with the dishes on the 
 table, she bent down so that her husband could 
 not see her lips move, and she whispered, ' Throw 
 it against Hymir's head.' 
 
 Thor did as she bade him. With all his might 
 he dashed the bowl against the giant's skull, and 
 the bowl fell to the ground in pieces, whilst the 
 Jotun remained unhurt. 
 
 Then Thor stood on his guard, for he thought 
 that the giant would be fiercely wroth. But 
 Hymir was too much taken up in grieving over
 
 172 Wonder fu I Stories. 
 
 his broken bowl, which no one yet had been able to 
 break. 
 
 Besides, Thor had proved himself more subtle 
 and skilful than he had thought to find him. 
 
 He only said, ' Thor has taken too much ale.' 
 
 After which he proposed that Thor and Tyr 
 should try to lift the heavy cauldron that remained 
 unbroken. 
 
 Twice Tyr strove to do so, and twice he failed ; 
 but when it came to Thor's turn, not only did he 
 lift it, but he placed it on his head, and, darting 
 through the door, down the stairs, and along the 
 hall, he gained the outer gate, and fled away with 
 the cauldron as fast as he could go. 
 
 Up sprang Hymir, but his feet were unsteady, 
 and the ale was making him feel drowsy. Never- 
 theless, he roused himself as well as he could, and 
 hastened after Thor, calling, as he sped along, upon 
 the other Jotuns to join in the chase. 
 
 VI. 
 
 By this time, Thor was many leagues off, but he 
 was quite out of breath with running so fast and so 
 far, and he stopped for awhile to rest.
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for Ager. \ 7 3 
 
 Presently he heard the shouts of the giants in 
 the distance, and so he took to flight again, but 
 the weight of the cauldron was so great that he 
 could not go as fast as before, and the giants 
 gained upon him. 
 
 Thor could hear them near him, and he at once 
 made up his mind what to do. 
 
 The great god Thor must not be seen running 
 away from his enemies ; therefore he stopped, and 
 placing the cauldron on the ground, he brandished 
 his hammer and waited for the foe. 
 
 Up came the troop of giants, with Hymir at 
 their head, and the fight began. It seemed to be 
 an unequal one, but then Thor was the strongest 
 of the Asi, and if he could conquer the serpent of 
 Midgard he could surely defend himself against the 
 giants. 
 
 And so he did. And, moreover, so well did he 
 aim the blows of his hammer, that, after a short 
 and sharp fight, the giants lay dead upon the field 
 of battle, and Thor, raising the cauldron once more 
 upon his head, bore it off in triumph to Asgard.
 
 1 74 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 When Thor had thus got for the Lord of 
 Helseyia a cauldron large enough to hold every- 
 thing that he could need, Ager could no longer 
 delay to make the feast which he had said that he 
 would give to the Asi. 
 
 So when all things were ready, Ager sent out to 
 bid the gods and goddesses, and Loki, too, was 
 bidden among the guests. 
 
 It was a splendid feast; the hall was lighted with 
 gold till it gleamed like the sun. The dishes and 
 goblets moved about just as the guests wanted 
 them. Hands which they could not see poured 
 out the wine and placed the rarest fruits before the 
 Asi. 
 
 Besides this, Ager had two servants who served 
 the guests so well that all the gods praised them 
 loudly; but Loki was so envious that he slew one 
 of the servants, whose name was Fimassenger. 
 Then the Asi rose in a body, but when they had 
 thrust Loki out of the hall, they sat down again to 
 carouse, and'all said that never was a better feast
 
 How Thor got a Cauldron for Ager. 1 75 
 
 than this which the Lord of Helseyia had given to 
 them. 
 
 Thor alone of all the Asi was not there. He was 
 journeying in the east, and perhaps he was doing 
 feats as mighty as those which he wrought when 
 he was seeking to get the cauldron for the Jotun 
 Ager.
 
 1 76 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 XII. 
 
 KING OLAF THE SAINT. 
 
 HUNDREDS of years ago lived Olaf, a brave king, 
 and his brother Harald Haardrade. 
 
 One day, when these brothers were talking 
 together, they began to speak of old Norroway, 
 the land of their birth. 
 
 ' It is a land full of high hills,' said one. 
 
 ' It is a land full of fertile valleys,' said the other, 
 'where there is no lack of waving corn, fair pastures, 
 and summer flowers.' 
 
 ' It is a land over which anyone might be con- 
 tent to reign/ said Olaf; ' a monarch might be 
 justly proud of such a kingdom.' 
 
 ' Truly,' replied Harald Haardrade ; ' better for- 
 tune could no man wish.' 
 
 ' Then,' answered Olaf, ' let us make a bargain. 
 Our ships are in the harbour ; they are well matched. 
 Let us sail forth, and he who reaches first our 
 native land, shall be king of old Norroway.' 
 
 ' I am quite willing,' said Harald Haardrade ;
 
 King Olaf the Saint. 1 7 7 
 
 'yet there is one condition I should like to make. 
 Thou hast said that our ships are equally matched ; 
 nevertheless, I take thine to be the fastest sailer. 
 Art thou willing to change vessels with me ? So 
 will we run the race.' 
 
