Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, was hiding in a hut in the forest. His enemies were seeking him far and wide. Six times he had met them in battle, and six times he had failed. Hope and courage were gone. Bruce had given up all as lost. He was about to run away from Scotland, and to leave the country in the hands of his enemies. Full of sorrow, he lay stretched out on a pile of straw in the poor woodchopper's hut. While he lay thinking, he noticed a spider spinning her web. The spider was trying to spin a thread from one beam of the cottage to another. It was a long way between the beams, and Bruce saw how hard a thing it was for her to do. "She can never do it," though the king. The little spider tried it once and failed. She tried it twice and failed. The king counted each time. At length she had tried it six times and had failed each time. "She is like me," thought the king. "I have tried six battles and failed. She has tried six times to reach the beam and failed." Then starting up from the straw, he cried, "I will hang my fate upon that little spider. If she swings the seventh time and fails then I will give up all for lost. If she swings the seventh time and wins, I will call my men together once more for a battle with the enemy." The spider tried the seventh time, letting herself down upon her slender thread. She swung out bravely. "Look! look!" shouted the king. "She has reached it. The thread hangs between the two beams. If the spider can do it, I can do it." Bruce got up from the straw with new strength and sent his men from village to village, calling the people to arms. The brave soldiers answered his call and came trooping in. At length his army was ready to fight, and when the king led them in a great battle against the enemy, this time, like the spider, Bruce won. TEXT Robert Bruce , King of Scotland , was hiding in a hut in the forest . His enemies were seeking him far and wide . Six times he had met them in battle , and six times he had failed . Hope and courage were gone . Bruce had given up all as lost . He was about to run away from Scotland , and to leave the country in the hands of his enemies . Full of sorrow , he lay stretched out on a pile of straw in the poor woodchopper 's hut . While he lay thinking , he noticed a spider spinning her web . The spider was trying to spin a thread from one beam of the cottage to another . It was a long way between the beams , and Bruce saw how hard a thing it was for her to do . `` She can never do it , '' though the king . The little spider tried it once and failed . She tried it twice and failed . The king counted each time . At length she had tried it six times and had failed each time . `` She is like me , '' thought the king . `` I have tried six battles and failed . She has tried six times to reach the beam and failed . '' Then starting up from the straw , he cried , `` I will hang my fate upon that little spider . If she swings the seventh time and fails then I will give up all for lost . If she swings the seventh time and wins , I will call my men together once more for a battle with the enemy . '' The spider tried the seventh time , letting herself down upon her slender thread . She swung out bravely . `` Look ! look ! '' shouted the king . `` She has reached it . The thread hangs between the two beams . If the spider can do it , I can do it . '' Bruce got up from the straw with new strength and sent his men from village to village , calling the people to arms . The brave soldiers answered his call and came trooping in . At length his army was ready to fight , and when the king led them in a great battle against the enemy , this time , like the spider , Bruce won . 