liquor was
only a little lower. Then he gave the horn to the cup-bearer, and would
drink no more.

Then said Utgard-Loki--

"It is plain that you are not so mighty as we imagined. Will you try
another game? It seems to me there is little chance of your taking a
prize hence."

"I will try more contests yet," answered Thor. "Such draughts as I have
drunk would not have seemed small to the AEsir. But what new game have
you?"

Utgard-Loki answered--

"The lads here do a thing which is not much. They lift my cat up from
the ground. I should not have thought of proposing such a feat to
Asu-Thor, had I not first seen that he is less by far than we took him
to be."

As he spoke there sprang upon the hall floor a very large grey cat. Thor
went up to it and put his hand under its middle and tried to lift it
from the floor. The cat bent its back as Thor raised his hands, and when
Thor had exerted himself to the utmost the cat had only one foot off the
floor. Then Thor would make no further trial.

"I thought this game would go so," said Utgard-Loki. "The cat is large
and Thor is little when compared with our men."

"Little as you call me," answered Thor, "let any one come here and
wrestle with me, for now I am angry."

Utgard-Loki looked along the benches, and said--

"I see no man here who would not think it absurd to wrestle with you,
but let some one call here the old woman, my nurse, Elli, and let Thor
wrestle with her, if he will. She has cast to the ground many a man who
seemed to me to be as strong as Thor."

Then came into the hall a toothless old woman, and Utgard-Loki told her
to wrestle with Asu-Thor. The story is not a long one. The harder Thor
tightened his hold, the firmer the old woman stood. Then she began to
exert herself, Thor tottered, and at last, after a violent tussle, he
fell on one knee. On this Utgard-Loki told them to stop, adding that
Thor could not desire any one else to wrestle with him in the hall, and
the night had closed in. He showed Thor and his companions to seats, and
they passed the night, faring well.

At daybreak the next morning, Thor and his companions rose, dressed
themselves, and prepared to leave at once. Then Utgard-Loki came to them
and ordered a table to be set for them having on it plenty of meat and
drink. Afterwards he led them out of the city, and on parting asked Thor
how he thought his journey had prospered, and whether he had met with
any stronger than himself.