Sif and the Dwarfs' Treasures

by Joan Holub

  “Message from Odin,” the large squirrel called out. He scampered to sit on her table, where he pulled an acorn from his knapsack Not an ordinary acorn, but a message acorn, which could speak.

  When he tossed the special acorn to Sif, she caught it. No need to ask how Odin knew where she was. From Hlidskjalf, his high seat in Valaskjalf Hall, he could see everything that happened in all nine worlds!

  “Thanks,” she told Ratatosk as she opened her hand to gaze at the acorn. It was adorable with its cute face and hat! What could Odin want to say to her, though? she wondered anxiously. She hoped she and Freya weren’t in hot water for having gone to Darkalfheim yesterday without telling anyone they were leaving.

  Instead of going off to deliver more messages, the gossipy squirrel made himself at home. After tying a napkin around his neck, he sat cross-legged on the table and began helping himself to leftovers from the other three girls’ plates. By sticking around, the busybody squirrel was probably hoping to hear some delectable piece of gossip from the acorn that he could then spread.

  The message acorn boinged up and down a few times in the palm of Sif’s hand, each boing carrying it higher. “Happy, happy, thank you!” it said in its babyish singsongy voice.

  “Who’s happy and thanking me? Odin?” Sif asked, as Freya, Idun, Skade, and Ratatosk looked on.

  “Yes, silly!” said the nutty little acorn, doing a somersault. (Message acorn vocabularies were seriously limited.)

  When it failed to say more, Sif tapped a fingertip on its tiny hat. “Why is Odin happy and thanking me?”

  The message acorn did a twirl, then smiled up at her. “Gifts!”

  Skade took a sip from her hrimkalder, then set it down. “Sweet!”

  “The apple juice, you mean?” asked Idun, confused.

  “Well, that too. But I meant it’s sweet that Odin sent an official thanks to Sif for the gifts she made Loki bring to AA,” Skade explained. “I wasn’t sure he heard my shout-out about that last night in Gladsheim, but he must have.”

  “Sweet! Righty-o!” squealed the acorn. Finished with its message, it bounced off Sif’s hand and rolled away across the floor.

  Ratatosk tossed off his napkin and scrambled after the acorn. Once he’d retrieved it, he stuck it back in his knapsack before going out the door. Apparently, message acorns were reusable!

  After some gentle teasing about her being Odin’s pet and also about Thor’s interest in her, Sif’s friends moved on to other topics. As they chatted, Sif finished her breakfast, thinking that it was cool and “sweet” indeed that Odin had been pleased enough with her part in the gift-getting to send her a special thanks.

  The last few days had been full of highs and lows. But despite the trauma of losing her hair and seeing Midgard’s wheat crop come perilously close to being destroyed, things were better than ever now! And the dwarfs’ other gifts—especially Mjollnir—would help keep the giants (and Ragnarok) at bay for the time being. To think that she’d foreseen these gifts!

  Remembering Freya’s kind words about her seeing skills, Sif found herself more determined than ever to learn as much as she could to improve her talent. Glancing around the table at the smiling faces of Freya, Skade, and Idun, she realized that her strengthened friendships with them and Thor were the absolute best thing to have happened in the last few days. Because as powerful as goddess magic could be, friendships were even more powerful!

  From the corner of her eye she glimpsed Lofn heading over to the goat fountain for apple juice. Hmm . . . speaking of friendships . . . did she dare? Would Lofn rebuff her if she tried to speak to her? That would be embarrassing, but she had to try. Before she could lose her courage, Sif leaped up and went over to the fountain too.

  Lofn nearly dropped the green glass cup she was holding under one of Heidrun’s many spigots when she looked up and saw Sif standing next to her. “Oh! Sorry,” said Sif. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” She took one of the hrimkalders from the table and held it under a spigot too, just to have something to do. “Isn’t this the best juice ever?” she went on, though Lofn hadn’t said a word.

  Lofn nodded, still silent. But at least she didn’t leave.

  Sif took a deep breath. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  Lofn shot her a quick look but didn’t speak.

  “I mean, I feel horrible about what happened back in the village,” Sif continued.

  “Me too!” Lofn finally blurted out, breaking her silence at last.

  “Really?” Happiness overflowed in Sif at the same time apple juice overflowed her cup. Oops. She pulled it away from the ever-flowing spigot. “But why should you feel horrible about what happened? It was my fault you got sick. I should have been more careful!”

