The youngest of the three strange lassies was called Molly Whuppie,
and she was very clever. She noticed that before they went to bed the
giant put straw ropes round her neck and her sisters', and round his
own lassies' necks he put gold chains. So Molly took care and did not
fall asleep, but waited till she was sure every one was sleeping
sound. Then she slipped out of the bed, and took the straw ropes off
her own and her sisters' necks, and took the gold chains off the
giant's lassies. She then put the straw ropes on the giant's lassies
and the gold on herself and her sisters, and lay down.

And in the middle of the night up rose the giant, armed with a great
club, and felt for the necks with the straw. It was dark. He took his
own lassies out of bed on to the floor, and battered them until they
were dead, and then lay down again, thinking he had managed fine.
Molly thought it time she and her sisters were out of that, so she
wakened them and told them to be quiet, and they slipped out of the
house. They all got out safe, and they ran and ran, and never stopped
until morning, when they saw a grand house before them. It turned out
to be a king's house: so Molly went in, and told her story to the
king. He said: "Well, Molly, you are a clever girl, and you have
managed well; but, if you would manage better, and go back, and steal
the giant's sword that hangs on the back of his bed, I would give your
eldest sister my eldest son to marry." Molly said she would try.

So she went back, and managed to slip into the giant's house, and
crept in below the bed. The giant came home, and ate up a great
supper, and went to bed. Molly waited until he was snoring, and she
crept out, and reached over the giant and got down the sword; but just
as she got it out over the bed it gave a rattle, and up jumped the
giant, and Molly ran out at the door and the sword with her; and she