Thor and the Stolen Hammer
The thunder god, his missing hammer, and a journey to the land of the giants
Page 1
Thor, the mighty god of thunder, woke with a start. Something was wrong. He sat up and reached for his hammer, Mjolnir, which was always by his side. His hand found only empty air. He threw back the furs, roaring in fury. "Where is it? Where is Mjolnir?" He searched the great stone floor of his hall, looking under his chair and behind the hearth. "It cannot be gone!" he bellowed, his voice shaking the very foundations of Asgard. Mjolnir was not just a weapon; it was the defense of all the gods. Without it, they were in terrible danger. He had to find it, and he knew who to ask for help.
Page 2
Thor and Loki hurried to Sessrumnir, the palace of Freyja. They found her in a sunlit hall, attended by her handmaidens. "My hammer is gone!" Thor boomed, storming into the peaceful room. "Someone has stolen Mjolnir!" Loki stepped forward. "Gracious Freyja," he said, "will you lend me your falcon-feather cloak? I must fly to Jotunheim and find the thief." Freyja looked from Thor’s furious face to Loki’s pleading one. She knew how important the hammer was. She sighed, rose from her chair, and gestured for the cloak. It was her greatest treasure, but Asgard's safety was more important.
Page 3
Thor and Loki raced to where the Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, met the edge of Asgard. "Are you certain you can find him?" Thor asked, his voice full of doubt. Loki threw the feather cloak over his shoulders. "Thrym is not subtle. If he has the hammer, he will be bragging to anyone who will listen." He fastened the clasp, and the feathers rustled, growing to cover his arms until he was no longer Loki, but a magnificent falcon. The falcon beat its wings, whipping up a great wind. It leaped from the edge of Asgard and soared into the void. Thor watched it go, a tiny speck against the stars.
Page 4
The falcon-cloak carried Loki all the way to Jotunheim, a grim place of rock and ice. He landed on a high mound and changed back into his own form. There sat Thrym, king of the giants, twisting golden collars for his hounds. He grinned. "Well, well, Loki. What brings a god to Jotunheim? Is there trouble in Asgard?" Loki kept his voice steady. "There is. Thor's hammer is missing. Have you seen it?" Thrym laughed, a sound like an avalanche. "I have more than seen it! I have hidden it eight miles deep beneath the earth. And you will never see it again, unless you bring me what I want."
Page 5
Loki flew back with the terrible news. All the gods gathered in the great council hall. When Loki told them Thrym’s price, Freyja leaped to her feet. "You want me to marry a giant?" she shrieked, her voice echoing in the vast hall. "Never!" She was so angry that her famous necklace, Brisingamen, burst from her throat and scattered across the floor. The gods argued, but no one had a plan. Then Heimdall, the watchman, spoke up. "I have an idea," he said quietly. "It is a strange one." All eyes turned to him as he looked directly at Thor.
Page 6
Thor roared in protest. "Dress me as a bride? The other gods will laugh at me for the rest of my life!" But Loki reasoned with him. "Brother, this is the only way. Is your pride worth more than our home?" Thor grumbled, but he knew Loki was right. So, he stood stiffly while the goddesses brought out a wedding dress and tied it on him. They pieced together Freyja’s necklace and fastened it around his thick neck. "This thing is choking me!" Thor growled. They covered his scowling face and red beard with a long veil.
Page 7
Thor’s chariot was ready, pulled by his two powerful goats. Dressed in their disguises, Thor the bride and Loki the handmaiden climbed aboard. "This is the most humiliating day of my life," Thor grumbled. With a crack of thunder, the chariot leaped into the sky, the iron wheels rumbling so loudly that mountains trembled. They flew across the worlds, a tiny speck in the vast, cloud-filled sky. Thor sat hunched and silent, gripping the reins tightly. Loki sat beside him calmly, adjusting his cap. "Remember to walk with small steps," Loki whispered. "And keep your voice soft. Try to sound... pleasant."
Page 8
Thrym welcomed his bride with a great feast. The bride was seated next to Thrym at the high table. To the astonishment of all, she ate a whole ox, eight salmon, and drank three barrels of mead. Thrym stared. "I have never seen a maiden with such an appetite!" he boomed. He leaned closer to lift the veil, but Loki stopped him. Thrym peered at his bride's face through the thin cloth. "And her eyes... they burn like fire!" Before anyone could grow too suspicious, the clever handmaiden leaned forward.
Page 9
Thrym, satisfied, was eager to be married. "Bring forth the hammer, Mjolnir," he bellowed, "and place it in my bride's lap to bless our marriage!" Two giants laid the hammer across Thor’s knees. His hand closed around the handle. He felt his own power surge back into him. Thrym's sister stepped forward. "For a wedding gift, bride, give me the rings from your fingers!" she demanded. Instead, Thor leaped to his feet with a mighty roar, tearing the veil from his face. The wedding dress ripped as he expanded to his full size. The giants gasped in horror. They were not looking at Freyja, but at the blazing eyes of their greatest enemy.
Page 10
Thor struck the ground. A peal of thunder shook the fortress, cracking the walls and collapsing the roof. The giants fled in terror as their hall crumbled around them. Thor struck Thrym's iron crown from his head, leaving the giant king defeated amidst the ruins. Then he journeyed home. He stood once more before his great hall, Bilskirnir, with Mjolnir held high. A storm was gathering, but it was his storm, a storm of victory. The thunder rumbled, not as a threat, but as a promise that Asgard was safe. The hammer had come home.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
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