lk.

When they sought to learn why this should be, it was found that
Thialfe, the boy, in getting the marrow out of one of the bones, had
broken it, and it was this that caused the goat to go lame.

Thor was very angry, and was very near killing not only Thialfe but
also the peasant and his daughter Raska, but they begged so hard for
their lives that he consented to spare them on condition that the boy
and girl should follow him in his travels.

To this they agreed, and Thor, leaving the chariot and goats in the
peasant's care, went on his journey, giving Thialfe, who was a very
swift runner, his wallet to carry.

On and on they journeyed until they came to a great sea.

"How are we to get over this?" asked Loki.

"Swim across it," replied Thor.

And in they all plunged, for Thialfe and Raska were used to a hardy
life, and so were able to swim with scarcely more weariness than Thor
and Loki, and were not long in reaching the opposite shore.

"The country does not improve," said Loki, looking round upon the
desolate plain that lay outstretched between them and the borders of a
dark forest, which they could just see in the far distance. One or
two huge rocks thrust their jagged points high into the air, and great
blocks of stone were scattered about, but there was no sign of herbage
and not a tree to be seen nearer than the forest belt bounding the
horizon. Heavy gray clouds were drawing nearer and nearer to the
dreary earth, and twilight was fast approaching. "It looks not well,"
answered Thor, "but we must push on and perhaps may find it better
as we go onward. Besides, night is drawing nigh, and as there are no
dwellings to be seen we must try to gain the shelter of the forest
before it is too dark to see where we are going."

So they pushed on, and though they looked to the right hand and to the
left, soon found that they were in a land where no men lived. There
was, therefore, nothing to be done but to quicken their speed, in
order to reach the shelter of the forest. But though they strove
to the utmost, the twilight deepened into darkness and the darkness
became so deep by the time they reached the forest, that they only
knew they had arrived there by Loki's striking his head against a low
branch, and soon after this Thor cried out:

"Good luck! I have found a house. Follow close after me and we will
make ourselves comfortable for the night."

For Thor in groping along had come to what he supposed to be