Then when they were far from J?tunheim Thor missed Mi?lnir, missed the hammer that was the defence of Asgard and the help of the Gods. He could not remember how or where he had mislaid it. Loki's thoughts went toward Thrym, that stupid Giant who yet had cunning streaks in him. Thor, who had lost the hammer that he had sworn never to let out of his sight, did not know what to do.
But Loki thought it would be worth while to see if Thrym knew anything about it. He went first to Asgard.[Pg 117] He hurried across the Rainbow Bridge and passed Heimdall without speaking to him. To none of the Dwellers3 in Asgard whom he met did he dare relate the tidings of Thor's loss. He spoke4 to none until he came to Frigga's palace.
To Frigga he said, "You must lend me your falcon5 dress until I fly to Thrym's dwelling6 and find out if he knows where Mi?lnir is."
"If every feather was silver I would give it to you to go on such an errand," Frigga said.
So Loki put on the falcon dress and flew to J?tunheim and came near Thrym's dwelling. He found the Giant upon a hillside putting golden and silver collars upon the necks of his hounds. Loki in the plumage of a falcon perched on the rock above him, watching the Giant with falcon eyes.
And while he was there he heard the Giant speak boastful words. "I put collars of silver and gold on you now, my hounds," said he, "but soon we Giants will have the gold of Asgard to deck our hounds and our steeds, yea, even the necklace of Freya to put upon you, the best of my hounds. For Mi?lnir, the defence of Asgard, is in Thrym's holding."
Then Loki spoke to him. "Yea, we know that Mi?lnir is in thy possession, O Thrym," said he, "but know thou that the eyes of the watchful2 Gods are upon thee."
"Ha, Loki, Shape-changer," said Thrym, "you are there! But all your watching will not help you to find Mi?lnir.[Pg 118] I have buried Thor's hammer eight miles deep in the earth. Find it if you can. It is below the caves of the Dwarfs7."
"It is useless for us to search for Thor's hammer," said Loki; "eh Thrym?"
"It is useless for you to search for it," said the Giant sulkily.
"But what a recompense you would gain if you restored Thor's hammer to the Dwellers in Asgard," Loki said.
"No, cunning Loki, I will never restore it, not for any recompense," said Thrym.
"Yet bethink thee, Thrym," said Loki. "Is there nought8 in Asgard you would like to own? No treasure, no possession? Odin's ring or Frey's ship, Skidbladnir?"
"No, no," said Thrym. "Only one thing could the Dwellers in Asgard offer me that I would take in exchange for Mi?lnir, Thor's hammer."
"And what would that be, Thrym?" said Loki, flying toward him.
"She whom many Giants have striven to gain—Freya, for my wife," said Thrym.
Loki watched Thrym for long with his falcon eyes. He saw that the Giant would not alter his demand. "I will tell the Dwellers in Asgard of your demand," he said at last, and he flew away.
Loki knew that the Dwellers in Asgard would never let Freya be taken from them to become the wife of Thrym, the stupidest of the Giants. He flew back.
By this time all the Dwellers in Asgard had heard of the[Pg 119] loss of Mi?lnir, the help of the Gods. Heimdall shouted to him as he crossed the Rainbow Bridge to ask what tidings he brought back. But Loki did not stop to speak to the Warden9 of the Bridge but went straight to the hall where the Gods sat in Council.
To the ?sir and the Vanir he told Thrym's demand. None would agree to let the beautiful Freya go live in J?tunheim as a wife to the stupidest of the Giants. All in the Council were cast down. The Gods would never again be able to help mortal men, for now that Mi?lnir was in the Giants' hands all their strength would have to be used in the defence of Asgard.
So they sat in the Council with looks downcast. But cunning Loki said, "I have thought of a trick that may win back the hammer from stupid Thrym. Let us pretend to send Freya to J?tunheim as a bride for him. But let one of the Gods go in Freya's veil and dress."
"Oh, he who lost the hammer, Thor, should be prepared to do as much to win it back," said Loki.
"Thor, Thor! Let Thor win back the hammer from Thrym by Loki's trick," said the ?sir and the Vanir. They left it to Loki to arrange how Thor should go to J?tunheim as a bride for Thrym.
Loki left the Council of the Gods and came to where he had left Thor. "There is but one way to win the hammer back, Thor," he said, "and the Gods in Council have decreed that you shall take it."[Pg 120]
"What is the way?" said Thor. "But no matter what it is, tell me of it and I shall do as thou dost say."
"Then," said laughing Loki, "I am to take you to J?tunheim as a bride for Thrym. Thou art to go in bridal dress and veil, in Freya's veil and bridal dress."
"Yea, Thor, and wear a veil over your head and a garland of flowers upon it."
"I—I wear a garland of flowers?"
"And rings upon thy fingers. And a bunch of housekeeper's keys in thy girdle."
"Cease thy mockery, Loki," said Thor roughly, "or I shall shake thee."