 ' I am willing,' said Olaf. ' If thou thinkest my 
 vessel to be the fleeter, take her, and welcome, and 
 I will take thine. Is this a fair bargain ? ' 
 
 ' Perfectly fair,' answered Harald Haardrade, well 
 satisfied that he should have his brother's ship. 
 
 Now the vessel belonging to Olaf was called 
 the Dragon. Lightly she danced over the waves, 
 and a child could have turned her north, south, east, 
 or west, by just one touch to the rudder. Harald 
 Haardrade's ship, the Ox, was heavier built, and 
 not so easy to manage ; nevertheless, there was no 
 fault to be found with her. 
 
 However, Olaf thought one vessel as good as 
 the other, and, therefore, said nought against his 
 brother's proposal ; perhaps, too, he felt himself to 
 be the better seaman. However, this may have 
 been, the story does not say; but there is reason to 
 think that something in his heart told Olaf that 
 the change of ships would make no difference to 
 their captains. 
 
 N
 
 1 78 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 So the brothers parted, and Olaf, having made 
 all things ready, went to the church to pray for a 
 blessing upon his work, 'For,' said he, 'how can I 
 expect to prosper unless I have the blessing of 
 heaven ?' 
 
 And as he passed along the aisle of the stately 
 building, with his beautiful hair flowing over his 
 shoulders, the people wished him success, and 
 prayed that good King Olaf might win the race. 
 
 As he moved along in solemn mood, a mes- 
 senger came in hot haste, and stopped him, saying, 
 ' Why dost thou waste the time, King Olaf ? 
 thy brother is sailing away in the Dragon. Far 
 ahead of thee will he be, if thou dost not turn thy 
 steps aside from the altar, and follow him without 
 delay.' 
 
 But King Olaf answered the messenger, ' Let 
 those sail who choose to sail ; I will not depart 
 without the blessing of heaven.' 
 
 And so he waited quietly until the mass was 
 over, and then went calmly down to the seashore. 
 
 The great white-crested waves were dashing on 
 the strand, and the Ox rocked heavily at her 
 moorings, and over the wide sweep of blue sea 
 there was no sign of the Dragon. Away, far away,
 
 King Olaf the Saint. 179 
 
 had the Dragon sped ; the wind was in her favour, 
 and she had weighed anchor, and set her sails, and 
 danced gallantly away till there were now many 
 miles between her and the shore. Olaf strained 
 his eyes, and saw a speck of white that fluttered for 
 a moment and then vanished. Perchance it might 
 be the Dragon. 
 
 However, Olaf did not despair. He had asked 
 the blessing of heaven upon his undertaking, and 
 although the beginning seemed bad, yet he said in 
 his heart, ' Who can see so far as the end ? I will 
 not be dismayed.' 
 
 Strong in the might of his faith, he bade the 
 sailors get ready, and when all was done he stepped 
 on board his vessel. The anchor was raised ; a 
 gentle breeze stirred the sails; the helmsman 
 guided the ship seaward ; and as King Olaf stood 
 at the prow, he said reverently, ' O Ox, Ox, 
 speed thee on in the Name of the Lord.' 
 
 Then he leaned forward, and taking hold of one 
 of the white horns of the Ox, as though it had 
 been a living creature, he said, ' Now speed thee, O 
 thou patient Ox, even as though thou wert going 
 to pasture in fragrant clover fields.' 
 
 And as if in answer to his words, the heavy 
 
 N 2
 
 1 80 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 vessel gave a leap, and gallantly ploughed the wild 
 waves. And the white spray rose even until it 
 frosted over the king's beautiful locks, and he 
 shouted to the watcher on the topmost mast, ' Ho, 
 lad ! Ho ! Can'st thou see aught of the fleet-sailing 
 Dragon ?' 
 
 And the lad answered, ' I see naught upon the 
 sea. There is not even a fishing-boat out upon 
 the broad w y aters.' 
 
 And on they sailed in silence. After awhile, 
 King Olaf called to the lad again, ' Ho, lad ! Ho ! 
 Can'st thou see aught of the good ship Dragon ? ' 
 
 Then the lad answered, 'Nigh the land of 
 Norroway I espy the silken sails of a vessel. The 
 sun shines upon them, and they glitter as though 
 they were bordered with gold.' 
 
 And King Olaf knew that it was his own brave 
 ship, and again they sailed on in silence. 
 
 After awhile he called yet again to the lad, ' Ho, 
 lad! Ho ! Can'st thou see aught of the Dragon?' 
 
 And the lad made answer, ' Nigh the shores of 
 old Norroway, under the shade of the purple 
 mountains, I see a vessel riding full sail before the 
 wind, and I know that it is the good ship 
 Dragon.'
 
 King Olaf the Saint. 1 8 1 
 
 Then King Olaf struck the Ox upon the ribs, 
 and cried, ' Faster, faster, thou Ox, faster. There 
 is no time to lose.' 
 
 And again he struck the Ox upon the eye, and 
 shouted, Faster, faster, faster, if thou would'st have 
 me win the haven.' 
 
