r rope is made never fail to fascinate
hearers, young or old, with a sense of the most
profound mystery. "Why the dwarfs should be
able to make a chain strong enough to bind him,
which the gods had failed to do, is a puzzle.
May it mean that subtlety can compass ends
which force has to relinquish, or possibly a
better thing than subtlety, gentleness?" And
the final need of a hero willing to take
extreme risks for some good greater than
himself is amply and admirably satisfied in the
brave Tyr. The version of the story used here
is from Miss E. M. Wilmot-Buxton's _Stories of
Norse Heroes_.

HOW THE FENRIS WOLF WAS CHAINED

E. M. WILMOT-BUXTON

Fair as were the meads of Asgard, we have seen that the Asa folk were
fond of wandering far afield in other regions. Most restless of all was
Red Loki, that cunning fellow who was always bringing trouble upon
himself or upon his kindred. And because he loved evil, he would often
betake himself to the gloomy halls of Giantland and mingle with the
wicked folk of that region.

Now one day he met a hideous giantess named Angur-Boda. This creature
had a heart of ice, and because he loved ugliness and evil she had a
great attraction for him, and in the end he married her, and they lived
together in a horrible cave in Giantland.

Three children were born to Loki and Angur-Boda in this dread abode, and
they were even more terrible in appearance than their mother. The first
was an immense wolf called Fenris, with a huge mouth filled with long
white teeth, which he was constantly gnashing together. The second was a
wicked-looking serpent with a fiery-red tongue lolling from its mouth.
The third was a hideous giantess, partly blue and partly flesh color,
whose name was Hela.

No sooner were these three terrible children born than all the wise men
of the earth began to foretell the misery they would bring upon the Asa
folk.

In vain did Loki try to keep them hidden within the cave wherein their
mother dwelt. They soon grew so immense in size that no dwelling would
contain them, and all the world began to talk of their frightful
appearance.

It was not long, of course, before All-Father Odin, from his high seat
in Asgard, heard of the children of Loki. So he sent for some of the
Asas, and said: "Much evil will come upon us, O my children, from this
giant brood, if we defend no