They
hunted and they hunted; they turned Thrudheim upside down, and set the
clouds to rolling wonderfully, as they peeped and pried behind and
around and under each billowy mass. But Mioelnir was not to be found.
Certainly, someone had stolen it.
Thor's yellow beard quivered with rage, and his hair bristled on end
like the golden rays of a star, while all his household trembled.
"It is Loki again!" he cried. "I am sure Loki is at the bottom of this
mischief!" For since the time when Thor had captured Loki for the dwarf
Brock and had given him over to have his bragging lips sewed up, Loki
had looked at him with evil eyes; and Thor knew that the red rascal
hated him most of all the gods.
But this time Thor was mistaken. It was not Loki who had stolen the
hammer--he was too great a coward for that. And though he meant, before
the end, to be revenged upon Thor, he was waiting until a safe chance
should come, when Thor himself might stumble into danger, and Loki need
only to help the evil by a malicious word or two; and this chance came
later, as you shall hear in another tale.
Meanwhile Loki was on his best behaviour, trying to appear very kind and
obliging; so when Thor came rumbling and roaring up to him, demanding,
"What have you done with my hammer, you thief?" Loki looked surprised,
but did not lose his temper nor answer rudely.
Pages:
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377