A Primary Reader | Page 9

"Get ready, here
comes the bride! We will sit down to the table as soon as they come."
The dinner was ready on time. The table was full of good things. All sat

down.
The bride ate a whole ox and eight salmon before the others had a bite.
"She must be very hungry," the Frost Giants said.
"Yes," Loki said, "she was so glad to come. She hasn't eaten anything
for eight days."
Then they brought in the mead.
[Illustration: THOR AND LOKI MET BY THRYM]
The bride drank three barrels of mead.
"How thirsty she is!" said the Frost Giants.
Loki said, "Yes, she is very thirsty. She was so glad to come. She did
not drink anything for eight days."
* * * * *
kiss stepped whirled lifted shone lap
Old Thrym said, "I had every thing I wanted but Freyja. Now I have
Freyja."
And Thrym went to kiss the bride. He lifted her vail, but her eyes shone
like fire.
[Illustration: THRYM PUTS THE HAMMER IN THOR'S LAP.]
[Illustration: THOR AND HIS HAMMER.]
Thrym stepped back. He said, "What makes Freyja's eyes shine so?"
Loki said, "Oh, she was so glad to come. She did not sleep for eight
nights."
Then Loki said, "It is time for the hammer. Go and get it and put it in
the bride's lap."
As soon as the hammer was in his lap, Thor tore off the vail.
He took the hammer and whirled it around. Fire flew from it. The fire
burned the house and the Frost Giants ran away.
So Thor got his hammer back.

The following stories by Miss Smythe were originally published under
the title of "The Golden Fleece." They have been carefully revised and
illustrated for this book.

THE STORY OF THE SHEEP.
ago horns fleece king Greece loved playing Helle grass garden catch
clouds
Long, long ago there lived a king in Greece. He had two little children,

a boy and a girl.
They were good children and loved each other very much.
One day they were playing in the garden.
"Oh, Helle, look!" said the boy.
There on the grass was a fine large sheep. This sheep had a fleece of
gold and his horns were gold, too.
[Illustration: THE KING AND HIS TWO CHILDREN.]
The children wanted to pat the sheep, but they could not catch him.
When they went near, he ran away on the clouds.
* * * * *
grew golden hold tame ride tight
Every day they played in the garden and every day the sheep came, too.
By and by he grew tame and let the children pat his golden fleece.
One day the boy said, "Helle, let us take a ride."
First he helped his sister on the sheep's back.
Then he got on and held to the horns.
"Hold tight to me, Helle," he said.
* * * * *
sky dizzy sea sister land dragon lose nailed Colchis
The sheep went up, up into the sky, and ran a long way on the clouds.
But Helle got dizzy and fell down into the sea.
The boy felt very bad to lose his sister, but went right on.
Then he came to the land Colchis. He killed the sheep and gave the
golden fleece to the king.
[Illustration: THE BOY GIVES THE GOLDEN FLEECE TO THE
KING.]
The king was glad to have it and nailed it to an oak tree.
[Illustration: THE SHEEP WENT UP INTO THE SKY AND RAN A
LONG WAY ON THE CLOUDS]
By the tree was a dragon. The dragon never went to sleep. He would
not let any one but the king come to the tree.
So no one could get the golden fleece.

THE GOOD SHIP ARGO.
across untied wade Jason brave party rained creek bridge shoe-strings
invited
Jason was a brave young man. He lived a little way from the king's city.

One day the king gave a big party and invited Jason.
It was a very dark night and it rained hard.
Jason had to go across a creek, but there was no bridge.
[Illustration: JASON COMES TO THE KING'S HOUSE.]
The creek was full of water and Jason had to wade.
One of his shoe-strings came untied and he lost his shoe in the water.
When he came to the king's house, he had but one shoe.
* * * * *
knew bring fight wild Argo asked animals shoe Argonauts
The king did not like this, for a fairy had said, "The man who shall
come to your house with one shoe, will be king."
So he knew Jason was to be king.
Then he said to Jason, "You may be king when you bring me the
golden fleece."
Jason was glad