  Lofn shook her head. “I always knew it was an accident. We were only little kids. You were trying to help me. I feel bad that I didn’t try harder to make my parents understand. It was easier to go along with their decision to keep us apart. I’m sorry.”

  “Trying to convince them to change their minds wouldn’t have been easy,” Sif protested. “After all, you were only a little . . .”

  “Kid,” they both finished. They laughed about using the same line. And because they were standing at a goat fountain.

  “We’re not little kids anymore,” Sif pointed out.

  Lofn smiled. “No. And I can make my own decisions about who my friends will be now.” Her voice turned soft and hopeful. “Friends again?”

  “Yes!” said Sif, grinning wide. Just as apple juice had overflowed her cup, happiness now overflowed her.

  “Oh no!” Lofn cried in alarm.

  “What?” asked Sif, equally alarmed. Had Lofn already changed her mind about being friends? But when a peach flew by Sif’s ear, she whipped around and realized what was going on. Warriors inside the carved friezes had sprung into action. Their usual end-of-meal battle was on!

  “Food fight!” she and Lofn said at the same time.

  Grinning at each other, the two new old friends ducked just in time to avoid a wedge of cheese that came hurtling toward them. Giggling, with hrimkalder in hand, they dove beneath the table where the fountain sat. There they would have tons to talk about while they waited the fight out, friends once more!

  Authors’ Note

  TO WRITE EACH BOOK IN the thunder girls series, we choose one or more Norse myths and then give them an updated middle-grade twist. After deciding on what elements we’ll include from various retellings of the myths, we freely add interesting and funny details in order to create meaningful and entertaining stories we hope you’ll enjoy.

  We also write the Goddess Girls middle-grade series, which features Greek mythology. So why write another kind of mythology now too? Good question! Our enthusiasm for Norse mythology strengthened after Suzanne began frequent visits to her daughter and granddaughter, who live in Oslo, Norway. There, representations of the Norse gods and goddesses and their myths are found in many museums. Along the walls in the courtyard of the Oslo City Hall, there are painted wooden friezes (by painter and sculptor Dagfin Werenskiold) that illustrate motifs from various Norse myths. These friezes are the inspiration for the Valhallateria friezes that come alive at the end of meals in Thunder Girls!

  We hope our series will motivate you to seek out actual retellings of Norse myths, which will also give you more understanding of and “inside information” about characters, myths, and details we’ve woven into Thunder Girls. Below are some of the sources we consult to create our stories.

  • D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire (for young readers)

  • The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

  • The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

  • The Poetic Edda translated and edited by Jackson Crawford

  • Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs by John Lindow

  • Norse Mythology A to Z by Kathleen N. Daly

  For more about the art and friezes at Os
lo City Hall, visit theoslobook.no/2016/09/03/oslo-city-hall.

  Happy reading!

  Joan and Suzanne

  Acknowledgments

  MANY THANKS TO OUR PUBLISHER, Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, and our editor, Alyson Heller, who gave an immediate and supportive yes to our idea to write a Norse mythology–based middle-grade series. Alyson edits both Goddess Girls and Heroes in Training, our ongoing Greek mythology–based series for children. We have worked with her for many years and feel very lucky to be doing another new series with her and the other fine folk at Aladdin. They help make our words shine, design fabulous art to make our books stand out, and make every effort to see that our books reach as many readers as possible.

  We are also indebted to our literary agent, Liza Voges. She has championed us in all our joint series ventures and worked hard on our behalf and on behalf of our books. Thank you, Liza!

  We are grateful to Danish artist Pernille Ørum for her striking jackets for these books in our Thunder Girls series, and we look forward to more of her cover art.

  Finally, we thank our husbands, George Hallowell and Mark Williams, for offering advice when asked, troubleshooting computer problems, and just making our lives richer and easier. During hectic times in our writing schedules they’re always good sports, taking up the slack of daily chores without complaint.

  About the Authors

  JOAN HOLUB is the New York Times bestselling author of over 150 books for young readers, including Little Red Writing, Zero the Hero, Mighty Dads, This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer, and What Is the Statue of Liberty? She also coauthors the Goddess Girls series with the amazing Suzanne. Joan loves her home, friends, and cats, like Freya; enjoys apples, like Idun; can ski, though maybe not as well as Skade; and has amazing golden hair, like Sif. (Okay, so maybe she only wishes this last one were true!) Visit her at joanholub.com.

