ficant little fellows
as you be.

"But if you want to be quite wise, turn back now to your own place,
for that is the best thing you can do."

So saying, Skrymir shouldered his great sack and, turning his back
upon them, went off through the forest with such huge strides that he
was soon lost to sight.

Now Loki was much disposed to follow the advice of the giant and turn
back to Asgard, but of this Thor would not hear. So they continued
their journey until noonday, when they saw before them a great town
standing in the midst of an immense plain. The walls and gates of the
town were so high that they had to bend their necks right back before
they could see to the top of them, and when they came nearer still
they found the gate was fast shut.

But this gate had bars, and was made to keep in the Giant folk, not to
keep out smaller people, of whose visits they had never thought. So
the two Asas and their servants found little difficulty in creeping
through the bars, and so getting into the town.

The first thing they saw was a great hall, towards which they went,
and finding the door open they entered, and saw in the centre of it
two benches, enormously high and wide, upon which sat a number of
giants. In their midst, upon a platform high as the roof of an
ordinary house, sat the King of the Giants, to whom they advanced and
made their bows. At first the King looked about on the floor as though
they were too small for him to see, but at length he cast a scornful
glance upon them, and with a grin that showed all his teeth, said:

"Is this little fellow the great god Thor, of whom we have heard so
much? Perhaps, however, you are bigger in strength than in size. Now,
for what feats are you and your companions prepared? For you must know
this, that no one is allowed to stay here unless he be more skilled
in some craft or accomplishment than any other man."

At this Red Loki, who was so dreadfully hungry that he scarcely knew
what he was saying, called out: "I know what I can do better than
anyone else! I will soon prove that there is no one present who can
eat his food faster than I can."

Then said the King of the Giants: "That is a feat to be proud of, if
you speak the truth, and you shall try it immediately."

So he called from the bench a man called Logi, and bade him come out
on the floor and try his strength against Loki.

The others took a huge trough full of meat and set it on the floor,
and they put Logi