A Primary Reader | Page 7

can make just as good
things as these."
Loki laughed and said, "If you can get three things as wonderful as
these, I will give you my head."
[Illustration: BROK TELLS LOKI THAT HIS BROTHER CAN
MAKE BETTER GIFTS]
* * * * *
anywhere misses spear mark
Brok went down into the ground where his little dwarfs were working.
Brok's brother was named Sindre. He said to his brother, "Loki says
that you can't make such nice things as his dwarfs can. He said that he
would give me his head if I could get him such wonderful things as
his."
This made the dwarfs angry. Their eyes grew big. They said, "He will
see what we can do."
Sindre wanted to know what the wonderful things were.
Brok said, "Loki has a golden crown that will grow like real hair. A
ship that can go anywhere. A spear that never misses the mark."
"We will show him," said the dwarfs.
* * * * * *
burning blow pigskin bellows blew blowing
The dwarfs soon had the fires burning. Then Sindre put a pigskin into
the fire.
He gave the bellows to Brok and said, "Now blow as hard as you can."
Then Sindre went out. Brok blew and blew.
A little fly came in and bit him on the hand.
The fly bit him so hard that Brok thought he would have to stop
blowing, but he did not.
Then Sindre came back. He took out a golden pig from the fire. * * * *

*
stand lump ring
He next put a lump of gold into the fire.
He said to Brok, "Blow and blow and blow, and do not stop."
Then Sindre went out again.
So Brok blew as hard as he could.
Then the same fly came in and bit him again.
Brok thought that he could not stand it, but he kept on.
When Sindre came back, he took a gold ring from the fire.
* * * * *
hard forehead brush iron blood hammer handle spoiled mean
Then Sindre put a lump of iron into the fire.
He said to Brok, "Now blow as hard as you can."
And Sindre went out. Brok blew and blew. The same mean fly came
again, and bit him on the forehead. It bit so hard that the blood ran into
his eyes.
Brok put up his hand to brush away the fly.
Just then Sindre came back.
He took the hammer out of the fire.
[Illustration: THE DWARFS WITH THE GOLDEN PIG, THE RING
AND THE HAMMER.]
"There!" he said, "You have almost spoiled it. The handle is too short,
but it cannot be helped now."
* * * * *
hurried proud came pocket
Brok hurried up to Asgard with his things.
All the gods came around to see. Then Loki came up to show his
things.
He put the crown of gold on Sif's head and it began to grow like real
hair.
He gave the spear to Odin and said, "This spear will never miss its
mark."
[Illustration: SIF WITH THE GOLDEN CROWN]
Then he took out the ship. He said, "This is a wonderful ship. It will
sail on any sea, and yet you can fold it up and put it into your pocket."
Loki felt very proud, for he thought his things were the best.
* * * * *

fold sail afraid sorry each ring shining faster gave
All the gods felt very sorry for little Brok. They thought Loki's things
were fine. They were afraid Brok's would not be so nice.
[Illustration: BROK SHOWS HIS THINGS TO THE GODS.]
They said, "Now, Brok, show your things."
Brok took out the gold ring. He said, "Each night this ring will throw
off a ring just like it. He gave the ring to Odin."
Then Brok took out the golden pig. He said, "This pig can go anywhere,
on the ground or in the air. It can go faster than any horse. If the night
is dark, the shining pig will make it light."
* * * * *
frost giants turned blowing
[Illustration: THOR WITH HIS HAMMER]
Then Brok showed the hammer. He said, "This is not a very pretty
hammer. When I was making it, Loki turned himself into a fly and
made me spoil it. The fly bit me so hard that I had to stop blowing. So
the handle is a little short. But it is a wonderful hammer. If you throw it
at anything, it will hit the mark and come back to you."
The gods picked up the hammer and passed it around.
They said, "It will be just the things with which to keep the Frost
Giants out of Asgard."
* * *