  SUZANNE WILLIAMS is a former elementary school librarian and the author of over seventy books for children, including the award-winning picture books Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) and My Dog Never Says Please (illustrated by Tedd Arnold) and several chapter book and middle-grade series. She coauthors the Goddess Girls series with the fantastic Joan. Suzanne is excited to be cowriting a Norse mythology–based series since she frequently travels from her home near Seattle to the Nordic country of Norway. She loves reading, being with family and friends, walking, and yoga. She isn’t a skier, but she likes snow. And she wishes she could take classes at a school as magical as Asgard Academy. Visit her at suzanne-williams.com.

  Aladdin

  Simon & Schuster, New York

  VISIT US AT SIMONANDSCHUSTER.COM/KIDS

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Joan-Holub

  Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Suzanne-Williams

  Glossary

  NOTE: PARENTHESES INCLUDE INFORMATION SPECIFIC to the Thunder Girls series.

  Aesir: Norse goddesses and gods who live in Asgard

  Alfheim: World on the first (top) ring where light-elves live

  Alfrigg: One of Ivaldi’s sons, the dwarf blacksmiths who help craft Sif’s new hair, Odin’s spear, and Frey’s ship

  Amma: Means “grandmother” (nickname for Gullveig)

  Angerboda: Loki’s giantess wife whose name means “distress-bringer” (angry Asgard Academy student and girlgiant)

  Asgard: World on the first (top) ring where Aesir goddesses and gods live

  Berling: One of Ivaldi’s sons, the dwarf blacksmiths who help craft Sif’s new hair, Odin’s spear, and Frey’s ship

  Bifrost Bridge: Red, blue, and green rainbow bridge built by the Aesir from fire, air, and water

  Bragi: God of poetry (student at Asgard Academy and boygod)

  Breidablik Hall: Hall of the Norse god Balder (boys’ dorm at Asgard Academy)

  Brising: Freya’s necklace, shortened from Brísingamen (Freya’s magic jewel)

  Brokk: Dwarf blacksmith who works with his brother, Sindri, in Darkalfheim

  Darkalfheim: World on the second (middle) ring where dwarfs live

  Draupnir: Magical golden arm-ring that the dwarfs Brokk and Sindri make as a gift for Odin

  Dvalin: One of Ivaldi’s sons, the dwarf blacksmiths who help craft Sif’s new hair, Odin’s spear, and Frey’s ship

  Dwarfs: Short blacksmiths in Darkalfheim (some young dwarfs attend Asgard Academy)

  Fensalir Hall: Hall of the Norse goddess Frigg (hall where she teaches fourth-period Runes class)

  Frey: Vanir god of agriculture and fertility whose name is sometimes spelled Freyr, brother of Freya (Freya’s twin brother and Asgard Academy student and boygod)

  Freya: Vanir goddess of love and fertility (Vanir girlgoddess of love and beauty who is an Asgard Academy student)

  Frigg: Goddess of marriage, who is Odin’s wife (coprincipal of Asgard Academy with Odin)

  Fire giants: Terrifying giants who live in Muspelheim

  Frost giants: Descendants of Ymir from Jotunheim

  Gladsheim Hall: Sanctuary where twelve Norse gods hold meetings (Asgard Academy’s assembly hall)

  Grerr: One of Ivaldi’s sons, the dwarf blacksmiths who help craft Sif’s new hair, Odin’s spear, and Frey’s ship

  Gullinbursti: Magical golden boar that the dwarfs make as a gift for Frey

  Gullveig: Vanir sorceress whose gold-hunting in Asgard causes the Aesir-Vanir war (Freya and Frey’s nanny and library assistant at the Heartwood Library)

  Gungnir: Magical spear that the dwarfs make as a gift for Odin

  Hangerock: Sleeveless apronlike dress, with shoulder straps that are fastened in front by clasps, that is worn over a long-sleeved linen shift

  Heidrun: Goat that produces mead for the fallen warriors in Valhalla (the ceramic goat fountain in the Valhallateria)

  Heimdall: Watchman of the gods (security guard at Asgard Academy)