 And suddenly it seemed as though the Ox 
 had started into life, and was putting forth all its 
 new-gained powers, for forward bounded the vessel 
 with a sudden leap. Swiftly, swiftly, swiftly, no 
 one had ever known such sailing. Swifter than a 
 bird on the wing, swifter than an arrow through 
 the air. So sped the Ox through the foaming 
 sea. The sailors could not climb the rigging; 
 indeed, it was more than they could do to stand 
 firmly upon the deck ; so King Olaf lashed them 
 firmly to the masts, though the steersman asked 
 him who was going to guide the ship. ' I will see 
 to that myself/ answered King Olaf; 'not one of 
 you shall be lost through me. I will guide the 
 ship straight on like a line of light.' 
 
 And King Olaf stood by the helm, and he 
 steered neither to the right nor to the left, but 
 on, straight on, and his eye was fixed upon the 
 goal.
 
 1 8 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' So must I run,' he said, ' if I would win the 
 race.' 
 
 What mattered it to King Olaf though rocks 
 and mountains stood in the way ? His faith was 
 stronger than the rocks. Right onward he went, 
 and the valleys filled with water, and the moun- 
 tains disappeared, the blue waves rolled over them, 
 and the Ox went triumphantly on its way. 
 
 Out came running the little elves, for the sudden 
 rising of the floods had disturbed them. 
 
 'Who art thou, bold mariner, who sailest over 
 our homes? Behold the mountains shake with 
 fury. Tell us what is thy name ? ' 
 
 ' Quiet ye, quiet ye, little people,' answered 
 King Olaf. ' I am Saint Olaf; turn ye into stones 
 until I come this way again.' 
 
 So the little elves turned into stones, and rolled 
 down the mountain sides, and the good ship went 
 on her way. 
 
 She had not gone far before out came an old 
 Carline, and said, ' Saint Olaf, I know you, with 
 your beard shining like red gold. Wherefore do 
 you bring with you the waters to mock us in our 
 dwellings ? Your ship has burst through the wall 
 of my chamber. Evil luck be with you.'
 
 KING OLAF THE SAINT. 
 : Out came running the little elves' (p.
 
 King Olaf the Saint. 1 8 3 
 
 Then Saint Olaf, for he was a saint as well as a 
 king, fixed his glance witheringly upon the old 
 Carline. 
 
 ' Be thou turned into a flint rock,' said he, ' and 
 so remain for ever and ever.' 
 
 And the Carline was turned into a rock, and 
 Saint Olaf and his crew sailed on and on. 
 
 So fleetly flew the good ship Ox, that anyone 
 must have had good eyes to see her as she flashed 
 past, for so she sped on that if Saint Olaf drew 
 his bow and shot an arrow forward, it fell far behind 
 in the wake of the vessel. 
 
 This was fast sailing indeed, and with such 
 speed it is not wonderful that though Harald 
 Haardrade had had the start of his brother, yet 
 Saint Olaf reached home three days before him. 
 
 Harald Haardrade was wild with rage when he 
 came those three days later and found Saint Olaf 
 king of Norroway. 
 
 And he raged and raged until at length he 
 became a dragon. And this is the last that we 
 hear of Harald Haardrade. 
 
 Now, as Saint Olaf had prayed for the blessing 
 of heaven before he set out on his voyage, it was 
 natural that his first act upon landing should be to
 
 1 84 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 go to the nearest church to return thanks for 
 having so mightily prospered. 
 
 And as he walked up the crowded nave, a 
 golden glory* beamed from his fair hair, and the 
 people of Norroway learned a great lesson from 
 the faith of King Olaf the Saint.
 
 XIII. 
 THE STORY OF FRITHIOF. 
 
 IN a cottage overshadowed by wide spreading 
 oaks, and surrounded by a garden in which bloomed 
 the sweetest flowers of summer, lived an aged 
 peasant named Hilding. 
 
 Two children might be seen playing about the 
 garden from sunrise to sunset, but they were not 
 old Hilding's children. The handsome boy was 
 the son of the Thane, Thorsten Vikingsson; the 
 little girl, with dovelike eyes and silken tresses, was 
 the daughter of good King Bele. 
 
 Together the little ones played through the long 
 pleasant days in their foster-father's garden, or 
 wandered through the woods, or climbed the hills 
 that sheltered them from the northern winds. The 
 boy would seek treasures from the birds' nests for 
 his fair companion, not even fearing to rob the 
 mountain eagle, so that he might bring the spoil 
 to Ingebjorg. He would also take her far out on
 
 1 8 6 Wonder fid Stories. 
 
 the blue sea in his little boat, and Ingebjorg never 
 felt afraid as long as Frithiof was with her. 
 
 As Frithiof grew older, he became a great hunter, 
 and once he slew without weapons a fierce bear, 
 which he brought home in triumph and laid at 
 Ingebjorg's feet. 
 
 During the winter evenings, they sat by the 
 blazing logs on the hearth, and Hilding told them 
 wonderful stories of Asgard and all its glories, of 
 Odin the king of the gods, and of the beautiful 
 Friga. 
 
 But Frithiof thought she could not be half so 
 beautiful as Ingebjorg. And once he said so to her, 
 and it pleased her exceedingly. And he said, 
 moreover, that when he was a man, Ingebjorg should 
 be his wife. This also she was glad to hear, for 
 she loved Frithiof better than anyone in the world. 
 
 But old Hilding told them not to talk nonsense, 
 for Ingebjorg was a king's daughter, and Frithiof 
 but the son of a Thane. 
 
 II. 
 
