So they sat in the Council with looks downcast. But cunning Loki said,
"I have thought of a trick that may win back the hammer from stupid
Thrym. Let us pretend to send Freya to Joetunheim as a bride for him. But
let one of the Gods go in Freya's veil and dress."

"Which of the Gods would bring himself to do so shameful a thing?" said
those in the Council.

"Oh, he who lost the hammer, Thor, should be prepared to do as much to
win it back," said Loki.

"Thor, Thor! Let Thor win back the hammer from Thrym by Loki's trick,"
said the AEsir and the Vanir. They left it to Loki to arrange how Thor
should go to Joetunheim as a bride for Thrym.

Loki left the Council of the Gods and came to where he had left Thor.
"There is but one way to win the hammer back, Thor," he said, "and the
Gods in Council have decreed that you shall take it."

"What is the way?" said Thor. "But no matter what it is, tell me of it
and I shall do as thou dost say."

"Then," said laughing Loki, "I am to take you to Joetunheim as a bride
for Thrym. Thou art to go in bridal dress and veil, in Freya's veil and
bridal dress."

"What! I dress in woman's garb?" shouted Thor.

"Yea, Thor, and wear a veil over your head and a garland of flowers upon
it."

"I--I wear a garland of flowers?"

"And rings upon thy fingers. And a bunch of housekeeper's keys in thy
girdle."

"Cease thy mockery, Loki," said Thor roughly, "or I shall shake thee."

"It is no mockery. Thou wilt have to do this to win Mioelnir back for the
defence of Asgard. Thrym will take no other recompense than Freya. I
would mock him by bringing thee to him in Freya's veil and dress. When
thou art in his hall and he asks thee to join hands with him, say thou
wilt not until he puts Mioelnir into thy hands. Then when thy mighty
hammer is in thy holding thou canst deal with him and with all in his
hall. And I shall be with thee as thy bridesmaid! O sweet, sweet maiden
Thor!"

"Loki," said Thor, "thou didst devise all this to mock me. I in a bridal
dress! I with a bride's veil upon me! The Dwellers in Asgard will never
cease to laugh at me."

"Yea," said Loki, "but there will never be laughter again in Asgard
unless thou art able to bring back the hammer that thine unwatchfulness
lost."

"True," said Thor unhappily, "and is this, thinkst thou, Loki, the only
way to win back Mioelnir from Thrym?"

"It is the only way, O Thor," said the cunning Loki.

So Thor and Loki set out for