dashed against
the side of the boat. Then Thor got angry, and, collecting to himself
all his divine strength, he pulled so hard that his feet went through
the bottom of the boat and down to the sea's bottom. Then he drew the
serpent up on board. No one can be said to have seen an ugly sight who
did not see that. Thor threw wrathful looks on the serpent, and the
monster staring at him from below cast out venom at him. The giant
Hymir, it is said, turned pale when he saw the serpent, quaked, and,
seeing that the sea ran in and out of the skiff, just as Thor raised
aloft his mace, took out his knife and cut the line so that the serpent
at once sank under the water. Thor cast his mace at the serpent, and
some say it cut off its head at the bottom, but it is more true that the
Midgard serpent is yet alive lying at the bottom of the ocean. With his
fist Thor struck Hymir such a blow over the ear that the giant tumbled
headlong into the water, and Thor then waded to land.

THE DEATH OF BALDUR.

Baldur the Good had dreams which forewarned him that his life was in
danger, and he told the gods of them. The gods took counsel together
what should be done, and it was agreed that they should conjure away all
danger that might threaten him. Frigga took an oath of fire, water,
iron, and all other metals, stones, earth, trees, sicknesses, beasts,
birds, poisons, and worms, that these would none of them hurt Baldur.
When this had been done the gods used to divert themselves, Baldur
standing up in the assembly, and all the others throwing at him, hewing
at him, and smiting him with stones, for, do all they would, he received
no hurt, and in this sport all enjoyed themselves.

Loki, however, looked on with envy when he saw that Baldur was not hurt.
So he assumed the form of a woman, and set out to Fensalir to Frigga.
Frigga asked if the stranger knew what the gods did when they met. He
answered that they all shot at Baldur and he was not hurt.

"No weapon, nor tree may hurt Baldur," answers Frigga, "I have taken an
oath of them all not to do so."

"What," said the pretended woman, "have all things then sworn to spare
Baldur?"

"There is only one little twig which grows to the east of Valhalla,
which is called the mistletoe. Of that I took no oath, for it seemed to
me too young and feeble to do any hurt."

Then the strange woman departed, and Loki having found the mistletoe,
cut it off, and went to the assembly. There he fo