 In a room of his palace stood King Bele. He 
 was leaning on his sword, musing over all that was
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 1 8 7 
 
 past, and thinking of the future. He was an old 
 man, and he felt that his strength was failing him. 
 
 With him was his faithful friend Thorsten 
 Vikingsson. They had grown up to manhood 
 together, they had fought in many a battle side 
 by side. They had been companions at many a 
 feast and revel, and now, when old age had fallen 
 upon them, they drew closer to one another, feeling 
 that the hand of death was raised to summon them 
 into another world. 
 
 ' The end of life is near,' said the king, ' the 
 shadow of death is cast upon me. No longer do I 
 care for all that men call pleasure. The chase 
 hath lost its charm, the helmet sits heavy upon my 
 brow, and the mead hath lost its flavour. I would 
 that my sons were here so that I might give them 
 my blessing.' 
 
 Then the servants summoned to King Bele's 
 presence his two sons Helgi and Halfdan. Dark 
 was the countenance of Helgi, and there was blood 
 upon his hands, for he had just been assisting at 
 the mid-day sacrifice. But the face of Halfdan 
 was bright as the early morning, and he was a% 
 light and joyous as his brother was dark and 
 gloomy.
 
 1 88 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Frithiof also came, for the Thane Thorsten 
 Vikingsson desired to see him, that he too might 
 bless his son when King Bele" blessed the royal 
 princes. 
 
 And the two old friends spoke words of wisdom 
 to their children, and prayed that the gods might 
 be with them in peace and war, in joy and sorrow, 
 and grant them a long life and a glorious death. 
 
 And \vhen their counsels and prayers were 
 ended, King Bele said, 'And now, O sons, I bid you 
 remember, in that day when death shall claim me 
 and my faithful friend, that ye lay our bones side 
 by side near the shore of the great ocean.' 
 
 In due time, King Bele died, and Helgi and 
 Halfdan shared his kingdom between them. 
 
 Thorsten Vikingsson died also, and Frithiof be- 
 came lord of his ancestral home of Framnas. 
 
 Rich treasures did that home contain, three of 
 them of magic power. 
 
 The first was the sword of Angurvadel. Blood- 
 red it shone in time of war, and woe to him who 
 contended with its owner on the battle-field.
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 189 
 
 Next was an arm-ring of pure gold, made by the 
 god Volund, and given by him to one of Thorsten 
 Vikingsson's forefathers. Once it was stolen and 
 carried to England by the Viking Sote, but 
 Thorsten and his friend King Bele pursued the 
 robber. Over the sea they sailed after the Viking, 
 and landed at a lonely place where the rocks reared 
 up their sharp points and made the coast dangerous. 
 
 There were, deep caverns which the waters filled 
 when the tide was up, so lone and dark that men 
 were almost afraid to go into them. 
 
 But Thorsten Vikingsson and the king his master 
 were not daunted. Hither had they come after the 
 pirate, and here it was that he had last been heard 
 of, and they searched along the shore and in the 
 caves, and peered into every hole and cranny until 
 their eyes grew strained and heavy, but no Viking 
 Sote was to be seen. 
 
 They had almost given up hope of finding him, 
 when, looking through a chink that had hitherto 
 escaped their notice, a fearful sight was seen by the 
 valiant Thane. 
 
 Within a mighty vault, forming a still cold tomb, 
 there lay a vessel all complete, with masts and 
 spars and anchor; and on the deck there sat a grim
 
 190 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 skeleton clad in a robe of flame, and on his skinless 
 arm glittered the golden arm-ring wrought by 
 Volund. The figure held in his left hand a blood- 
 stained sword, from which he was trying to scour 
 away the stains. 
 
 ' It is my arm-ring,' said Thorsten Vikingsson ; 
 ' it is the spirit of the Viking Sote.' 
 
 And forthwith he forced his way into the tomb, 
 and, after a deadly conflict with the spectre, regained 
 his treasure. 
 
 And the two friends sailed home in triumph. 
 
 The third great thing that Frithiof inherited 
 was the dragon-ship Ellide, which his forefathers 
 had won in the following manner : 
 
 One of them, a rough rude Viking, with a tender 
 heart, was out at sea, and on a wreck that was fast 
 sinking saw an old man with green locks sitting 
 disconsolately. 
 
 The good-natured Viking picked him up, took 
 him home, gave him of the best of food and of 
 sparkling mead, and would have lodged him in his 
 house ; but the green-haired man said he could not 
 tarry, for he had many miles to sail that night. 
 
 ' But when the sun comes up in the east,' added ^
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 191 
 
 the stranger, ' look for a thank-gift on the wild sea- 
 shore.' 
 
 And behold, as morning dawned, the Viking saw 
 a goodly vessel making gallant headway. As she 
 drew near the land with streamer flying and broad 
 sails flapping in the wind, the Viking saw that 
 there was no soul on board of her, and yet without 
 steersman to guide her the vessel avoided the 
 shoals and held her way straight to the spot where 
 he was standing. 
 
 Her prow was a dragon's head, a dragon's tail 
 formed her stern, and dragon's wings bore her 
 along swifter than an eagle before the storm. 
 
 The green-haired stranger was a sea-god, and the 
 dragon-ship Ellide was his thank-gift. 
 
