“Here then will I stand,” said Gangler, “and listen to what ye have to say, but if ye cannot answer my question satisfactorily I shall look upon you as vanquished.”

Then spake Thridi and said, “We can easily conceive that thou art desirous of knowing these tidings, but it behooves thee to guard a becoming silence respecting them.  The story I have to relate is this:—­

46.  “One day the God Thor set out in his car drawn by two he-goats, and accompanied by Loki, on a journey.  Night coming on, they put up at a peasant’s cottage, where Thor killed his goats, and after flaying them, put them in the kettle.  When the flesh was sodden, he sat down with his fellow-traveller to supper, and invited the peasant and his family to partake of his repast.  The peasant’s son was named Thjalfi, and his daughter Roska.  Thor bade them throw all the bones into the goats’ skins which were spread out near the fire-place, but young Thjalfi broke one of the shank bones with his knife to come to the marrow.  Thor having passed the night in the cottage, rose at the dawn of day, and when he was dressed took his mallet Mjolnir, and lifting it up, consecrated the goats’ skins, which he had no sooner done than the two goats re-assumed their wonted form, only that one of them now limped on one of its hind legs.  Thor perceiving this, said that the peasant, or one of his family, had handled the shank bone of this goat too roughly, for he saw clearly that it was broken.  It may readily be imagined how frightened the peasant was when he saw Thor knit his brows, and grasp the handle of his mallet with such force that the joints of his fingers became white from the exertion.  Fearing to be struck down by the very looks of the god, the peasant and his family made joint suit for pardon, offering whatever they possessed as an atonement for the offence committed.  Thor, seeing their fear, desisted from his wrath, and became more placable, and finally contented himself by requiring the peasant’s children, Thjalfi and Roska, who became his bond-servants, and have followed him ever since.

’Leaving his goats with the peasant, Thor proceeded eastward on the road to Jotunheim, until he came to the shores of a vast and deep sea, which having passed over he penetrated into a strange country along with his companions, Loki, Thjalfi, and Roska.  They had not gone far before they saw before them an immense forest, through which they wandered all day.  Thjalfi was of all men the swiftest of foot.  He bore Thor’s wallet, but the forest was a bad place for finding anything eatable to stow in it.  When it became dark, they searched on all sides for a place where they might pass the night, and at last came to a very large hall with an entrance that took up the whole breadth of one of the ends of the building.  Here they chose them a place to sleep in; but towards midnight were alarmed by an earthquake which shook the whole edifice.  Thor, rising up, called on his companions to seek with him a place of safety.