known as a fabulous animal (fabeldyr) throughout the whole neighborhood.
"One might just as well shoot at a stone,' said Per, with the greatest
conviction"; for he had shot at the bird and made the feathers fly,
without being able to injure it. Later, on the hunting-trip on which Per
was telling about the bird, he and a companion came across it. "Now he
is out again, the old fellow," said Per; "there is no use in the wide
world to shoot at him, one might just as well shoot at the clouds." The
men maneuvered for a position; and Per's companion, who is telling the
story, says, "My gun was raised, and the mighty bird tumbled down head
first." Per picked it up and examined it and declared that it was the
troll-bird; he could tell it by the beak. On the same trip stories were
told about troll-hares that for a time had escaped uninjured but had
finally been killed.[64]

Panzer[65] and others have called attention to the discrepancy between
the statement that the monster in the saga is said to be invulnerable,
and that it is nevertheless killed. In the story from Asbjörnsen's tales
we have the explanation. The troll-animal seems to be invulnerable until
some one appears who has the requisite skill or strength, or a
combination of both, to dispatch it; and it might be observed that
Bjarki paid no more attention to Hott's statement about the
invulnerability of the troll-dragon than Per's companion paid to Per's
statement about the invulnerability of the troll-bird.

Finnur Jónsson calls the dragon a hall-attacking monster;[66] but this
appellation is hardly correct. The only thing in the saga might fairly
suggest it is Bjarki's statement, "The hall isn't so well defended as I
thought, if a beast can destroy the domain and property of the king."
But Hott has not said that the monster had attached the hall; and if it
be insisted that it is the author who has presented Bjarki as making the