The winter was far advanced, and towards its end the city had been built so strongly and so lofty as to be almost secure.  The time was nearly expired, only three days remaining, and nothing was wanted to complete the work save the gates, which were not yet put up.  The gods then began to deliberate, and to ask one another who it was that had advised that Freyja should be given to one who dwelt in Jotunheim, and that they should plunge the heavens in darkness by allowing one to carry away with him the sun and moon.  They all agreed that only Loki could have given such bad counsel, and that it would be only just to either make him contrive some way or other to prevent the builder accomplishing his work and having a right to claim his reward, or to put him to death.  They at once laid hands on Loki, who, in his fright, promised upon oath to do what they desired, let it cost him what it might.

That very night, while the builder was employing his horse to convey stones, a mare suddenly ran out of a neighbouring forest and commenced to neigh.  The horse broke loose and ran after the mare into the forest, and the builder ran after his horse.

Between one thing and another the whole night was lost, so that when day broke the work was not completed.

The builder, recognising that he could by no means finish his task, took again his giant form; and the gods, seeing that it was a mountain-giant with whom they had to deal, feeling that their oath did not bind them, called on Thor.  He at once ran to them, and paid the builder his fee with a blow of his hammer which shattered his skull to pieces and threw him down headlong into Niflhel.

The horse Sleipner comes of the horse Svadilfari, and it excels all others possessed by gods or men.

THOR’S JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF GIANTS.

One day the god Thor set out with Loki in his chariot drawn by two he-goats.  Night coming on they were obliged to put up at a peasant’s cottage, when Thor slew his goats, and having skinned them, had them put into the pot.  When this had been done he sat down to supper and invited the peasant and his children to take part in the feast.  The peasant had a son named Thjalfi, and a daughter, Roeska.  Thor told them to throw the bones into the goatskins, which were spread out near the hearth, but young Thjalfi, in order to get at the marrow, broke one of the shank bones with his knife.  Having passed the night in this place, Thor rose early in the morning, and having dressed himself, held up his hammer, Mjolnir, and thus consecrating the goatskins; he had no sooner done it than the two goats took again their usual form, only one of them was now lame in one of its hind-legs.  When Thor saw this he at once knew that the peasant or one of his family had handled the bones of the goat too roughly, for one was broken.  They were terribly afraid when Thor knit his brows, rolled his eyes, seized his hammer, and grasped it