Way up high, in a place called Asgard, lived many powerful gods. One day, a little wolf pup named Fenrir came to be with them. At first, Fenrir was small and playful, like any puppy. But Fenrir wasn't just any puppy. He grew, and grew, and GREW! Soon, he was bigger than a horse, then bigger than a house! His teeth were long and sharp, and his howls were super loud.

The gods, even the strong ones like Thor with his hammer, started to get a little worried. "Fenrir is getting too big and too strong," said Odin, the king of the gods. "What if he accidentally breaks something... or someone?" They knew a prophecy said Fenrir might cause big trouble one day.

So, they decided to try and tie Fenrir up, just to be safe. They made a super strong chain. "Fenrir," they said, "let's play a game! Let's see if you can break this chain!" Fenrir, who loved to show off his strength, wagged his giant tail. "Sure!" he woofed. They put the chain on him. Fenrir took a deep breath, flexed his muscles, and SNAP! The chain broke into tiny pieces. Fenrir laughed.

The gods weren't laughing. They went back and made an even STRONGER chain. "Okay, Fenrir," they said, "try this one!" Fenrir grinned. He stretched, he pulled, he wiggled, and CRACK! That chain broke too, though it took him a little more effort. "Easy peasy!" barked Fenrir.

Now the gods were really, really worried. They went to the clever dwarves, who lived deep underground and could make magical things. "Please," said the gods, "make us a chain that Fenrir cannot break." The dwarves giggled and got to work. They made a chain from silly-sounding things: the sound of a cat walking, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, and other things you can't even imagine! The chain they made looked like a soft, shiny ribbon. It was called Gleipnir.

The gods took the ribbon to Fenrir. "Look, Fenrir!" they said. "We have a new game. See this little ribbon? Bet you can't break this!"
Fenrir looked at the ribbon. It didn't look strong at all. He was a smart wolf. "Hmm," he growled, "this looks like a trick. If it's so weak, why are you all so eager for me to try it? I'll let you put it on me, but only if one of you puts your hand in my mouth. If it's a trick, and I can't get free, I get to bite."

The gods looked at each other. Nobody wanted to put their hand in Fenrir's giant mouth with those sharp teeth! Nobody, except for one god. His name was Tyr. Tyr was very brave. He stepped forward. "I will do it," he said, and calmly placed his right hand into Fenrir's mouth.

The other gods quickly tied Gleipnir around Fenrir. Fenrir pulled. He tugged. He thrashed and roared! But the soft ribbon held tight. The more he struggled, the tighter it became. Fenrir knew he was trapped. And because the gods had tricked him, he did what he promised. CHOMP! Fenrir bit down, and Tyr's hand was gone.

The gods cheered because Fenrir was finally bound and couldn't cause any big trouble. But they were also sad for Tyr. Tyr didn't cry. He stood tall, even with only one hand. From that day on, everyone remembered Tyr as the bravest god, the one who sacrificed his hand to keep everyone else safe. And Fenrir, the giant wolf, stayed tied up by the magical ribbon, waiting for a long, long time.

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