saults, and finally, flourishing his sword above his head, cut the rope, and he and his belt fell.

Grimnerskrimner was delighted.

"I can do that," said he. "Wife, bring me my leathern band."

When it came, the giant made a slip-knot in the manner that Jan had done, and after some unwieldy plunges darted his head into the noose when Jan, who was watching closely, suddenly pricked his leg with the point of his sword, which caused Grimnerskrimner to start and give a kick ; this had the effect of tightening the band round his throat, and the more he endeavoured to release himself the tighter the band was drawn, and in spite of all his struggles he could not free himself. His face went quite purple, and Jan let him hang there until he thought he was quite dead; but lest there should be any fear of his coming to life again, he piled up several wooden chairs, and mounting on the topmost, he, with his wonderful sword, smote off Grimnerskrimner's head.

The wife came running in to see what was the matter, and did not appear at all sorry to find that her husband was killed. She seemed, however, afraid for Jan, for she said

"Oh, dear! oh, dear! he has a brother worse than himself, who is sure to avenge him. Alas! alas! you foolish lad; go home whilst there is) time, for Hymirymer is sure to make an end of you if you stay here. I will harness our fleetest reindeer to a sledge for you. You need only whisper in his ear Home! home! flee home!' and he will then take you there directly."

IV.

The reindeer was harnessed, and Jan packed his possessions into the sledge, and stepping up to the reindeer he patted him and whispered something in his ear. But it was not "Home! home!" on the contrary it was "To Hymirymer speed fast!"

And the reindeer sped like a shot; and the giant's wife threw up her hands in dismay, shrieking

"The deer is false ! the deer is false!"

But the reindeer was not false; he flew along in the very direction that Jan had commanded, and before long Jan saw in the distance a great grey figure sitting

upon huge blocks of ice, whilst around him polar bears of an enormous size were gamboling.

"It is my brother's reindeer," said Hymirymer, for he it was. "What news? what news, little lad, what news? Speak up, for I am very deaf."

Then Jan sprang from the sledge and clambered up the slippery blocks of ice until he was on a level with the giant's head. Then he blew three loud blasts on his horn, which caused the giant to start up, saying

"Who could have thought that such a little fellow had such a loud voice?"

For he did not perceive that Jan had a horn with him. And Jan, keeping himself out of sight, which he was able to do, as Hymirymer was not only naturally unwieldy, but also so stiff with the cold that he could not move easily, continued to blow unearthly blasts that quite distracted the giant. "I have come from your brother's castle," said Jan through the horn.

"Has he sent me any oxen, or sheep, or kids? I'm tired of living upon whales. It's whale soup, and whale chops, and whale steak, and I'm longing for a little meat."

"There's lots wasting in your brother's kitchen,"

answered Jan; " but
his wolves are all
dead, so they'll never
go hunting again."
"Dead do you

say? Who killed them?"
"I did," said Jan; "they came
and took our sheep and cattle."

"Aha!" replied Hymirymer sharply, "so you're one of the people from the south? But let me tell you we giants shall eat

your master? But you can't, you stupid brutesno bear's paw can hurt Hymirymer."

"Oho! is that it?" said Jan, unsheathing his long sword; and blowing his horn as loudly as he could, he was soon in the midst of the fight, urging on the bears, who though they could not kill Hymirymer, could harass him very much. Jan too hacked away at his legs, and at length the giant fell to the ground, when Jan, leaping upon him, plunged his sword into his heart, so that he died instantly.

When the bears saw that Hymirymer was indeed dead, they stood still, and one of the elder ones advanced respectfully towards Jan, saying to him66 "We

All at once Jan ceased playing, and as he did so the bears began to growl; but they were not angry with him, but with the giant, who had led them a hard life for some time. Jan blew a few hunting blasts, and then the bears again became excited. They raged and fought, and the giant fought. He knocked a score of them over, but the more he knocked down the more seemed to rise up on all sides. Jan could not tell where they came from; the plain, the ice-rocks, the frozen sea were covered with them, and they kept coming and coming. Jan sheltered under a projecting block of hard snow, and watched the struggle.

Hymirymer cried out

"Treason! treason! treason! would you kill

thank

thee, O youthful stranger, for ridding the snow regions of a tyrant."

And at that moment Jan felt quite a hero, and bowed with much dignity to the bears, saying"Grimnerskrimner have I killed, Hymirymer also have I killed; but there is yet another, an elder brother; if you will tell me where to find him, the third and last tyrant shall be killed also."

"It's Thrym

mer the ice-bound," said a pert young bear; "he holds on by the North Pole, and has a lot of geysers round him. We'll take you up to him; get into your sledge, and we'll show you the way."