"It is no mockery. Thou wilt12 have to do this to win Mi?lnir back for the defence of Asgard. Thrym will take no other recompense than Freya. I would mock him by bringing thee to him in Freya's veil and dress. When thou art in his hall and he asks thee to join hands with him, say thou wilt not until he puts Mi?lnir into thy hands. Then when thy mighty13 hammer is in thy holding thou canst deal with him and with all in his hall. And I shall be with thee as thy bridesmaid! O sweet, sweet maiden14 Thor!"
"Loki," said Thor, "thou didst devise all this to mock me. I in a bridal dress! I with a bride's veil upon me! The Dwellers in Asgard will never cease to laugh at me."
"Yea," said Loki, "but there will never be laughter again in Asgard unless thou art able to bring back the hammer that thine unwatchfulness lost."
"True," said Thor unhappily, "and is this, thinkst[Pg 121] thou, Loki, the only way to win back Mi?lnir from Thrym?"
"It is the only way, O Thor," said the cunning Loki.
So Thor and Loki set out for J?tunheim and the dwelling of Thrym. A messenger had gone before them to tell Thrym that Freya was coming with her bridesmaid; that the wedding-feast was to be prepared and the guests gathered and that Mi?lnir was to be at hand so that it might be given over to the Dwellers in Asgard. Thrym and his Giant mother hastened to have everything in readiness.
Thor and Loki came to the Giant's house in the dress of a bride and a bridesmaid. A veil was over Thor's head hiding his beard and his fierce eyes. A red-embroidered robe he wore and at his side hung a girdle of housekeeper's keys. Loki was veiled, too. The hall of Thrym's great house was swept and garnished15 and great tables were laid for the feast. And Thrym's mother was going from one guest to another, vaunting that her son was getting one of the beauteous Dwellers in Asgard for his bride, Freya, whom so many of the Giants had tried to win.
When Thor and Loki stepped across the threshold Thrym went to welcome them. He wanted to raise the veil of his bride and give her a kiss. Loki quickly laid his hand on the Giant's shoulder.
"Forbear," he whispered. "Do not raise her veil. We Dwellers in Asgard are reserved and bashful. Freya would be much offended to be kissed before this company."
"Aye, aye," said Thrym's old mother. "Do not raise thy bride's veil, son. These Dwellers in Asgard are more re[Pg 122]fined in their ways than we, the Giants." Then the old woman took Thor by the hand and led him to the table.
The size and the girth of the bride did not surprise the huge Giants who were in the wedding company. They stared at Thor and Loki, but they could see nothing of their faces and little of their forms because of their veils.
Thor sat at the table with Thrym on one side of him and Loki on the other. Then the feast began. Thor, not noticing that what he did was unbecoming to a refined maiden, ate eight salmon16 right away. Loki nudged him and pressed his foot, but he did not heed17 Loki. After the salmon he ate a whole ox.
"These maids of Asgard," said the Giants to each other, "they may be refined, as Thrym's mother says, but their appetites are lusty enough."
"No wonder she eats, poor thing," said Loki to Thrym. "It is eight days since we left Asgard. And Freya never ate upon the way, so anxious was she to see Thrym and to come to his house."
"Poor darling, poor darling," said the Giant. "What she has eaten is little after all."
Thor nodded his head toward the mead18 vat19. Thrym ordered his servants to bring a measure to his bride. The servants were kept coming with measures to Thor. While the Giants watched, and while Loki nudged and nodded, he drank three barrels of mead.
"Oh," said the Giants to Thrym's mother, "we are not so sorry that we failed to win a bride from Asgard."
And now a piece of the veil slipped aside and Thor's[Pg 123] eyes were seen for an instant. "Oh, how does it come that Freya has such glaring eyes?" said Thrym.
"Poor thing, poor thing," said Loki, "no wonder her eyes are glaring and staring. She has not slept for eight nights, so anxious was she to come to you and to your house, Thrym. But now the time has come for you to join hands with your bride. First, put into her hands the hammer Mi?lnir that she may know the great recompense that the Giants have given for her coming."
Then Thrym, the stupidest of the Giants, rose up and brought Mi?lnir, the defence of Asgard, into the feasting hall. Thor could hardly restrain himself from springing up and seizing it from the Giant. But Loki was able to keep him still. Thrym brought over the hammer and put the handle into the hands of her whom he thought was his bride. Thor's hands closed on his hammer. Instantly he stood up. The veil fell off him. His countenance20 and his blazing eyes were seen by all. He struck one blow on the wall of the house. Down it crashed. Then Thor went striding out of the ruin with Loki beside him, while within the Giants bellowed21 as the roof and walls fell down on them. And so was Mi?lnir, the defence of Asgard, lost and won back.
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1
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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2
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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3
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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4
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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5
falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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7
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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8
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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11
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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12
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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13
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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14
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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15
garnished
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| v.给（上餐桌的食物）加装饰( garnish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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17
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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18
mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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20
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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21
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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