 Thus Frithiof, though only the son of a Thane, 
 had treasures that might have been coveted by 
 kings and princes. He sat in his father's halls, 
 surrounded by his companions ; upon his right 
 was seated his bosom friend Bjorn, and twelve 
 bold champions clad in steel were ranged around 
 the board. And they drank in silence to the 
 memory of Thorsten Vikingsson. 
 
 But suddenly the harps struck up, and the skalds
 
 ! g 2 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 poured forth their songs in honour of the dead 
 Thane. 
 
 And Frithiof's eyes filled with tears as he listened 
 to his father's praises. 
 
 IV. 
 
 In spite of Frithiofs wealth, Helgi and Half- 
 dan looked with disdain upon the son of their 
 father's friend, and when Frithiof asked to have 
 Ingebjorg for his wife, Helgi scornfully answered, 
 ' My sister shall not wed the son of a Thane. If 
 you like to be our serf, we will make room for you 
 among our servants.' 
 
 Then went Frithiof away in wrath. 
 
 There was another suitor for the hand of Ingebjorg, 
 good old King Ring, who, having lost his wife, 
 thought that the Lily of the North would make a 
 tender mother to his little son. 
 
 And he sent to Helgi and Halfdan to ask for 
 Ingebjorg in marriage, but the brothers treated him 
 as they had treated Frithiof ; and the old king was 
 roused, and he swore he would revenge himself. 
 
 Helgi and Halfdan were afraid when they found 
 that Ring was really making ready for war. They
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 193 
 
 began to get their army into order, and placed 
 Ingebjorg for safety in the temple of Balder, and in 
 their distress they even sent to Frithiof to ask him 
 to come and help them. 
 
 They chose wisely in the messenger they sent 
 to plead for them, for it was none other than old 
 Hilding, who had been so kind to Frithiof in his 
 childhood. 
 
 Frithiof was playing at chess with Bjorn when 
 Hilding arrived. He pretended not to hear the 
 message, and went on with his game. 
 
 'Shall the pawn save the king?' he asked of Bjorn. 
 
 And after a time he added, 
 
 ' There is no other way to save the queen.' 
 Which showed that he had been all the time 
 occupied with Hilding's errand. 
 
 Therefore he returned with the old peasant, and 
 contrived to see Ingebjorg in the temple of Balder 
 and found that she still loved him as much as he 
 loved her, and did not wish to marry anyone else. 
 
 And again he asked Helgi and Halfdan if they 
 were willing that Ingebjorg should be his wife. 
 
 And again the brothers said Nay with scorn, and 
 told him that he had profaned the temple of Balder 
 by speaking to Ingebjorg within its walls. 
 O
 
 1 94 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 'For such a misdeed/ said Helgi, 'death or 
 banishment is the doom, and thou ajt in our power. 
 Nevertheless, we are willing, as we wish to make 
 thee useful to us, to forego the penalty. Thou 
 shalt therefore sail forth to the distant Orkney 
 Isles, and compel Jarl Angantyr to pay the tribute 
 that he owes us.' 
 
 Frithiof would have refused to go, but Ingebjorg 
 persuaded him to undertake the mission, for she 
 was afraid of her brothers, and knew that Frithiof 
 would be safer on the wild seas than in their hands. 
 
 At last Frithiof consented, and he took leave of 
 Tngebjorg, and placed the golden bracelet that 
 Volund had made upon her arm, praying her to 
 keep it for his sake. 
 
 And then he sailed away over the heaving waters, 
 and Ingebjorg mourned that her lover was gone. 
 
 V. 
 
 Over the sea. It was calm enough when Frithiof 
 started ; the storm-winds were asleep, and the waters 
 heaved gently as though they would fain help 
 speed the dragon-ship peacefully on her way. 
 
 But King Helgi standing on a rock repented that
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 195 
 
 he had suffered the noble Frithiof to escape his 
 malice, and as he watched the good ship Ellide 
 riding over the sea, he prayed loudly to the ocean 
 fiends that they would trouble the waters and raise 
 a fierce tempest to swallow up Frithiof and the 
 dragon-ship. 
 
 All at once, the sparkling sea turned leaden grey, 
 and the billows began to roll, the skies grew dark, 
 and the howl of the driving wind was answered by 
 a sullen roar from the depths beneath. Suddenly, 
 a blinding flash of lightning played around the 
 vessel, and as it vanished the pealing thunder 
 burst from the clouds. The raging sea foamed, 
 and seethed, and tossed the vessel like a feather 
 upon its angry waves, and deeper sounded the 
 thunder, and more fiercely flashed the lightning 
 round the masts. 
 
 Wilder, wilder, wilder, grew the storm. Alas, for 
 Frithiof! 
 
 ' Ho ! take the tiller in hand,' shouted Frithiof to 
 Bjorn, ' and I will mount to the topmost mast and 
 look out for danger.' 
 
 And when he looked out, he saw the storm- 
 fiends riding on a whale. One was in form like to a 
 great white bear, the other like unto a terrible eagle.
 
 196 Wonaerful Stories. 
 
 ' Now help me, O gift of the sea-god ! Help me, 
 my gallant Ellide ! ' cried Frithiof. 
 
 And the dragon-ship heard her master's 
 voice, and with her keel she smote the whale ; so 
 he died, and sank to the bottom of the sea, leaving 
 the storm-fiends tossing upon the waves. 
 
