Hymir relaxed beside the fire with his ale horn, content to rest after a day of heavy farm-work. The giant sighed contentedly, he owned the best beasts and kept the best farm in all of Utgard, the larder door strained with the fine fare stored within.
The peace of the hall was shattered by a clamorous bashing at the giant's door, Hymir leapt to his feet, complaining bitterly about the unnecessary din and pulled the door open wide. The giant peered out into the cold night and saw nothing, he glanced to the left and right and his eyes met nothing but inky blackness. A polite cough drew his attention downwards. Hymir was amazed to see a youth of Midgard standing on his threshold. A beardless boy, wandering alone in Utgard among the enemies of mankind? Hymir was dumstruck at the boy's stupidity. To crown it all the reckless child brazenly wore a Thor's hammer amulet round his neck, the very symbol of the giants' most dangerous enemy.
'It is very late and getting cold out here.' said the youth 'Can I stay for the night?' Despite his misgivings about mortals, the giant was impressed by the child's courage, and stepped aside to let him into the hall. The child climbed up into the giant's chair by the fire leaving his host to perch uncomfortably on a bench.
'What's your name lad?' asked the giant.
'Bjorn the Terrible'.
The giant laughed 'A very lofty name for a midget like you!'
Bjorn grinned 'Got any food?'
'What's this?' Hymir cried 'You ask if the best trencherman of Utgard has any food? I'll show you food as you have never seen it before!' The giant strode proudly to his larder and came out with a whole roast ox on a wooden platter. 'Is that enough meat for you?' Hymir asked as he laid the ox on the trestled table.
'Ale?' asked the child. The giant fetched an ale bowl the size of a bucket and filled it for the youngster, Hymir presented it with a flourish, 'Don't drown in it,' the giant cautioned.
The unlikely pair set to their feast. Hymir decided to make the most of the unexpected treat and ate and drank heavily. Before long his head drooped to the boards in drunken slumber.
Hymir woke late in the morning, his mind thick from ale and his stomach heavy from the feast. He blinked to see the ox picked clean before him, he couldn't remember eating quite so much. Of even more concern was the sight of two more carcasses on the trestles. The baffled giant staggered to the larder and opened the door to find …. nothing?. His loaves, his smoked fish, his cheeses, his honey cakes, his ducks, geese and puffins .... all gone? The ale? The giant pulled the bungs from his great cask.... empty? The child slept peacefully in the carved chair beside the embers of the fire. Hymir checked the door which was still securely locked. The giant clutched his bulging belly in alarm, they was only one conceivable answer, he half ran to the cess pit fighting ale induced nausea.
When the giant returned miserable from sickness, ale-pain and mourning the loss of his stores he found Bjorn awake. 'What's for breakfast?' the child asked.
'Nothing'. The giant muttered.
'Huh!' scoffed Bjorn, 'so much for Utgard's best trencherman! No breakfast indeed.'
'There is nothing left in the larder' said Hymir 'I need to go fishing'.
'I'll help.' said Bjorn eagerly.
'You will just get in the way.'
'I won't.' Bjorn protested.
'You will get cold and want to come back before we have a single herring.'
'Hah!' retorted Bjorn, 'Whose to say that you will not be the first to get cold feet?'
Reluctantly the giant conceded and allowed Bjorn to go with him. Hymir collected his fishing tackle together and made his fishing boat ready. Bjorn demanded a share of the giant's bait. The giant was becoming increasing irritable and told the boy to be off and fetch his own worms from the ox field.
Hymir strained to push the boat off the shore, and leapt aboard. Bjorn reappeared dragging a huge ox head behind him. The giant howled with rage, recognising the gilded horns of his prized bull Skybellower, the envy of Utgard. 'Brats!' the giant muttered 'I'll teach that mortal monster a lesson.'
Hymir waved Bjorn to the aft while he took up the oars in the stern. The boat was made for giants so Bjorn piled two sea chests on top of one another and took up the second pair of oars. Hymir rowed fast in contempt of his companion's size and the boat flew across the water. The giant was most impressed at the turn of speed which could only be due to his own skill at the oars. In no time at all they reached the giant's usual fishing grounds 'We'll stop here.' said Hymir.
'No, go further out.' said Bjorn.
Not wanting to be seen to be less courageous than the youngster Hymir kept rowing. When they were twice as far out to sea the giant said 'This will do, we will fish here.'
'No, we should go further, the fish will be bigger.' said Bjorn.
Hymir paled, they were nearing the deepest part of the ocean where the terrible Midgard Serpent dwelt. All around the world it lay, so long it could hold its tail in its mouth. 'It is dangerous to go further.' The giant reasoned.
'You mean you're scared?' asked Bjorn.
'No.' refuted the giant angrily.
'Then lets go another mile further out.' said Bjorn.
Hymir sighed and took the oars again and they rowed further into the open sea. The giant was too nervous to even consider fishing and surveyed the seas for any possible sign of the serpent. Bjorn on the other hand was whistling happily and selecting the strongest hooks and ropes from the giant's tackle. He baited the biggest hook he could find with the bull's head and tossed it over the side.
Before long Bjorn had a catch, a big one. The boat lurched sideways as some hidden beast yanked on the hook below. The prow surged through the water, while Bjorn gleefully hung onto the rope.
Hymir clutched the mast in terror 'Ymir's beard Bjorn, are you mad? Let go of the line!' he shrieked.
Bjorn glanced back, his pleasure obvious 'We need breakfast, remember?'.
Far below, the ox head consumed, Bjorn's catch bit deep onto the hook and writhed and struggled to free itself. The boat dipped violently and Bjorn was hurled forwards and bruised his hands on the gunwale.
Never has any being of the nine worlds felt fear as Hymir did that day. There was the mortal child, playing tug-o-war with the World Serpent, but Bjorn was a child no longer. He was hauling so hard that his feet had pushed through the planks of the boat, and he had grown in size so that he stood on the floor of the ocean. To his horror Hymir finally recognised his guest, the deadly defender of Midgard, Thor, the bane of a thousand giants. Thor pulled in the rope, as easily as a fisherman drawing his skiff up a gentle beach. The sea boiled and seethed as the serpent struggled to escape and the water flooded in and out of the stricken boat. The serpent's terrible head emerged above the waves, its baleful eyes burning, cruel teeth shining and nostrils snorting poison. Thor met the serpent's eyes with his own fiery gaze and reached for the hammer which he still wore about his neck.
Hymir grabbed for his bait knife in panic and cut the line at the gunwale. The serpent fled from the boat and the enraged thunder-god flung Hymir into the waves.
Thor gripped the amulet and it was transformed into a heavy war hammer. He swung it on its heavy cord and hurled it after the serpent, the sea exploded in spray and fire. Down near the seabed the hammer struck off the serpent's head. The job done, Thor waded back to the shore.
(Believe it or not this is the version of the myth recorded by Snorri, all that has been added is the background detail which brings out the obviously deliberate element of comedy in the myth.)