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Art by Randy Pollak
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Thor vs. the King of the Giants
Even gods have something to learn.
By Elise Broach | Art by Randy Pollak
From the December 2025 ⁄ January 2026 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will read the myth, “Thor vs. the King of the Giants,” and explore how Thor changes from the beginning of the story to the end.
Complexity Factors
Featured Skill:
Character,
Other Key Skills: key details, plot, cause and effect, main idea and supporting details, text features, vocabulary, opinion writing, explanatory writing, narrative writing, speaking, listening, read with accuracy and fl uency to support comprehension
Standards
Vikings 1, 2
Narrators 1, 2 (N1, N2)
Thor, god of thunder
Frigg, queen of the gods and Thor’s stepmother
Loki, a god who stirs up trouble
Odin, king of the gods and Thor’s father
Guard
Jotun, king of the giants
Lumi, a young girl
Crowd (read by all)
Elli, an old woman
Prologue
Viking 1: Hey, kids! Have you ever heard of Thor?
Viking 2: You know, the guy with the big hammer. Maybe you’ve seen him in a superhero movie.
Viking 1: Along with Loki, the god who likes to stir up trouble.
Viking 2: They’re Norse gods. And we, the Vikings, invented them.
Viking 1: We lived more than 1,000 years ago in northern Europe.
Viking 2: We’re famous for our big ships, our fearless warriors, and best of all—
Viking 1: Our myths!
Viking 2: This one is about Thor.
Viking 1: And his biggest challenge ever . . . in the land of the giants.
Scene 1
Asgard, home of the gods
N1: In a golden castle, Thor stands near a crackling fire.
N2: He’s joined by Loki, Odin, and Frigg.
N1: Thor is showing off with his magical hammer.
Thor: Watch, everybody!
N2: He bangs the ground, and lightning slices through the air.
Frigg: Thor, stop. You’ll set this place on fire.
Thor: Nobody’s as powerful as I am.
Loki: Are you sure you’re stronger than everyone?
Thor: I’m stronger than all the gods put together.
Odin: Thor, don’t brag. And Loki, stop egging him on.
Loki: But what about the giants?
Thor: I could smash ALL the giants with one hammer blow.
Frigg: No god has ever entered the giants’ castle.
Odin: That’s right. Jotun, their king, forbids it.
Thor: I could get inside.
Loki: I dare you to try!
Thor: I accept.
Frigg: Oh Thor . . .
Odin: You’re strong, but you have a lot to learn.
Scene 2
The land of the giants, the next morning
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
Where in the World
The Vikings lived more than 1,000 years ago in Scandinavia. This is an area in northern Europe. Today this area includes the countries Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
N1: Thor and Loki travel to the land of the giants.
N2: Soon they reach the giants’ castle: Utgard.
N1: They stand before two doors that stretch to the sky.
Thor: Watch this!
N2: Thor swings his hammer and bangs the doors.
N1: A huge guard appears. Thor and Loki can barely see his knees.
Guard: Yes?
Thor: I’m Thor, god of thunder. Let me in!
Guard: No god is worthy to enter Utgard.
Loki (pointing at Thor): This one thinks he is!
Guard (doubtfully): I’ll summon the king.
Scene 3
The yard in front of Utgard
Randy Pollak
Meet the Vikings
Vikings were some of the most powerful people in the world. They sailed the seas exploring faraway places. They also believed in many gods, including Thor. The name of the weekday Thursday comes from “Thor’s Day”!
N2: The castle doors swing open, and Jotun, king of the giants, walks out.
N1: He’s taller than a pine tree, with a crown wider than a wagon wheel.
Jotun: Ah, Thor, the famous god of thunder. You think you’re worthy to enter Utgard?
Thor: I am.
Jotun: Ha! Let’s see you prove it with an eating contest.
Thor: Great, I’m starving.
Jotun: LUMI!
N2: A tiny girl appears.
N1: She has flaming-red hair.
Jotun: If you can eat faster than Lumi, you may enter my castle.
Lumi: I’m ready!
Loki: What do you say, Thor? Will it be a piece of cake?
Thor (laughing): There’s no way a kid can eat faster than I can.
Lumi: I may surprise you.
N2: Two giants bring out a long table.
N1: It is covered with meat, potatoes, bread, and cheese.
N2: Thor and Lumi stand on either side of it.
N1: Giants gather to watch.
