How did Odysseus escape the Cyclops?

How did Odysseus escape the Cyclops?

Odysseus escaped the Cyclops by binding the male sheep in threes together and hiding underneath the belly of the largest ram. He then hung on to the ram as it walked out of the cave, allowing him to escape the Cyclops' clutches.

Here’s the key passage from Book IX:

.As for myself I kept on puzzling to think how I could best save my own life and those of my companions; I schemed and schemed, as one who knows that his life depends upon it, for the danger was very great. In the end I deemed that this plan would be the best; the male sheep were well grown, and carried a heavy black fleece, so I bound them noiselessly in threes together, with some of the withies on which the wicked monster used to sleep. There was to be a man under the middle sheep, and the two on either side were to cover him, so that there were three sheep to each man. As for myself there was a ram finer than any of the others, so I caught hold of him by the back, esconced myself in the thick wool under his belly, and hung on patiently to his fleece, face upwards, keeping a firm hold on it all the time.