with such force that the very joints of his fingers were white again.  The peasant, trembling, and fearful that he would be struck down by the looks of the god, begged with his family for pardon, offering whatever they possessed to repair the damage they might have done.  Thor allowed them to appease him, and contented himself with taking with him Thjalfi and Roeska, who became his servants, and have since followed him.

Leaving his goats at that place, Thor set out to the east, to the country of the giants.  At length they came to the shore of a wide and deep sea which Thor, with Loki, Thjalfi, and Roeska passed over.  Then they came to a strange country, and entered an immense forest in which they journeyed all day.  Thjalfi was unexcelled by any man as a runner, and he carried Thor’s bag, but in the forest they could find nothing eatable to put in it.  As night came on they searched on all sides for a place where they might sleep, and at last they came to what appeared to be a large hall, the gate of which was so large that it took up the whole of one side of the building.  Here they lay down to sleep, but about the middle of the night they were alarmed by what seemed to be an earthquake which shook the whole of the building.  Thor, rising, called his companions to seek with him some safer place.  Leaving the apartment they were in, they found on their right hand an adjoining chamber into which they entered, but while the others, trembling with fear, crept to the farthest corner of their retreat, Thor, armed with his mace, remained at the entrance ready to defend himself, happen what might.  Throughout the night they heard a terrible groaning, and when the morning came, Thor, going out, observed a man of enormous size, lying near, asleep and snoring heavily.  Then Thor knew that this was the noise he had heard during the night.  He immediately girded on his belt of prowess which had the virtue of increasing his strength.  The giant awoke and stood up, and it is said that for once Thor was too frightened to use his hammer, and he therefore contented himself with inquiring the giant’s name.

“My name,” replied the giant, “is Skrymir.  As for you it is not necessary I should ask your name.  You are the god Thor.  Tell me, what have you done with my glove?”

Then Skrymir stretched out his hand and took it up, and Thor saw that what he and his companions had taken for a hall in which they had passed the night, was the giant’s glove, the chamber into which they had retreated being only the thumb.

Skrymir asked whether they might not be friends, and Thor agreeing, the giant opened his bag and took out something to eat.  Thor and his companions also made their morning meal, but eat in another place.  Then Skrymir, proposing that they should put their provisions together, and Thor assenting to it, put all into one bag, and laying it on his shoulder marched before them, with huge strides, during the whole day.  At night he found a place where Thor and his companions might rest under an oak.  There, he said, he would lie down and sleep.