e times he would writhe with
his huge body and lash his tail till the sea spouted up to the sky.
And when that happened the men of the North said that a great tempest
was raging. But it was only the Serpent-son of Loki writhing in his
wrath.

Then Odin turned to the third child. And behold! the Fenris Wolf was
so appalling to look upon that Odin feared to cast him forth, and he
decided to endeavour to tame him by kindness so that he should not
wish them ill.

But when he bade them carry food to the Fenris Wolf, not one of the
Asas would do so, for they feared a snap from his great jaws. Only the
brave Tyr had courage enough to feed him, and the wolf ate so much and
so fast that the business took him all his time. Meantime, too, the
Fenris grew so rapidly, and became so fierce, that the gods were
compelled to take counsel and consider how they should get rid of him.
They remembered that it would make their peaceful halls unholy if they
were to slay him, and so they resolved instead to bind him fast, that
he should be unable to do them harm.

So those of the Asa folk who were clever smiths set to work and made a
very strong, thick chain; and when it was finished they carried it out
to the yard where the wolf dwelt, and said to him, as though in jest:

"Here is a fine proof of thy boasted strength, O Fenris. Let us bind
this about thee, that we may see if thou canst break it asunder."

Then the wolf gave a great grin with his wide jaws, and came and stood
still that they might bind the chain about him; for he knew what he
could do. And it came to pass that directly they had fastened the
chain, and had slipped aside from him, the great beast gave himself a
shake, and the chain fell about him in little bits.

At this the Asas were much annoyed, but they tried not to show it, and
praised him for his strength.

Then they set to work again upon a chain much stronger than the last,
and brought it to the Fenris Wolf, saying:

"Great will be thy renown, O Fenris, if thou canst break this chain as
thou didst the last."

But the wolf looked at them askance, for the chain they brought was
very much thicker than the one he had already broken. He reflected,
however, that since that time he himself had grown stronger and
bigger, and moreover, that one must risk something in order to win
renown.

So he let them put the chain upon him, and when the Asas said that all
was ready, he gave a good shake and stretched himself a few