s, during the whole day.
At night he found a place where Thor and his companions might rest under
an oak. There, he said, he would lie down and sleep.
"You take the bag," said he, "and make your supper."
He was soon asleep, and, strange as it may seem, when Thor tried to open
the bag he could not untie a single knot nor loose the string. Enraged
at this he seized his hammer, swayed it in both his hands, took a step
forward, and hurled it at the giant's head. This awoke the giant, who
asked him if a leaf had not fallen on his head, and whether they had
finished their supper. Thor said they were just about to lie down to
sleep, and went to lie under another oak-tree. About midnight, observing
that Skrymir was snoring so loudly that the forest re-echoed the din,
Thor grasped his hammer and hurled it with such force at him that it
sank up to the handle in his head.
"What is the matter?" asked he, awakening. "Did an acorn fall on my
head? How are you going on, Thor?"
Thor departed at once, saying that it was only midnight and that he
hoped to get some more sleep yet. He resolved, however, to have a third
blow at the giant, hoping that with this he might settle everything.
Seizing his hammer, he, with all his force, threw it at the giant's
cheek, into which it buried itself up to the handle. Skrymir, awaking,
put his hand to his cheek, and said--
"Are there any birds perched on this tree? I thought some moss fell upon
me. How! art thou awake, Thor? It is time, is it not, for us to get up
and dress ourselves? You have not far, however, to go before you arrive
at the city Utgard. I have heard you whispering together that I am a
very tall fellow, but there you will see many larger than me. Let me
advise you then when you get there not to take too much upon yourselves,
for the men of Utgard-Loki will not bear much from such little folk as
you. I believe your best way would even be to turn back again, but if
you are determined to proceed take the road that goes towards the east,
as for me mine now lies to the north."
After he had said this, he put his bag upon his shoulder and turned away
into a forest; and I could never hear that Thor wished him a good
journey.
Proceeding on his way with his companions, Thor saw towards noon a city
situated in the middle of a vast plain. The wall of the city was so
lofty that one could not look up to the top of it without throwing one's
head quite back upon the shoulder. On coming
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