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Tyr and the Wolf · Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology

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  Speaker 1: Chapter three of Asgard's stories. This is a Liberfox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All Liberfox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit liberfox dot org. Read
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  Speaker 1: by Juliu Asgard's stories by Mary H. Foster and Mabel H. Cummings.
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  Speaker 1: Tear and the Wolf Odin. The old Father set one
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  Speaker 1: day on his high air Throng, and looking around him
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  Speaker 1: far and wide, saw three fierce monsters. They were the
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  Speaker 1: children of the mischievous fire god Loki, and Oden began
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  Speaker 1: to feel anxious, for they had grown so fast and
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  Speaker 1: were getting so strong, that he feared they might do
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  Speaker 1: harm to the sacred city of Asgard. The wise Father
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  Speaker 1: knew Loki had given strength to these dreadful creatures, and
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  Speaker 1: he saw that all this danger had come upon the
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  Speaker 1: Asher from Loki's wackedness. One of these monsters was a
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  Speaker 1: huge serpent that Odin sent down into the ocean, where
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  Speaker 1: he grew so fast that his body was coiled around
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  Speaker 1: the whole world, and his tail grew into his own mouth.
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  Speaker 1: He was called the meet God Serpent. The second monster
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  Speaker 1: was sent to Niffelheim, the home of Darkness, and shut
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  Speaker 1: up there. The third a fierce wolf named Fenry was
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  Speaker 1: brought to Asgard, where Olden hope he might be tamed
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  Speaker 1: by living among the Asher and seeing the good deeds
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  Speaker 1: and hearing the kind words. But he grew more and
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  Speaker 1: more fierce, until only one of all the gods dared
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  Speaker 1: to fit him. This was the brave god Tear. He
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  Speaker 1: was a war god like Thor, and it is sometimes
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  Speaker 1: called the sword god. Tear was loved by all because
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  Speaker 1: he was so true and faithful. Each day the dreadful
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  Speaker 1: wolf grew larger and stronger, till all at once, before
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  Speaker 1: the Ash thought about it, he had become a very
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  Speaker 1: dangerous beast. Father Olden always looked troubled when he saw
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  Speaker 1: Fernry the wolf come to get his evening meal of
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  Speaker 1: meat from tears hand. And at last, one night, after
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  Speaker 1: the wolf had gone growling away to his lair, all
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  Speaker 1: Theen called meeting of the Assher. He told them of
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  Speaker 1: his fears, saying they must find some plan for gathering
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  Speaker 1: themselves and their home against this monster. They could not
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  Speaker 1: slay him, for no one must ever be killed, and
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  Speaker 1: no blood must be shed within the walls of the
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  Speaker 1: sacred city. Thor was the first to speak, do not
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  Speaker 1: fear Father Odin, for by to morrow night we shall
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  Speaker 1: have Favors so safely bound that he cannot do us
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  Speaker 1: any harm. I will make a mighty Jane with the
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  Speaker 1: help of my hammer meaner, and with it we will
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  Speaker 1: bind him fast. When the Asha heard these words of Thor,
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  Speaker 1: they were glad, and all went on rejoicing, all save
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  Speaker 1: the old Father, who was still troubled, for he well
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  Speaker 1: knew the danger and feared that even the mighty Thor
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  Speaker 1: will find this task too much for him. But Thor
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  Speaker 1: seized his hammer and strode off to his forge. There
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  Speaker 1: he worked the whole night long, and all through Asgard
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  Speaker 1: were heard the blows of Mina and the roaring of
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  Speaker 1: the bellows. The next night, when the Asher were gathered together,
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  Speaker 1: Thor brought forth his new made chain to test it
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  Speaker 1: in King Henry the Wolf, and everyone was surprised to
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  Speaker 1: see how willingly he let himself be bound with the chain.
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  Speaker 1: When Thor had riveted the last links together, the gods
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  Speaker 1: smiled and began to praise him for his wonderful work.
