Odd and the Frost Giants

The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool tells all he knows.

By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again. Not that year. Winter hung in there, like an invalid refusing to die. Day after grey day the ice stayed hard; the world remained unfriendly and cold.

Talk is free but the wise man chooses when to spend his words.

Magic,' said Odd, and he smiled, and thought, if magic means letting things do what they wanted to do, or be what they wanted to be...

We weren't arguing,” said the bear. “Because we can't talk.” Then it said, “Oops.

In winter the men would fight and fart and sing and sleep and wake and fight again, and the women would shake their heads and sew and knit and mend.

Odd pushed himself to keep walking, one step at a time, remembering back when he had walked with ease and never thought twice about the miracle of putting one foot in front of the other and pushing the world towards you.

Odd sighed. “Which one of you wants to explain what’s going on?” he said. “Nothing’s going on,” said the fox brightly. “Just a few talking animals. Nothing to worry about. Happens every day. We’ll be out of your hair first thing in the morning.

It is never wise to refuse the gifts of the Gods.

Talk is free,” said Odd, “but the wise man chooses when to spend his words.” It was something his father used to say.

It’s something that happens when you have taken on animal form. Stay in it too long and you become what you pretend to be.

He doesn’t learn. None of them do. And they don’t change, either. They can’t. It’s all part of being a God.

If magic means letting things do what they wanted to do, or be what they wanted to be…

I’m here to drive the Frost Giants from Asgard,” explained Odd. Then he smiled at the giant, a big, happy, irritating smile.

Talk is free, but the wise man chooses when to spend his words.

Ah ... do Frost Giants eat people?' There was a pause. The fox said, 'Occasionally,' at the same time as the bear said, 'Almost never.