are here with us."

"Tiny, indeed!" roared Thor, in great wrath. "Let anyone you like come
and wrestle with me and I will show you if my strength is as tiny as
you seem to think."

At this the giant pretended to look about him on the benches, saying:
"I don't see anyone here who would not think it beneath him to wrestle
with such a puny fellow. Let me see! Let me see! Ah! call hither my
old nurse, Elli, and let Thor wrestle with her if he wants to. She has
thrown to the ground before now men who thought themselves as strong
as this little Thor."

At his call there came into the hall an old woman--so old that Thor
refused at first to close with her. But the giants mocked him so that
at length he seized her round the waist. Yet the tighter he grasped
her the firmer she stood. At length she began to grip him in her turn.
Thor lost his footing almost at once and, though he wrestled
valiantly, she brought him on to his knee.

At this the giant interfered, saying that no more was necessary to
show who was the stronger, and that it was getting too late for any
more such contests. Then he bade them seat themselves at supper, and
after a royal feast conducted them to their beds with the kindest
hospitality. But Thor spent all that night in bitterness, for his
pride had been brought very low.

At daybreak next morning the Asas and their companions arose and
prepared to depart. Before they set out, however, their host appeared
on the scene and insisted upon their eating a hearty breakfast, after
which he offered to show them the most direct way out of the city.

As they set out, the Giant-King grew strangely silent and thoughtful
and did not speak to them until they stood outside the gates. Then as
they were about to bid him farewell, he suddenly asked Thor how he
thought his journey had turned out.

To this Thor, deeply humbled and mortified by all that had occurred,
said that he felt much disgraced at the knowledge that henceforth the
giants would call him a man of little account. But to his intense
surprise the giant shook his head, saying: "Had I my way, you should
never enter this city again, and if I had known before how strong you
were, you should never have come into it, for you have very nearly
brought utter ruin upon us all.

"Know then, first of all, that I have deceived you with magical
delusions the whole time. For I was that giant Skrymir who met you in
the woods, and who tied up the mouth of the provision