There once was a poor woodcutter and his wife who had so many children that they could not feed them all. So they sent their oldest – three girls --out into the world to find their own way.

Now these hree girls wandered and wandered through the woods until they came to a great stone house where they knocked upon the door. A frightened looking woman peeked out. "What do you want, girls? What do you want?"

“We're three girls traveling alone in the world. We're cold and tired and hungry. Please, can we have a little bread and a cup of milk?”

“Well, come in then, but be quick, as my man's a giant, and if he comes home, he'll eat you!"

No sooner than they taken a bite of bread and a sip of milk than in at the door came the giant.

“FEE FI FO FUM! WHO HAVE YOU THERE, WIFE?"

“Just three traveling girls, and don't you harm them, man! They're all alone and have no home."

“WELL, LET'S HAVE THEM SPEND THE NIGHT!"

That night the giant sent his own three daughters up to bed, and the traveling girls with them, to sleep in the same big bed. But before they went, he put ropes of gold around his own three daughters' necks and ropes of straw around the traveling girls' necks.

While the others went to sleep, the youngest traveling girl stayed awake. Her name was Mollie Whuppie. She pulled off the ropes of straw from her own and her sisters' necks, and switched them with the ropes of straw. Then she sat back in the dark to wait.

Sure enough in the middle of the night in at the door came the giant. He felt around in the bed for the ropes of straw and pulled those three girls onto the floor, lifted up a door in the floor, and down they slipped. Then he went off to bed.

Mollie woke her sisters and out they ran at the door, and they ran and they ran and they ran, till they came to the castle of a king, went in and told the king their story.

“Well, well, well, Mollie Whuppie, you've managed finely, and if you would manage even better, go back and bring me my sword that the giant keeps over his bed, and I'll give your eldest sister the rule of the far third of my kingdom, and my oldest son to marry, if he and she agree."

Now this king had three of the kindest, cleverest, handsomest princes for sons that Mollie and her sisters had ever seen, and the loveliest lands. So Mollie says, “I'll try!”

Back she went through the woods to the giant's house, and in at the door, and under the giant's bed she hid. Then in at the door came the giant. He ate his dinner in one giant bite, and fell into bed with a giant snore.

Mollie reached up and began to lift the sword from above the bed, but just as she got it to the edge of the bed, the giant woke up. And she ran and he ran and she ran and he ran until they came to the Bridge of the One Hair and Mollie got over, but he couldn't.

“WOE TO YOU, MOLLIE WHUPPIE! NEVER YOU COME AGAIN,"

“I might, and I might not." Back she ran to the king and gave him back his sword, and Mollie's oldest sister became queen of a third of the kingdom.

“Well, well, well, Mollie Whuppie, you've managed finely, and if you would manage even better, go get my bag of gold that giant keeps beneath his pillow, and I'll give your middle sister rule of the middle third of my kingdom, and my middle son to marry, if he and she agree."

Mollie says, "I'll try!" Back she goes through the woods, and in at the giant's door, and under his bed she hid. Home comes the giant, and he eats a giant supper in one giant bite, and falls into bed with a giant snore. Mollie reaches up and begins to pull the bag of gold out from under the pillow -- but just as she got it to the edge of the bed, the coins gave a rattle, and the giant woke up.

Then she ran and he ran and she ran and he ran till they came to the Bridge of the One Hair and she got over but he didn't.

“WOE TO YOU, MOLLIE WHUPPIE. NEVER YOU COME AGAIN!"

“I might, and I might not.”

Back she ran to the king and gave him back his bag of gold, and Mollie's middle sister became queen of the middle third of the kingdom.

“Well, well, well, Mollie Whuppie. You've managed finely. And if you would manage even better, get my ring that giant wears upon his finger, and I'll give rule of the near third of my kingdom to you and my youngest son, if you and he agree."

Mollie said, "I'll try!"

And back she runs through the woods and in at the giant's door, and under his bed she hid. In at the door came the giant and ate his dinner in a giant bite and fell into bed with a giant snore.

Mollie began to pull the ring from his finger, but just as she got it off the tip of his finger, the giant woke up and grabbed her!

“WELL, WELL, WELL, MOLLIE WHUPPIE! IF I HAD DONE AS MUCH ILL TO YOU AS YOU HAVE DONE TO ME, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO ME?"

Mollie thinks and thinks. "I'd put you in a great big sack with a needle and scissors and thread. Then I'd hang the whole thing up on the wall and I'd go out in the woods and get the biggest stick I could find, and I'd come home and I'd hit you with it!"

“WELL, MOLLIE WHUPPIE, THAT'S JUST WHAT I'LL DO TO YOU!" So he put Mollie in a big sack with needles, scissors and thread, hung the whole thing up on the wall, and went out to get the biggest stick he could find.

Mollie all she did was to say, "Oh if you could see what I see! Oh if you could see what I see."

“What do you see up there, Mollie? What do you see?"

The giant's wife begged to know what Mollie saw.

“I see you and your daughters miles and miles from here in a happy little cottage.”

Mollie cut open the sack, climbed down, and the giant's wife helped her lift a big rock and a bag of flour into the sack, then she ran away while Mollie hid behind the door.

In came the giant with the biggest stick he can find. He pounded upon the sack and out flew a cloud of flour and the rock fell on his foot. Howling and sneezing, ran Molly ran right towards the bridge of One Hair. Then he ran and she ran and he ran and she ran till they came to the Bridge of the One Hair, and Mollie got over but he couldn't.

“WOE TO YOU, MOLLIE WHUPPIE. NEVER YOU COME AGAIN!" says he.

“I might not!" says she.

And back she runs to the king, and gives him back his ring.

“Well, well, well, Mollie Whuppie," says the king, "you've managed finely, and you can rule the near third of my kingdom with my youngest son, if you and he agree."