ip."

Lastly Brock drew out the short-handled hammer named Mioelnir. And this
he gave to Thor, saying: "Most powerful one, here is a hammer whose
blows nothing can withstand, not even mountains or Frost Giants; and
however far you throw it, this hammer will always return to your
hand."

Then Thor jumped from his seat joyfully crying out: "Better than the
golden hair of Sif is a weapon against which none of my enemies can
stand. Brothers, let us decide this wager forthwith. And for me, I
give my vote in favour of the gifts of Brock."

Then the gods and goddesses put their heads together and came to the
conclusion that the hammer of Thor was worth all the gifts of Loki
twice over; for with it they could be protected against the Frost
Giants, who were always their secret dread. So they decided:

"Brock has won the wager. Let Loki lose his head."

Much dismayed, Red Loki offered to pay a huge ransom, but of this
Brock would not hear.

Then Loki pretended to give in. "Come and take me then," he cried, but
when the dwarf tried to seize him he was already far away, for he wore
the shoes with which he could run through the air and over the sea.

And knowing that he could never catch him, Brock was beside himself
with rage. Looking round him he saw that, though the others had
dispersed, Thor was still playing with his new hammer, smashing a
mountain here and a great tree there.

"Mighty Thor," cried the dwarf, "will you do something for me in
return for my gift? Bring to me that fellow who has broken his word,
that I may slay him forthwith."

With a nod of his great head Thor jumped into his goat chariot, and
was soon thundering through the air after wicked Loki. Driving with
the speed of lightning he quickly overtook the fugitive, whose plea
for help, however, touched him so that he relented and bethought him
of a way in which he might save his life.

Justice must be done, however, so he dragged the culprit back to
Asgard and gave him over to Brock; but he warned the dwarf that
although the head of Loki was rightfully his, he must not touch his
neck.

Now Brock could not possibly cut off the one without touching the
other, so he bethought him of another plan. He would at any rate sew
up the bragging lips that had caused so much trouble and told so many
lies since All Things began.

So he took a strong piece of string and bored holes with his auger,
and firmly stitched up the lips of Red Loki, and broke off the t