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 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,