 ' Ho, spears and lances, help me in my need ! ' 
 shouted Frithiof, as he took aim at the monsters. 
 
 And he transfixed the shrieking storm-fiends, 
 and left them entangled in the huge coils of sea- 
 weed which the storm had uprooted. 
 
 'Ho, ho!' laughed rugged Bjorn, 'they are 
 trapped in their own nets.' 
 
 And so they were; and they were so much 
 taken up with trying to free themselves from the 
 seaweed and from Frithiof 's long darts, that they 
 were unable to give any heed to the storm, which 
 therefore went down, and Frithiof and his crew 
 sailed on, and reached the Orkney Isles in safety. 
 
 ' Here comes Frithiof,' said the Viking Atle. ' I 
 know him by his dragon-ship.' 
 
 And forthwith the Viking rose and went forth ; 
 he had heard of the strength of Frithiof, and 
 wished to match himself against hifn. 
 
 He did not wait to see whether Frithiof came in
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 197 
 
 enmity or friendship. Fighting was the first 
 thing he thought of, and what he most cared for. 
 
 However, the Viking had the worst of it in the 
 battle. 
 
 ' There is witchcraft in thy sword,' said he to 
 Frithiof. 
 
 So Frithiof threw his sword aside, and they 
 wrestled together, unarmed, until Atle was brought 
 to the ground. 
 
 Then spake Frithiof: 'And if I had my sword 
 thou wouldst not long be a living man.' 
 
 ' Fetch it, then,' replied Atle. ' I swear by the 
 gods that I will not move until thou dost return.' 
 
 So Frithiof fetched his sword, but when he saw 
 the conquered Viking still upon the ground, he 
 could not bring himself to slay so honourable a 
 man. 
 
 'Thou art too true and brave to die,' said 
 Frithiof; 'rise, let us be friends.' 
 
 And the two combatants went hand in hand to 
 the banquet hall of Angantyr, Jarl of the Orkney 
 Islands. 
 
 A splendid hall it was, and a rare company of 
 heroes was there, and all listened eagerly as 
 Fnthiof told his story, and wherefore he had come.
 
 198 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 ' I never paid tribute to King Bele, though he 
 was an old friend of mine,' said the Jarl, as Fri- 
 thiof ended his speech, ' nor will I to his sons. If 
 they want aught of me let them come and take 
 it.' 
 
 ' It was by no choice of my own that I came 
 upon such an errand,' returned Frithiof, ' and I 
 shall be well content to carry back your answer.' 
 
 ' Take also this purse of gold in token of friend- 
 ship,' continued the Jarl, 'and remain with. us, for I 
 knew thy father.' 
 
 Thus Frithiof and the Jarl became good friends, 
 and Frithiof consented to stay for awhile in the 
 Orkney Islands ; but after a time he ordered out his 
 good ship Ellide, and set sail for his native land. 
 
 VI. 
 
 But fearful things had come to pass since he had 
 left .his home! Framnas, the dwelling of his 
 fathers, was a heap of ruins, and the land was 
 waste and desolate. 
 
 And as he stood upon the well-loved spot, striv- 
 ing to find some traces of the past, his faithful 
 hound bounded forth to greet him, and licked his
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 199 
 
 master's hand. And then his favourite steed drew 
 near, and thrust his nose into Frithiof's hand, 
 hoping to. find therein a piece of bread, as in the 
 days of old. His favourite falcon perched upon 
 his shoulder, and this was Frithiof's welcome to the 
 home of his ancestors. 
 
 There had been a fierce battle, for King Ring 
 with his army had come against Helgi and 
 Halfdan, and the country had been laid waste, 
 and many warriors slain. 
 
 And when all chance of withstanding him was 
 at an end, the brothers, rather than lose their king- 
 dom, had consented that Ingebjorg should be the 
 wife of Ring. 
 
 Ingebjorg was married ! Frithiof's heart was full 
 of deep sorrow, and he turned his steps towards the 
 temple of Balder, hoping that at the altar of the 
 god he might meet with consolation. 
 
 In the temple he found King Helgi, and the 
 sorrow that was weighing down Frithiof's heart 
 gave place to hatred and revenge. 
 
 Caring nothing for the sacred place, he r-ushed 
 madly forward. ' Here, take thy tribute,' said he, 
 and he threw the purse that Jarl Angantyr had 
 given him with such force against the face of the
 
 2OO Wonderful Stories. 
 
 king that Helgi fell down senseless on the steps of 
 the altar. 
 
 Next, seeing his arm-ring on the arm of the 
 statue, for Helgi had taken it from Ingebjorg and 
 placed it there, he tried to tear it off, and, lo ! the 
 image tottered and fell upon the fire that was 
 burning with sweet perfumes before it. 
 
 Scarcely had it touched the fire when it was 
 ablaze, and the flames spreading rapidly on every 
 side, the whole temple was soon a smouldering 
 heap of ruins. 
 
 Then Frithiof sought his ship. He vowed that 
 he would lead a Viking's life, and leave for ever a 
 land where he had suffered so much sorrow. And 
 he put out to sea. 
 
 But no sooner were his sails spread than he saw 
 ten vessels in chase of him, and on the deck of 
 one stood Helgi, who had been rescued from the 
 burning temple, and had come in chase of him. 
 
