ap she will be my own
for ever, and together we will work dire evil against the Asa folk,
whom I hate with all my heart."

What was that unmaidenly sound that issued from under the silken veil
at these words? But though Loki turned pale to hear it, Thrym, busy
sending for the hammer, did not pay any heed.

Back came the giant's servants at length, bending under the weight of
Mioelnir. And as they bowed before the silent maiden, sitting with
meekly bent head upon the throne, Thrym cried with a merry jest: "See,
here is little Thor's tiny plaything--a pretty toy truly for his
feeble hands. Take it, fair Freya, as my wedding gift."

"And take _that_ as mine!" roared Thor, in a voice of thunder, as he
flung off the veil and rose to his full height. And with the words he
swung the hammer once--and ere the eye could follow its movement, it
had crashed through Thrym's skull, and had knocked over a round dozen
of his guests. Yet again did it swing in the Asa's hand, and this time
it left not a giant standing in the hall.

A third time it was swung, and on this occasion the roof and walls of
the palace came tumbling on every side, and only Thor and Loki were
left alive amid the ruins.

"Ha! ha!" laughed Red Loki, "that was neatly done, fair Freya."

Thor, who was now busily tearing off the hated robes and veil, stayed
to look threateningly at his companion. "No more of that, Loki," said
he, "the thing had to be done, 'tis true, but talk not to me again of
this woman's work. We will remember only that I am the Thunderer, and
that my hammer that was lost is found."

So they drove back peacefully to Asgard.

And this is the end of the tale of How Thor's Hammer was lost and
found.

CHAPTER XI

The Giant's Daughters

_This is the tale the Northmen tell of how
the Giant's Daughters tried to kill Thor._

Ugliest and wickedest of all the giants was Geirrod, who lived in a
great gloomy castle away in a dark corner of Giantland, with his two
giant daughters, Gialp and Greip.

Hideous, indeed, were they, for, besides being of huge misshapen
figure and clumsy of feature, the one had red eyes and the other had
perfectly black teeth.

Now, when Geirrod heard of the death of Thrym, his brother, he waxed
very wroth, and swore with a great oath that he would never rest till
he had wreaked vengeance on Thor.

Loudly he described the terrible things he would do to him if only he
could catch him without his hammer, his