Jotun: Ready? EAT!
N2: Thor and Lumi each begin to devour food.
N1: Lumi isn’t eating just the food . . .
N2: . . . but the table too!
Loki: Thor, you’re letting this little kid beat you!
Crowd: LUMI! LUMI! LUMI!
N1: Thor is stunned as he loses the contest.
Jotun: Time to go.
Thor: Give me another chance. I won’t give up!
Jotun (thinking): Really? A test of strength, then.
Scene 4
The castle yard, later that day
Shutterstock.com
Jotun: Thor, now you must win an arm wrestling match.
N2: Thor flexes his muscles.
N1: A frail old woman with skin wrinkled like a raisin walks in.
Elli: I’m ready!
N2: Loki and Thor fall over laughing.
Loki: Hey, Thor, get ready to rumble!
Elli: I think you’ll find me hard to beat.
N1: Thor and Elli prepare to arm wrestle.
Jotun: GO!
Crowd: ELLI! ELLI! ELLI!
N2: Elli takes control.
N1: She wrestles Thor’s arm down.
Crowd: WOOOO!
Jotun: You failed twice. Goodbye!
Thor (defeated): I can’t believe this. Let me try once more. Please.
Jotun (thinking): I’ll give you one final test . . .
Thor Through Time
The god of thunder has been around for hundreds of years!
Ivy Close Images/Alamy Stock Photo
800-1052 A.D.
Thor is a popular god among the Vikings.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
The Mighty Thor, published in 1966
1960s
Thor first appears in a Marvel comic in 1962. He is such a hit that in 1966, Marvel gives Thor his own series, The Mighty Thor. It runs for 30 years!
Photo 12/Alamy Stock Photo (Movie Thor & Loki); Craig Russell/Alamy Stock Photo (Toy)
TODAY
Thor is still famous! Marvel has released four Thor movies starring Thor and Loki. And fans love Thor action figures and toys
Scene 5
The castle yard, a little while later
Shutterstock.com
Then arm wrestling
N2: Jotun hands Thor a large horn full of a blue-green liquid.
Jotun: If you can drink all the liquid in the horn, you may enter Utgard.
Loki (giggling): Really try this time.
Thor (annoyed): I’ve been pushing myself harder and harder with every test.
Jotun: Ready? DRINK!
N1: Thor takes large gulps.
N2: But to his surprise, the horn is still full.
Thor: What . . .
N1: He tries again and again.
N2: Finally, he collapses on the ground.
Thor: I tried my hardest, but it wasn’t enough. You’ve defeated me fair and square. I’ll leave.
Jotun: Wait! Thor, these tests were not what they seemed.
Faraway Photos/Alamy Stock Photo
The final challenge
Thor: What do you mean?
N1: In comes Lumi. She whirls around and bursts into flames.
Lumi: I’m not a girl. I’m FIRE. And Fire destroys everything in its path, faster than anything else.
N2: Next, the frail old woman appears. She spins and turns into a skeleton.
Elli: I’m OLD AGE. And Old Age is the one thing that will beat everyone.
Jotun: Finally, the horn. It was filled with the ocean, which can never be emptied.
Thor: You tricked me!
Jotun: I wanted to teach you that you aren’t the most powerful.
Loki: Ha! You sure did.
Jotun: But then I was amazed that you never gave up, Thor.
Thor: I still lost all the challenges though.
Jotun: True, but you kept trying. You’re the most persistent god I know. By doing that, you showed your real strength.
Loki: Wait . . . what?
Jotun (smiling at Loki): It was nice of you to challenge him, Loki. By egging him on, you made sure Thor never gave up.
Loki: Oh, yeah . . . I guess I did!
Jotun: And for that, you may both enter my castle, stay for the night, and enjoy a feast.
Thor: C’mon, Loki, you must be hungry!
Epilogue
Viking 2: Thor became the first god to enter the castle of the giants.
Loki: I was there too!
Viking 1: Even though the challenges were impossible . . .
Frigg: He showed his true strength by never giving up.
Odin: And he proved he was worthy.
Viking 2: Plus, he learned to stop bragging.
Thor: I’m still your favorite god, right? Just kidding!
Loki (sighing): Hooray for Thor.
Crowd: THOR! THOR! THOR!
Think and Write
Imagine you are Thor. Write a letter to Odin explaining why you made it into Utgard.
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