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  Speaker 1: But all at once the Wolf gave one bound forward,
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  Speaker 1: broke the great chain, and walked off to his lair,
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  Speaker 1: as if nothing had happened. Thor was much disappointed. Still
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  Speaker 1: he did not lose courage. He said to the Asher
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  Speaker 1: that he would make another chain, yet stronger again. He
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  Speaker 1: set to work, and for three nights and three days
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  Speaker 1: the great Thor worked at his forge without resting. While
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  Speaker 1: he worked, his friends did not forget him. They came
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  Speaker 1: and looked on while he was busy, and as they
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  Speaker 1: watched the mighty hammer falling with quick blows upon the metal,
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  Speaker 1: they talked to Thor Or sang noble songs to cheer him.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes they brought him food and drink. One visitor, who
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  Speaker 1: was no friend, fierce Fenry the Wolf, sometimes put his
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  Speaker 1: nose in at the door for a moment and watched
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  Speaker 1: Thor at work. Then as he went away, Thor heard
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  Speaker 1: a strange sound, like a wicked laugh. At last, the
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  Speaker 1: chain was finished, and Thor dragged it to the palace
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  Speaker 1: of Meeting. It was so heavy that even the mighty
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  Speaker 1: Thor could hardly lift it or drag it as far
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  Speaker 1: as Odin's palace of Glassheim. This time Fenry was not
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  Speaker 1: so willing to be bound. But the gods coosed him
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  Speaker 1: and talked of his great strength, and told him they
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  Speaker 1: were sure he would easily break this chain. Also, after
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  Speaker 1: a while he agreed to let him put it around
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  Speaker 1: his neck. This time Thor was sure the chain would
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  Speaker 1: hold firm, for never before had such a strong one
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  Speaker 1: been made. But soon, with a great shake and a
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  Speaker 1: fierce bound, the wolf broke away and went off to
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  Speaker 1: his lair, snaring and showing his wicked teeth, while the
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  Speaker 1: broken chain lay on the ground. Sadly, the asher came
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  Speaker 1: together that night in Odin's palace, and this time Thor
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  Speaker 1: was not the first to speak. He set apart and
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  Speaker 1: was silent. First spoke Fry, the god of summer and
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  Speaker 1: king of the fairies. Hearken to me, oh, lords of Asgard,
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  Speaker 1: he said, I have not one brave name in battle
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  Speaker 1: like the noble Tear. Neither have I done such mighty
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  Speaker 1: deeds as the Great Thaw and others of our heroes.
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  Speaker 1: Instead of fighting giants and monsters, I have spent most
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  Speaker 1: of my life in the woods among the flowers, listening
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  Speaker 1: for hours to the birds. Many things have I watched,
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  Speaker 1: some perhaps that my brothers thought too small to be
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  Speaker 1: worthy of notice. I have learned many lessons, and the
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  Speaker 1: greatest of them all is to know how much power
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  Speaker 1: there is in little things, and to see how often
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  Speaker 1: the work done quietly and hidden from the eyes of
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  Speaker 1: men is the finest and the most wonderful. Since we
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  Speaker 1: cannot make a change strong enough to buy fevre, let
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  Speaker 1: us go to the little dwarfs who work in silence
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  Speaker 1: and in darkness, and ask them to make cass a chain.
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  Speaker 1: The old father's troubled face grew brighter as he heard
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  Speaker 1: Fry speak, and he bade him send a messenger quickly
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  Speaker 1: to the dwarfs to order a chain made as soon
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  Speaker 1: as possible. So Fry went out, leaving the Asher in
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  Speaker 1: their trouble, and came to his own lovely home Alfheim.
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  Speaker 1: There everything was bright and peaceful, and the little elves
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  Speaker 1: were busy and happy. Fry found a trusty messenger and
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  Speaker 1: sent him with all speed to the dwarfs underground to
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  Speaker 1: order the new chain, and to return as soon as
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  Speaker 1: he could bring it. The faithful servant found the funny
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  Speaker 1: little dwarf workmen, all busy in the dark rock chambers
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  Speaker 1: far down inside the earth, while at one side in
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  Speaker 1: a lighter place, said the king. The messenger bowed before
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  Speaker 1: him and told him his errand the dwarfs were a
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  Speaker 1: wicked race, but they were afraid of Olden, for they
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  Speaker 1: had not forgotten the talk he once had with them
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  Speaker 1: when he sent them down to work in darkness underground,
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  Speaker 1: and since that time they never had dared disobey him.