 Yet Frithiof was rescued from the danger as if 
 by miracle, for one by one the ships sank down as 
 though some water giant had stretched out his 
 strong arm, and dragged them below, and Helgi 
 only saved himself by swimming ashore. 
 
 Loud laughed Bjorn.
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 201 
 
 ' I bored holes in them last night,' said he, ' it is 
 a rare ending to Helgi's fleet' 
 
 ' And now,' said Frithiof, ' I will for ever lead a 
 Viking's life. I care not for aught upon the land. 
 The sea shall be my home. And I will seek 
 climes far away from here.' 
 
 So he steered the good ship Ellide southward, 
 and among the isles of Greece strove to forget 
 the memories of bygone days. 
 
 VII. 
 
 In and out of the sunny islands that lay like 
 bosses of emerald on a silver shield sailed Frithiof, 
 and on the deck of the dragon-ship he rested 
 through the summer nights, looking up at the 
 moon, and wondering what she could tell him of 
 his northern land. 
 
 Sometimes he dreamed of his home as it was 
 before the war-time. Sometimes he dreamed of 
 the days w r hen he and Ingebjorg roamed through 
 the fields and woods together, or listened to old 
 Hilding's stories by the blazing hearth, and then he 
 would wake up with a start and stroke his faithful 
 hound, who was ever near him, saying, 'Thou
 
 2 o 2 Wonder fu I Stories. 
 
 alone knowest no change ; to thee all is alike, so 
 long as thy master is with thee.' 
 
 One night, however, as Frithiof was musing on 
 the deck of his vessel, gazing into the cloudless 
 sky, a vision of the past rose up before him ; old 
 familiar faces crowded round him, and in their 
 midst he marked one, best beloved of all, pale, sad 
 with sorrowful eyes, and her lips moved, and he 
 seemed to hear her say, ' I am very sad without 
 thee, Frithiof.' 
 
 Then a great longing came upon Frithiof to see 
 Ingebjorg once more. He would go northward, even 
 to the country of King Ring; he must see 
 Ingebjorg. What did he care for danger? He 
 must, go. 
 
 To the cold dark north. 
 
 Yet he dared not go openly, for King Ring 
 looked upon him as an enemy, and would seize him 
 at once, and if he did not kill him would shut him 
 up in prison, so that either way he would not see 
 the beautiful queen. 
 
 Frithiof therefore disguised himself as an old 
 man, and, wrapped in bearskins, presented himself 
 at the palace. 
 
 The old king sat upon his throne, and at his side
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 203 
 
 was Ingebjorg the Fair, looking like spring by the 
 side of fading autumn. 
 
 As the strangely dressed figure passed along, 
 the courtiers jeered, and Frithiof, thrown off his 
 guard, angrily seized one of them, and twirled him 
 round with but little effort. 
 
 ' Ho ! ' said the king, ' thou art a strong old man, 
 O stranger ! Whence art thou ? ' 
 
 ' I was reared in anguish and want,' returned 
 Frithiof; 'sorrow has filled a bitter cup for me, 
 and I have almost drunk it to the dregs. Once I 
 rode upon a dragon, but now it lies dead upon the 
 sea-shore, and I am left in my old age to burn salt 
 upon the strand.' 
 
 ' Thou art not old,' answered the wise king ; ' thy 
 voice is clear, and thy grasp strong. Throw off thy 
 rude disguise, that we may know our guest.' 
 
 Then Frithiof threw aside his bearskin, and 
 appeared clad in a mantle of blue embroidered 
 velvet, and his hair fell like a golden wave upon 
 his shoulder. 
 
 Ring did not know him, but Ingebjorg did ; and 
 when she handed the goblet for him to drink, her 
 colour went and came ' like to the northern light 
 on a field of snow.'
 
 2O4 Wont&rful Stories. 
 
 And Frithiof stayed at the court until the year 
 came round again, and spring once more put forth 
 its early blossoms. 
 
 One day a gay hunting train went forth, but old 
 King Ring, not being strong, as in former years, 
 lay down to rest upon the mossy turf beneath some 
 arching pines, whilst the hunters rode on. 
 
 Then Frithiof drew near, and in his heart wild 
 thoughts arose. One blow of his sword, and 
 Ingebjorg was free to be his wife. 
 
 But as he looked upon the sleeping king, there 
 came a whisper from a better voice, ' It is cowardly 
 to strike a sleeping foe.' 
 
 And Frithiof shuddered, for he was too brave a 
 man to commit murder. 
 
 ' Sleep on, old man,' he muttered gently to him- 
 self. 
 
 But Ring's sleep was over. He started up. ' O 
 Frithiof, why hast thou come hither to steal an old 
 man's bride ? ' 
 
 ' I came not hither for so dark a purpose,' 
 answered Frithiof; ' I came, but to look on the face 
 of my loved Ingebjorg once more.' 
 
 ' I know it,' replied the King, ' I have tried thee, 
 I have proved thee, and true as tried steel hast
 
 The Story of Frithiof . 20^ 
 
 thou passed through the furnace. Stay with us 
 yet a little longer, the old man soon will be 
 gathered to his fathers, then shall his kingdom and 
 his wife be thine.' 
 
 But Frithiof replied that he had already remained 
 too long, and that on the morrow he must depart. 
 