V.

So Jan got into his sledge, having first whispered to the reindeer's ear

"To Thrymmer quickly flee."

And, followed by an immense concourse of polar bears, he was drawn over the hard snow and sharp ice, whilst the air grew colder and colder. He had never imagined that the air could be so cold; it seemed to freeze him up, and he rubbed

his hands, and his face, and his ears, and his nose, for he felt certain that he should get frostbitten, and have to return home without any prominent features.

"Growl, growl, growl," such a growling the bears made as they came in sight of a tall white shadowy figure, clinging to a huge pole that protruded from the earth. But Jan was not the least afraid.

Thrymmer heard the remark, and answered it. "Any one would like hot water," said he, in a quivering quavering voice, "if they were as cold as I am. I am washing my hands and face all the time to keep them warm till I've almost washed them away."

As Jan looked more carefully at him he perceived that this was the case; his eyebrows had gone, and

"HE TURNED TO JAN" (p. 148).

"That's Thrymmer, and that's the North Pole, and the reason travellers find such difficulty in discovering it is that he won't let any one go near it, and is always covering. it up with mists and fogs. and impenetrable ice."

Jan drew nearer. Thrymmer was a very miserable-looking giant; he looked very cold and very forlorn. As the bear had said, the geysers were spouting up all round him, though somehow Jan felt that they had no business there.

"He's had them brought here so that he may always have hot water," said Jan to himself.

but little remained of his nose, whilst his mouth was so thin that his lips scarcely could be seen. His hands, too, showed all the bones, and his fingers tapered away to an extreme point.

"I shall have no face and no hands in time, I know it," said Thrymmer,

dolefully. And yet, in spite of his opinion, he began to wash himself in the boiling water of the geyser. "It is so very comfortable," he added.

Jan looked at him in a doubtful manner. He was such a poor wretched old giant that he felt it would not be a deed of heroism to kill him. Besides, he did not seem to do any one any harm.

"What have you come here for?" asked Thrymmer.

Jan hesitated, but he knew that the one great duty of a hero was to speak the truth.'

and Hymirymer, and I am here for the purpose of killing you; for I am Jan the giant-killer."

"Ha!" said Thrymmer, and his face looked more washed out than ever, "then you have killed two of the greatest tyrants that ever lived, and I can't say I'm sorry for it. On the contrary, I am rather glad, for I shan't have to live at the North Pole any longer. They put me here to be out of the way, because I was so old and weak."

"You won't kill him," whispered the largest polar bear; "he's such a poor old fellow. Play him a tune."

And Jan blew softly on his horn a sweet silvery tune that echoed through the blue ice-rocks, and floated far away up towards the rosy-flushed skies.

And lo! as Thrymmer heard it he shrank down and down, and the North Pole with him, until Jan thought they would disappear into the earth. The North Pole did, and has never been seen since ; but just as Jan thought Thrymmer was going as well, a wonderful change took place, and instead of the washed-out, decrepit giant, there stood a youth dressed in white bear-skins, with a fur cap on his head, and a great pair of snowskates. His face was fresh and rosy, and all his features were perfect, and his hair glittered like gold.

When the bears saw him they uttered cries of delight, for he was none other than their old master, the Spirit of the North.

He turned to Jan.

"So you have slain the last giant," said he, smiling, "not by the sword or spear or bow, but

through the energy of purpose that brought you here, and by the sweet persuasive eloquence breathed through your horn. Now go home, and

live henceforth in peace and safety, for the days of the giants are over, and your flocks and herds will be troubled no more. Moreover, I will do all in my power to repair the damage that has been done. Ho! reindeer, ho!"

And the reindeer trotted up, and Jan, not displeased at the turn things had taken, got into the sledge.

"Home!" said he.

"Home!" echoed the Spirit of the North, waving his hand, "and may joy for ever be yours." These words were still ringing in Jan's ears when he found himself once more beside the palace built of polished snow, with the ice-pillars in front. His father, his mother, his sisters and brothers rushed out to meet him, shouting

"Welcome, welcome, Jan the giant-killer!"

For the tidings of Jan's exploits had been brought to Jan's father by some ravens. Fenia, too, had heard the swans on the fiords singing of it. And, besides, the wind had wafted home the sound of his horn, and the father knew the thrill of triumph in its notes, and rejoiced accordingly.

And somehow, from somewhere, great herds of cattle and sheep were driven into Har's pastures when all the family slept. These must have come from the north, perhaps even from Thrymmer, but that no one could tell. Suffice it to say that all the giants of the north were slain, and all the northern people were proud of their brave young countryman, Jan the giant-killer. JULIA GODDARD.