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  Speaker 1: The dwarf king said it would take two days and
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  Speaker 1: two nights to make the chain, but it would be
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  Speaker 1: so strong that no one could break it. While the
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  Speaker 1: busy dwarfs were at work, the messenger looked about at
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  Speaker 1: the many wonderful things. The great central fire, which burns
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  Speaker 1: always in the middle of the earth, watched and fed
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  Speaker 1: with coal by the dwarfs. Above this the beds of
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  Speaker 1: coal and bright precious diamonds which the dwarfs took from
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  Speaker 1: the ashes of the fire. In another place, he watched
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  Speaker 1: them putting gold and silver, tin and copper into the
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  Speaker 1: cracks in the rocks. And he drank of the pure
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  Speaker 1: underground water, which gives the meek up people fresh springs.
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  Speaker 1: After two days, this messenger returned to the dwarf king.
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  Speaker 1: The king, holding out in his hand a fine, small chain,
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  Speaker 1: said to the messenger, this may seem to you to
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  Speaker 1: be small and weak, but it is the most wonderful
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  Speaker 1: piece of work. For we have used it in all
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  Speaker 1: the strongest stuff we could find. It is made of
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  Speaker 1: six kinds of things, the noise made by the footfall
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  Speaker 1: of cats, the roots of stones, the beards of women,
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  Speaker 1: the voice of fishes, the spittle of birds, the sinews
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  Speaker 1: of bears. This chain can never be broken, and if
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  Speaker 1: you can once put it on Fenra, he will never
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  Speaker 1: be able to throw it off. Olden's messenger was glad
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  Speaker 1: to hear this, so he thanked the dwarf king, and
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  Speaker 1: promising him a large reward, He went on his way
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  Speaker 1: back to Asgard, where the Ashier were longing for his
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  Speaker 1: return and will all rejoice to see him with the
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  Speaker 1: magic chain. Now, Father Olden feed that Fenry would not
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  Speaker 1: let them bind him a third time, so he proposed
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  Speaker 1: they should all take a holiday and go out to
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  Speaker 1: a beautiful lake to the north of Asgard, where they
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  Speaker 1: will have games and trials of strength. The other gods
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  Speaker 1: were pleased with this plan, and all set out in
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  Speaker 1: Fry's wonderful ship, which was large enough to hold all
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  Speaker 1: the airsheer with the horses, and yet could be folded
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  Speaker 1: up small enough to go in one's pocket. They landed
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  Speaker 1: on a lovely island in the lake, And after the
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  Speaker 1: races and games were over, Fry brought her the little
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  Speaker 1: chain and asked him Or to try to break it.
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  Speaker 1: Thor and Tear tried in vain. Then Thor said, I
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  Speaker 1: do not believe anyone but Fenry can break it. Now.
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  Speaker 1: The wolf did not want to be bound again, but
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  Speaker 1: he was very proud of his strength, and, for fear
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  Speaker 1: of being called a coward, said at last he would
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  Speaker 1: let them do it if he might hold the right
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  Speaker 1: hand of one of the ashes in his mouth while
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  Speaker 1: they bound him, as a sign that the gods did
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  Speaker 1: not mean to play any tricks. When the gods heard this,
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  Speaker 1: they looked at each other, and all but one of
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  Speaker 1: them drew back. Only the brave good Tears, stepping forward,
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  Speaker 1: quietly put his hand into Fenry's mouth. The other gods
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  Speaker 1: then put the chain around the beast and fastened it
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  Speaker 1: to a great rock. The fierce creature gave a lip
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  Speaker 1: to free himself, but the more he struggled, the tighter
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  Speaker 1: grew the chain. The asher gathered about him enjoyed to
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  Speaker 1: say this, but their hearts were filled with sorrow when
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  Speaker 1: they saw that the noble Tear had lost his right
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  Speaker 1: hand the dreadful Wolf had shut his teeth together in
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  Speaker 1: his rage when he found he could not get free. Thus,
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  Speaker 1: the brave Tear dared to risk danger for the sake
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  Speaker 1: of saving others, and gave up even his right hand
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  Speaker 1: to gain peace and happiness for Asgard, end of chapter
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  Speaker 1: three