the giant with his bright,
round eyes, and was wondering how to begin, when Thrym, who, at a
glance, had seen completely through his disguise, said calmly, in a
voice as much as possible like Thor's thunderous roar: "Oh, ho! Loki,
what are you doing so far from Asgard? Are you not afraid, little
fellow as you are, to venture alone into our country?"

Then Loki, thinking to win his way by flattery, replied: "Sad indeed
is it in Asgard, now that Mioelnir has vanished. Clever was that one
who spirited it away from the very side of Thor. Methinks none but you
could have done it, O mighty Thrym!"

Pleased with the compliment to his cleverness the giant chuckled
before admitting: "Ay, Loki, the hammer is mine, 'tis very true; and
now men will know who really is the Thunderer."

"Ah well!" sighed cunning Loki, "some men are strong by reason of
their weapons, and some are just as strong without. Small need have
you, O mighty Thrym, for hammers, but Thor is naught without it. Yet,
since all the world knows that you are his master, let him have his
plaything back, that we may cease to be troubled by his peevish
outcry."

But though Thrym was as stupid as he was big, he was not to be caught
thus.

"No, no, my little Loki," he said. "Mine is the hammer, and deep have
I buried it beneath the bottom of the sea. Go, tell this to your Asa
folk, and say to them that I will give it back on one condition
only--and that is, that they send me Freya, that fairest of maidens,
to be my wife."

At this suggestion Loki could scarcely keep from laughing, for the
idea of sending the beautiful Freya, the joy and delight of Asgard, to
be the wife of this ill-favoured Frost Giant was too absurd for
words.

It was not much to him, however, what happened to anyone except
himself, so he hastened to reply: "Be sure, O Thrym, that everything I
can do to further the matter shall be done. And if Freya is of the
same mind as I you will soon be welcoming that most sweet maiden to
Giantland--farewell!"

So saying, he spread his brown wings and flew back to Asgard,
delighted to think of the mischief he could now set brewing.

First of all he visited Thor, and told him of what had passed. And the
Thunderer, when he heard of Thrym's boastful words, was filled with
wild wrath and wanted to start off, then and there, and wrest the
hammer from the depths of the sea. But Loki pointed out the
difficulties that stood in the way and, leaving the Asa to pond