A Primary Reader | Page 8

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touch neck without way
The gods said, "Brok's things are the best."
Brok gave the hammer to Thor. That is the way Thor got his wonderful
hammer.
Then Brok said to Loki, "You said I could have your head if my things
were the best."
And Loki was angry and said, "Yes, I told you that you could have my
head. But you can't touch my neck."
Of course, Brok could not get his head without touching his neck.
So Brok did not get Loki's head.
[Illustration: THE FROST GIANT]

THE HAMMER LOST AND FOUND.
everything planned
The Frost Giants did not like the sunshine. They did not like to see the

flowers. They did not like to hear the birds sing. They wanted to spoil
everything.
The Frost Giants wanted to get into Asgard. But they did not know how.
They were afraid of Thor and his hammer. They said, "If we can only
get the hammer, we can get into Asgard."
They talked and planned all night. At last one Frost Giant said, "I know
how we can get the hammer. I will dress in a bird suit. Then I will fly
up to Thor's house and get the hammer."
[Illustration: THE FROST GIANTS TALKED AND PLANNED ALL
NIGHT.]
* * * * *
Freyja
The next night the Frost Giant flew into the house while Thor was
asleep.
He took the hammer and flew away with it.
When Thor woke, he put out his hand to get the hammer. It was gone.
He said, "Loki, the hammer is gone. The Frost Giants have taken it. We
must get it back."
[Illustration: THE FROST GIANT FLEW INTO THE HOUSE WHILE
THOR WAS ASLEEP.]
Loki said, "I can get it back, if Freyja will let me have her falcon suit."
So he went to Freyja and said, "Will you let me have your falcon suit? I
can get the hammer back if you will." Freyja said, "Yes, of course I will.
If I had a gold suit you could have it. Any thing to get the hammer
back."
* * * * *
people city Thrym strange buried eight miles deep falcon
Loki took the falcon suit and put it on. He flew over the city. All the
people saw him flying. They said, "What a strange bird!" They did not
know that it was Loki going for the hammer.
[Illustration: LOKI BORROWS THE FALCON SUIT.]
When Loki came to the city of the Frost Giants, he took off the falcon
suit. He walked and walked until he came to Thrym's house. Thrym
was the giant who took the hammer.
Thrym was sitting on the porch, making gold collars for his dogs.
When he saw Loki, he said, "What do you want?"
Loki said, "I have come for the hammer."

The old giant laughed and said, "You will never get that hammer. It is
buried eight miles deep in the ground.
"But there is one way you can get it. I will give you the hammer if you
get Freyja for my wife."
* * * * *
clothes shook necklace
So Loki went back to Asgard.
Thor said, "Well, did you get the hammer?"
"No, but we can get it if Freyja will be Thrym's wife."
Then they went to Freyja's house. They said, "Put on your very best
clothes and come with us. You must be Thrym's wife."
Freyja said, "Do you think I will be the Frost Giant's wife? I won't be
his wife."
Thor said, "We can get the hammer back if you will."
But Freyja said, "No, I will not be his wife."
Loki said, "You will have to, if we get the hammer back."
Still Freyja said, "I will not go." And she was very angry. She shook so
hard that she broke her necklace and it fell to the floor.
* * * * *
bride braided wagon vail servant goat
Then the gods said, "Thor, you must dress like Freyja. You will have to
play you are the bride."
Thor said, "I won't do it. You will all laugh at me. I won't dress up like
a girl."
They said, "Well, that is the only way we can get the hammer back."
Thor said, "I do not like to dress like a girl, but I will do it." Then they
dressed Thor up like Freyja.
They put on Freyja's dress, necklace and vail, and braided his hair.
Loki said, "I will dress up too, and be your servant."
They got into Thor's goat wagon and went to the Giants' home.
[Illustration: THOR AND LOKI APPROACH THE HOUSE OF THE
GIANTS]
* * * * *
dinner salmon mead whole thirsty barrels
When the Frost Giants saw them coming, they said,