VIII.] THOR'S JOURNEY TO JOTUNHEIM. 113 



a great man, as the CEsir look upon thee, if thou dost not 

 distinguish thyself in other ways more than thou hast done 

 in this ? ' 



w Then was Thor angry, put the horn to his mouth, drank 

 with all his might, and strained himself to the utmost ; and 

 when he looked into the horn it was now somewhat 

 lessened. He gave up the horn, and would not drink any 

 more. ' Now,' said Utgard Loke, ' now is it clear that thy 

 strength is not so great as we supposed. Wilt thou try 

 some other game, for we see that thou canst not succeed in 

 this ? ' Thor answered : ' I will now try something else ; but 

 I wonder who, amongst the CEsir, would call that a little 

 drink ! What play will you propose ? ' 



"Utgard Loke answered: 'Young men think it mere 

 play to lift my cat from the ground ; and I would never 

 have proposed this to CEsir Thor, if I did not perceive that 

 thou art a much less man than I had thought thee/ There- 

 upon sprang an uncommonly great grey cat upon the floor. 

 Thor advanced, took the cat round the body, and lifted it 

 up. The cat bent its back in the same degree as Thor 

 lifted ; and when Thor had lifted one of its feet- from the 

 ground, and was not able to lift it any higher, said Utgard 

 Loke : 'The game has terminated just as I expected. The 

 cat is very great, and Thor is low and small, compared with 

 the great men who are here with us.' 



" Then said Thor : ' Little as you call me, I challenge 

 any one to wrestle with me, for now I am angry.' Utgard 

 Loke answered, looking round upon the benches : ' I see 

 no one here who would not deem it play to wrestle with 

 thee : but let us call hither the old Ella, my nurse ; with 

 her shall Thor prove his strength, if he will. She has given 

 many one a fall who appeared far stronger than Thor is.' 

 On this there entered the hall an old woman ; and Utgard 

 Loke said she would wrestle with Thor. In short, the con- 

 test went so, that the more Thor exerted himself, the firmer 

 she stood j and now began the old woman to exert herself, 

 and Thor to give way, and severe struggles followed. It 



8 