 Yet he went not, for death had visited the palace, 
 and old King Ring was stretched upon his bier, 
 whilst the bards around sang of his wisdom. 
 
 Then arose a cry among the people, ' We must 
 choose a king ! ' 
 
 And Frithiof raised aloft upon his shield the little 
 son of Ring. 
 
 'Here is your king,' he said, ' the son of wise old 
 Ring.' 
 
 The blue-eyed child laughed and clapped his 
 hands as he beheld the glittering helmets and 
 glancing spears of the warriors. Then tired of his 
 high place, he sprang down into the midst of 
 them. 
 
 Loud uprose the shout, ' The child shall be our 
 king, and the Jarl Frithiof regent. Hail to the 
 young king of the Northmen !'
 
 206 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 vni. 
 
 But Frithiof in the hour of his good fortune did 
 not forget that he had offended the gods. He 
 must make atonement to Balder for having caused 
 the ruin of his temple. He must turn his steps 
 once more homeward. 
 
 Home! Home! And on his father's grave he 
 sank down with a softened heart, and grieved over 
 the passion and revenge that had swayed his deeds. 
 And as he mourned, the voices of unseen spirits 
 answered him, and whispered that he was forgiven. 
 
 And to his wondering eyes a vision was vouch- 
 safed, and the temple of Balder appeared before 
 him, rebuilt in more than its ancient splendour, and 
 deep peace sank into the soul of Frithiof. 
 
 ' Rise up, rise up, Frithiof, and journey onward.' 
 
 The words came clear as a command to Frithiof, 
 and he obeyed them. He rose up, and journeyed 
 to the place where he had left the temple a heap 
 of blackened ruins. 
 
 And, lo ! the vision that had appeared to him 
 was accomplished, for there stood the beautiful 
 building, stately and fair to look upon. So beauti- 
 ful, that, as he gazed, his thoughts were of Valhalla.
 
 The Story of Frithiof. 207 
 
 He entered, and the white-robed silver-bearded 
 priest welcomed the long absent Viking, and told 
 him that Helgi was dead, and Halfdan reigned 
 alone. 
 
 'And know, O Frithiof,' said the aged man, 'that 
 Balder is better pleased when the heart grows soft 
 and injuries are forgiven, than with the most costly 
 sacrifices. Lay aside for ever all thoughts of 
 hatred and revenge, and stretch out to Halfdan the 
 hand of friendship.' 
 
 Joy had softened all Frithiof's feelings of anger, 
 and, advancing to Halfdan, who was standing near 
 the altar, he spoke out manfully. 
 
 ' Halfdan,' he said, ' let us forget the years that 
 have gone by. Let all past evil and injury be 
 buried in the grave. Henceforth let us be as 
 brothers, and once more I ask thee, give me 
 Ingebjorg to be my wife.' 
 
 And Halfdan made answer, ' Thou shalt be my 
 brother.' 
 
 And as he spoke, an inner door flew open, and a 
 sweet chorus of youthful voices was heard. A 
 band of maidens issued forth, and at their head 
 walked Ingebjorg fairer than ever.
 
 208 Wonderful Stories. 
 
 Then Halfdan, leading her to Frithiof, placed her 
 hand within that of the Viking. 
 
 'Behold thy wife/ said Halfdan. 'Well hast thou 
 won her. May the gods attend upon your bridal.' 
 
 So Ingebjorg became the wife of Frithiof at last. 
 
 Thus steps of sorrow had but led them to a 
 height of happiness that poets love to sing. Paths 
 thick with thorns had blossomed into roses, and 
 wreaths of everlasting flowers had crowned the 
 winter snows. And midst the lights and shadows 
 of the old North land, their lives flowed on like to 
 two united streams that roll through quiet pastures 
 to the ocean of eternity. 
 
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 "Scottish uSiTeriuVcity (It! Andrews)? . 9 
 SwMTMAH's Through the Night, and 
 
 WILCOCK'S Sea Fisherman 
 WILLIAMS'S Aritotle's Ethics 
 History ofWale 
 WILLIAMS on Climate of South of France 
 
 TAYLOR'S History of India 3 
 
 WILLIS'S Principles of I Mechanism '.'. 
 
 TMIRLTT ALL'S Hiitory of Greece. . . .". 2 
 THOMPSON'S (Archbishop) Laws of Thought 7 
 CA.T.) Conspectus 15 
 
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 Homes without Hands , 
 WOOD WARD'S Historical and Chronological 
 
 Three Weddings 24 
 TODD(A.) on Parliamentary GoTernment 1 
 TDD and BOWMAN'S Anatomy and Phy- 
 
 YEO'S Manual of Zoology 
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 YoUATTonthe Dog 
 on the Horse 
 
 ZELLER'S Socrates 
 
 TRF.>-CH'S Realities of Irish Life ? 
 
 TBOLLOPB'B Barchester Towers 84 
 Warden 21 
 
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 Heat 11 
 
 tONDOlf: PRINTED BY 
 
 BPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STHEEI SQCAEE 
 AITD PABLIAHENT BIBBEI
 
 *nw LO URL 
 
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 1 5 1985 
 
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 JAN 3 1 1391 
 
 MOV 2 7 1995 
 C.L. NOV29'95 
 
 4WKJUN 42004 
 
 !TB 1 7 1993 
 
 THE TJRRARY
 
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