  Helheim: World on the third (bottom) ring inhabited by the evil dead and ruled by a female monster named Hel

  Hlidskjalf: Odin’s throne

  Hugin: One of Odin’s two ravens whose name means “thought”

  Idun: Aesir goddess who is the keeper of the golden apples of youth (Asgard Academy student and girlgoddess)

  Ivaldi’s Sons: Four dwarf blacksmiths who craft three gifts for the gods, including Sif’s new hair

  Jotun: Norse word for “giant”

  Jotunheim: World on the second (middle) ring where frost giants live

  Kenning: Nickname made up of two descriptive words connected by a hyphen

  Kvasir: Vanir god sent to Asgard at the end of the Aesir-Vanir war who offered helpful information (Asgard Academy student and boygod from Vanaheim)

  Light-elves: Happy Asgard Academy students from Alfheim

  Loki: Troublemaking, shape-shifting god of fire (Asgard Academy student and boygod)

  Midgard: World on the second (middle) ring where humans live

  Mimir: Wise Aesir god who was beheaded and revived by Odin (“head” librarian at Asgard Academy)

  Mimir’s Well: Well of wisdom at the end of Yggdrasil’s second root in Jotunheim

  Munin: One of Odin’s two ravens whose name means “memory”

  Muspelheim: World on the third (bottom) ring where fire giants live

  Nerthus: Freya and Frey’s mother, a peace-bringing earth goddess who drives a cart pulled by cows

  Nidhogg: Dragon that lives in Niflheim and gnaws at the root of the World Tree

  Nif lheim: World on the third (bottom) ring where the good dead are sent

  Njord: Vanir god of the sea sent to Asgard after the Aesir-Vanir war (Asgard Academy student and boygod from Vanaheim)

  Norse: Related to the ancient people of Scandinavia, a region in Northern Europe that includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and sometimes Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands

  Od: Norse god who is Freya’s lost husband (Asgard Academy student and boygod who tends to get lost)

  Odin: Powerful Norse god of war, wisdom, and poetry who watches ove
r all nine worlds (coprincipal of Asgard Academy with his wife, Ms. Frigg)

  Parhalling: Norwegian folk dance

  Ragnarok: Prophesied doomsday when goddesses and gods will fight a fiery battle against evil that could destroy all nine Norse worlds

  Ratatosk: Squirrel that runs up and down Yggdrasil spreading gossip and insults

  Runes: Ancient, magical Norse symbols carved in wood, stone, or metal and used like alphabet letters to form words

  Sif: Golden-haired goddess of the harvest (Asgard Academy student and girlgoddess)

  Sindri: Dwarf blacksmith who works with his brother, Brokk, in Darkalfheim

  Skade: Goddess of skiing, sometimes spelled Skadi (Asgard Academy student and half-giant girl)

  Skidbladnir: Magical ship that Ivaldi’s sons made as a gift for Frey

  Spring of Mimir: Water spring on the second (middle) ring of the Norse world whose waters feed Yggdrasil

  Tanngnjóstr: “Teeth grinder,” one of Thor’s two goats

  Tanngrisnir: “Teeth barer,” one of Thor’s two goats

  Thor: Superstrong Norse god of thunder and storms (Asgard Academy student and boygod)

  Trolls: Subgroup of giants who live in Ironwood Forest near Midgard (barefoot troublemakers at Bifrost Bridge)

  Valhalla: Huge room in Asgard where dead warriors feast and fight (Valhallateria, Asgard Academy’s cafeteria)

  Valkyries: Warrior maidens in winged helmets who choose which warriors will die in battle and then bring them to Valhalla (cafeteria ladies and workers in Asgard Academy’s Valhallateria)

  Vanaheim: World on the first (top) ring where Vanir goddesses and gods live

  Vanir: Norse goddesses and gods that live in Vanaheim

  Vingolf Hall: Goddesses’ meeting hall at Asgard (girls’ dorm at Asgard Academy)

  Well of Urd: Water spring on the first (top) ring of the Norse world whose waters feed Yggdrasil (a meeting place for Odin and Mimir)

  Yggdrasil: Enormous ash tree that links all nine ancient Norse worlds, also called the World Tree (location of Asgard Academy)

  Ymir: Very first frost giant whose body parts were used to create the Norse cosmos, including mountains, the sea, and the heavens