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, Röska. 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