sulkily, for he was ill pleased, and wore his
maiden robes with no good grace. "It is fitting that you go; for I like
not these lies and masking and I may spoil the mummery without you at my
elbow."

There was loud laughter above the clouds when Thor, all veiled and
dainty seeming, drove away from Asgard to his wedding, with maid Loki by
his side. Thor cracked his whip and chirruped fiercely to his twin goats
with golden hoofs, for he wanted to escape the sounds of mirth that
echoed from the rainbow bridge, where all the AEsir stood watching. Loki,
sitting with his hands meekly folded like a girl, chuckled as he glanced
up at Thor's angry face; but he said nothing, for he knew it was not
good to joke too far with Thor, even when Miloenir was hidden twelve
leagues below the sea in Ran's kingdom.

So off they dashed to Jotunheim, where Thrym was waiting and longing for
his beautiful bride. Thor's goats thundered along above the sea and land
and people far below, who looked up wondering as the noise rolled
overhead. "Hear how the thunder rumbles!" they said. "Thor is on a long
journey to-night." And a long journey it was, as the tired goats found
before they reached the end.

Thrym heard the sound of their approach, for his ear was eager. "Hola!"
he cried. "Someone is coming from Asgard--only one of Odin's children
could make a din so fearful. Hasten, men, and see if they are bringing
Freia to be my wife."

Then the lookout giant stepped down from the top of his mountain, and
said that a chariot was bringing two maidens to the door.

"Run, giants, run!" shouted Thrym, in a fever at this news. "My bride is
coming! Put silken cushions on the benches for a great banquet, and make
the house beautiful for the fairest maid in all space! Bring in all my
golden-horned cows and my coal-black oxen, that she may see how rich I
am, and heap all my gold and jewels about to dazzle her sweet eyes! She
shall find me richest of the rich; and when I have her--fairest of the
fair--there will be no treasure that I lack--not one!"

The chariot stopped at the gate, and out stepped the tall bride, hidden
from head to foot, and her handmaiden muffled to the chin. "How afraid
of catching cold they must be!" whispered the giant ladies, who were
peering over one another's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the bride,
just as the crowd outside the awning does at a wedding nowadays.

Thrym had sent six splendid servants to escort the maidens: thes