that had at the end of it the mighty-horned head of
the great bull. Down, down the head went. It passed where the whales
swim, and the whales were afraid to gulp at the mighty horns. Down, down
it went till it came near where the monster serpent that coils itself
round the world abides. It reared its head up from its serpent coils as
Thor's bait came down through the depths of the ocean. It gulped at the
head and drew it into its gullet. There the great hook stuck. Terribly
surprised was the serpent monster. It lashed the ocean into a fury. But
still the hook stayed. Then it strove to draw down to the depths of the
ocean the boat of those who had hooked it. Thor put his legs across the
boat and stretched them till they touched the bottom bed of the ocean.
On the bottom bed of the ocean Thor stood and he pulled and he pulled on
his line. The serpent monster lashed the ocean into fiercer and fiercer
storms and all the world's ships were hurled against each other and
wrecked and tossed. But it had to loosen coil after coil of the coils it
makes around the world. Thor pulled and pulled. Then the terrible head
of the serpent monster appeared above the waters. It reared over the
boat that Hrymer sat in and that Thor straddled across. Thor dropped the
line and took up Mioelnir, his mighty hammer. He raised it to strike the
head of the serpent monster whose coils go round the world. But Hrymer
would not have that happen. Rather than have Thor pass him by such a
feat he cut the line, and the head of the serpent monster sank back into
the sea. Thor's hammer was raised. He hurled it, hurled that hammer that
always came back to his hand. It followed the sinking head through
fathom after fathom of the ocean depth. It struck the serpent monster a
blow, but not such a deadly blow as would have been struck if the water
had not come between. A bellow of pain came up from the depths of the
ocean, such a bellow of pain that all in Joetunheim were affrighted.

"This surely is something to tell the AEsir of," said Thor, "something to
make them forget Loki's mockeries."

Without speaking Hrymer turned the boat and rowed toward the shore,
dragging the whale in the wake. He was in such a rage to think that one
of the AEsir had done a feat surpassing his that he would not speak. At
supper, too, he remained silent, but Thor talked for two, boasting
loudly of his triumph over the monster serpent.

"No doubt you think yourself very powerful, Asa