ll be your friend in
Asgard. If I have my way, you shall soon see the fairest bride in all
the world knocking at your door. Farewell!"

So Loki whizzed back to Asgard on his falcon wings; and as he went he
chuckled to think of the evils which were likely to happen because of
his words with Thrym. First he gave the message to Thor--not sparing of
Thrym's insolence, to make Thor angry; and then he went to Freia with
the word for her--not sparing of Thrym's ugliness, to make her shudder.
The spiteful fellow!

Now you can imagine the horror that was in Asgard as the AEsir listened
to Loki's words. "My hammer!" roared Thor. "The villain confesses that
he has stolen my hammer, and boasts that he is Thunder Lord! Gr-r-r!"

"The ugly giant!" wailed Freia. "Must I be the bride of that hideous old
monster, and live in his gloomy mountain prison all my life?"

"Yes; put on your bridal veil, sweet Freia," said Loki maliciously, "and
come with me to Jotunheim. Hang your famous starry necklace about your
neck, and don your bravest robe; for in eight days there will be a
wedding, and Thor's hammer is to pay."

Then Freia fell to weeping. "I cannot go! I will not go!" she cried. "I
will not leave the home of gladness and Father Odin's table to dwell in
the land of horrors! Thor's hammer is mighty, but mightier the love of
the kind AEsir for their little Freia! Good Odin, dear brother Frey,
speak for me! You will not make me go?"

The Asir looked at her and thought how lonely and bare would Asgard be
without her loveliness; for she was fairer than fair, and sweeter than
sweet.

"She shall not go!" shouted Frey, putting his arms about his sister's
neck.

"No, she shall not go!" cried all the Asir with one voice.

"But my hammer," insisted Thor. "I must have Mioelnir back again."

"And my word to Thrym," said Loki, "that must be made good."

"You are too generous with your words," said Odin sternly, for he knew
his brother well. "Your word is not a gem of great price, for you have
made it cheap."

Then spoke Heimdal, the sleepless watchman who sits on guard at the
entrance to the rainbow bridge which leads to Asgard; and Heimdal was
the wisest of the AEsir, for he could see into the future, and knew how
things would come to pass. Through his golden teeth he spoke, for his
teeth were all of gold.

"I have a plan," he said. "Let us dress Thor himself like a bride in
Freia's robes, and send him to Jotunheim to talk with Thrym