VIII.] THOR'S JOURNEY TO JOTUNHEIM. ill 



" Skrymer stooped and took up his glove, and Thor saw 

 that it was the house in which they had passed the night, 

 and that the out-building was the thumb." 



Here follow incidents which do not differ widely from 

 certain passages in the history of Jack the Giant Killer. 

 Thor makes three several attempts to knock out the easy- 

 going giant's brains during a slumber, in which he is repre- 

 sented as " snoring outrageously," — and after each blow of 

 the Thunder god's hammer, Skrymer merely wakes up — 

 strokes his beard — and complains of feeling some trifling 

 inconvenience, such as a dropped acorn on his head, a 

 fallen leaf, or a little moss shaken from the boughs. 

 Finally, he takes leave of them, — points out the way to 

 Utgard Loke's palace, advises them not to give themselves 

 airs at his court, — as unbecoming l! such little fellows" as 

 they were, and disappears in the wood ; "and" — as the old 

 chronicler slyly adds — " it is not said whether the GEsir 

 wished ever to see him again." 



They then journey on till noon ; till they come to a vast 

 palace, where a multitude of men, of whom the greater 

 number were immensely large, sat on two benches. " After 

 this they advanced into the presence of the king, Utgard 

 Loke, and saluted him. He scarcely deigned to give 

 a look, and said smiling : ' It is late to inquire after true 

 tidings from a great distance ; but is it not Thor that I see ? 

 Yet you are really bigger than I imagined. What are the 

 exploits that you can perform ? For no one is tolerated 

 amongst us who cannot distinguish himself by some art or 

 accomplishment' 



" ' Then,' said Lopt, ' I understands art of which I am 

 prepared to give proof ; and that is, that no one here can 

 dispose of his food as I can.' Then answered Utgard 

 Loke : * Truly this is an art, if thou canst achieve it ; 

 which we will now see.' He called from the bench a man 

 named Loge to contend with Lopt. They set a trough in 

 the middle of the hall, filled with meat. Lopt placed him- 

 self at one end and Loge at the other. Both ate the best 



