en nearly two himself, leaving only small cuts for
his wife and his youthful kinsman, grumbled at Thor's appetite. "You'll
clear my fields, Asa Thor," he said, "if you stay long with me."

"Do not grumble, Hrymer," Thor said. "Tomorrow I'll go fishing and I'll
bring you back the weight of what I ate."

"Then instead of hunting I'll go fishing with you tomorrow, Asa Thor,"
said Hrymer. "And don't be frightened if I take you out on a rough sea."

Hrymer was first out of bed the next morning. He came with the pole and
the ropes in his hand to where Thor was sleeping. "Time to start earning
your meal, Asa Thor," said he.

Thor got out of bed, and when they were both in the courtyard the Giant
said, "You'll have to provide a bait for yourself. Mind that you take a
bait large enough. It is not where the little fishes are, the place
where I'm going to take you. If you never saw monsters before you'll see
them now. I'm glad, Asa Thor, that you spoke of going fishing."

"Will this bait be big enough?" said Thor, laying his hands on the horns
of the bull that Hrymer had captured and brought home, the bull with the
mighty head of horns that was called "Heaven-breaking." "Will this bait
be big enough, do you think?"

"Yes, if you're big enough to handle it," said the Giant.

Thor said nothing, but he struck the bull full in the middle of the
forehead with his fist. The great creature fell down dead. Thor then
twisted the bull's head off. "I have my bait and I'm ready to go with
you, Hrymer," he said.

Hrymer had turned away to hide the rage he was in at seeing Thor do such
a feat. He walked down to the boat without speaking. "You may row for
the first few strokes," said Hrymer, when they were in the boat, "but
when we come to where the ocean is rough, why I'll take the oars from
you."

Without saying a word Thor made a few strokes that took the boat out
into the middle of the ocean. Hrymer was in a rage to think that he
could not show himself greater than Thor. He let out his line and began
to fish. Soon he felt something huge on his hook. The boat rocked and
rocked till Thor steadied it. Then Hrymer drew into the boat the largest
whale that was in these seas.

"Good fishing," said Thor, as he put his own bait on the line.

"It's something for you to tell the AEsir," said Hrymer.

"I thought as you were here I'd show you something bigger than
salmon-fishing."

"I'll try my luck now," said Thor.

He threw out a line