at one end and Loki at the other.

Both of them ate as fast as they possibly could, and met in the middle
of the trough. But though Loki had such an immense appetite, and had
eaten every scrap of meat off the bones, Logi had eaten up the flesh
and the bones and the trough as well.

So Loki had to confess that he had been beaten.

Then the Giant-King looked at the boy Thialfi and asked: "What use is
that lad in heaven or earth?"

And Thialfi answered that he would run faster than anyone whom the
Giant-King liked to name.

"That is a good feat," said the King, "but it is to be hoped you can
run _really_ fast, for you will have something to do to win this
race."

So saying he took them outside, where there was an excellent
racecourse along the flat plain; and he called up a young man, whose
name was Hugi, and bade him run a race with Thialfi.

In the first heat of that race, although Hugi ran so fast, yet, when
he turned to run back, he met Thialfi face to face. Then the King of
the Giants encouraged the lad, saying: "Never before has come anyone
hither who was swifter of foot than you."

Then they ran the second heat, and when Hugi reached the goal, Thialfi
was three quarters of the way thither.

Then said the giant: "Well run, Thialfi; yet I do not think that you
will win this race. However, we shall see what happens in the third
heat."

When this was run, Hugi had reached the goal and turned back again ere
poor Thialfi was barely halfway there.

At this all the giants began to applaud Hugi, saying that he had
fairly won the race; and Thialfi was obliged to go sadly away.

The King of the Giants next inquired what feats Thor could show to
prove the truth of the tales men told of his great strength; and the
Asa, who was now very thirsty, and at all times a mighty man at the
bowl, said that he would drink deeper than anyone in the whole world.

So they returned to the hall, where the King called upon his
cup-bearer to bring the horn out of which his valiant giants drank;
and this was filled with ale and handed to Thor.

Then said the King of the Giants: "With us 'tis thought that the man
is a good drinker who empties this horn at one draught; he who takes
it off in two is but moderately thirsty; but he who cannot empty it in
three is but a wretched drinker, and not worthy of the name."

Thor looked at the horn, and thinking within himself: "This is not a
difficult task, for the horn, though it seems deep