“Thor, full of wrath, again set the horn to his lips, and exerted himself to the utmost to empty it entirely, but on looking in found that the liquor was only a little lower, upon which he resolved to make no further attempt, but gave back the horn to the cupbearer.

51. “‘I now see plainly,’ said Utgard-Loki, ’that thou are not quite so stout as we thought thee, but wilt thou try any other feat, though, methinks, thou art not likely to bear any prize away with thee hence.’

“‘I will try another feat,’ replied Thor, ’and I am sure such draughts as I have been drinking would not have been reckoned small among the AEsir; but what new trial hast thou to propose?’

“‘We have a very, trifling game here,’ answered Ut-gard-Loki, ’in which we exercise none but children.  It consists in merely lifting my cat from the ground, nor should I have dared to mention such a feat to Asa-Thor if I had not already observed that thou art by no means what we took thee for.’

“As he finished speaking, a large grey cat sprung on the hall floor.  Thor advancing put his hand under the cat’s belly, and did his utmost to raise him from the floor, but the cat bending his back had, notwithstanding all Thor’s efforts, only one of his feet lifted up, seeing which, Thor made no further attempt.

“‘This trial has turned out,’ said Utgard-Loki, ’just as I imagined it would; the cat is large, but Thor is little in comparison to our men.’

“‘Little as ye call me,’ answered Thor, ’let me see who amongst you will come hither now I am in wrath, and wrestle with me.’

“‘I see no one here,’ said Utgard-Loki, looking at the men sitting on the benches, ’who would not think it beneath him to wrestle with thee; let somebody, however, call hither that old crone, my nurse Elli,[136] and let Thor wrestle with her if he will.  She has thrown to the ground many a man not less strong and mighty than this Thor is.’

53.  “A toothless old woman then entered the hall, and was told by Utgard-Loki to take hold of Thor.  The tale is shortly told.  The more Thor tightened his hold on the crone the firmer she stood.  At length, after a very violent struggle, Thor began to lose his footing, and was finally brought down upon one knee.  Utgard-Loki then told them to desist, adding that Thor had now no occasion to ask any one else in the hall to wrestle with him, and it was also getting late.  He therefore showed Thor and his companions to their seats, and they passed the night there in good cheer.

54.  “The next morning, at break of day, Thor and his companions dressed themselves and prepared for their departure.  Utgard-Loki then came and ordered a table to be set for them, on which there was no lack either of victuals or drink.  After the repast Utgard-Loki led them to the gate of the city, and, on parting, asked Thor how he thought his journey had turned out, and whether he had met with any men stronger than himself.  Thor told him that he could not deny but that he had brought great shame on himself.  ’And what grieves me most,’ he added, ‘is that ye will call me a man of little worth.’