2~3~4~5~6~7 7 12~13 15~16 18 18~19 22 27~28 29 32 34 37~38 39 43 43~44~45 45 49 57 64 69~70 72~73~74~75~76 75 75~76 80 82 87~88~89~90 92~93~94~95~96 93~94 99 103 105~106 108 108~109 111~112 117~118 120~121~122~123~124 123~124 126 130~131~132 134~135 138 147 152 160~161 163~164~165 172 179~180 182~183 187 191~192 196~197 200 203 207~208 211 214~215 219 222~223 226~227 236~237 239 243 246 246~247 249~250~251 254 256~257~258 262 271 273~274~275 279 282 282~283 288~289~290~291~292 291~292 295~296 298~299~300 303 306 306~307~308 310 322~323 326 329 331~332 335~336~337 340~341 346 352 356~357 359~360 363 363~364 366 368 371~372 376~377~378 380 380~381 389~390 398~399 403~404~405 407~408 414~415 417 Robert Bruce|1477,1481,1483,1485,1489,1493,1494,1498,1501,1505,1506,1517,1520,1523,1529,1530,1531,1537,1538,1539,1544,1547,1548,1558,1564,1565,1568,1574,1577,1581 Scotland|1478,1495,1496 a hut|1479,1503,1513 the forest|1480 His enemies|1482,1486,1499 Six times - king|1484,1488 battle|1487 Hope|1490 Hope and courage|1491 courage|1492 the hands of his enemies|1497 sorrow|1500 a pile of straw|1502,1536,1566 the poor woodchopper|1504 a spider|1507,1508,1510,1518,1519,1521,1522,1525,1528,1533,1541,1542,1545,1552,1554,1555,1557,1559,1563,1580 spider's web|1509 her slender thread|1511,1556,1561 one beam of the cottage|1512,1535 another beam|1514,1560 a long way|1515 the beams|1516,1562 each time|1524,1527 six times - spider|1526,1534 six battles|1532 my fate|1540 the seventh time|1543,1546,1553 my men|1549,1569,1573,1576 a battle with the enemy|1550,1578 the enemy|1551,1579 new strength|1567 village|1570,1571 the people|1572 his call|1575 1477|NUC:DIST:2~3|MOD:DESC:5~6~7 1478|NUC:DIST:7 1479|MOD:DIST:12|NUC:DIST:13 1480|MOD:DIST:15|NUC:DIST:16 1481|NUC:DIST:18 1482|MOD:DIST:18|NUC:DIST:19 1483|NUC:DIST:22 1484|MOD:DESC:27|NUC:DIST:28 1485|NUC:DIST:29 1486|NUC:DIST:32 1487|NUC:DIST:34 1488|MOD:DESC:37|NUC:DIST:38 1489|NUC:DIST:39 1490|NUC:DIST:43 1491|NUC:DIST:43~44~45 1492|NUC:DIST:45 1493|NUC:DIST:49 1494|NUC:DIST:57 1495|NUC:DIST:64 1496|MOD:DIST:69|NUC:DESC:70 1497|MOD:DIST:72|NUC:DESC:73|MOD:DIST:74~75~76 1498|NUC:DIST:75 1499|MOD:DIST:75|NUC:DIST:76 1500|NUC:DIST:80 1501|NUC:DIST:82 1502|MOD:DIST:87|MOD:DESC:88~89|NUC:DIST:90 1503|MOD:DIST:92|MOD:DESC:93~94~95|NUC:DIST:96 1504|MOD:DESC:93|NUC:DIST:94 1505|NUC:DIST:99 1506|NUC:DIST:103 1507|MOD:DIST:105|NUC:DIST:106 1508|NUC:DESC:108 1509|MOD:DESC:108|NUC:DIST:109 1510|MOD:DIST:111|NUC:DIST:112 1511|MOD:DIST:117|NUC:DIST:118 1512|MOD:DESC:120|NUC:DIST:121|MOD:DESC:122~123~124 1513|MOD:DIST:123|NUC:DESC:124 1514|NUC:DIST:126 1515|MOD:DIST:130|MOD:DESC:131|NUC:DIST:132 1516|MOD:DIST:134|NUC:DIST:135 1517|NUC:DIST:138 1518|NUC:DIST:147 1519|NUC:DIST:152 1520|MOD:DIST:160|NUC:DIST:161 1521|MOD:DIST:163|MOD:DESC:164|NUC:DIST:165 1522|NUC:DIST:172 1523|MOD:DIST:179|NUC:DIST:180 1524|MOD:DIST:182|NUC:DIST:183 1525|NUC:DIST:187 1526|MOD:DESC:191|NUC:DIST:192 1527|MOD:DIST:196|NUC:DIST:197 1528|NUC:DIST:200 1529|NUC:DIST:203 1530|MOD:DIST:207|NUC:DIST:208 1531|NUC:DIST:211 1532|MOD:DESC:214|NUC:DIST:215 1533|NUC:DIST:219 1534|MOD:DESC:222|NUC:DIST:223 1535|MOD:DIST:226|NUC:DIST:227 1536|MOD:DIST:236|NUC:DIST:237 1537|NUC:DIST:239 1538|NUC:DIST:243 1539|NUC:DIST:246 1540|MOD:DIST:246|NUC:DIST:247 1541|MOD:DIST:249|MOD:DESC:250|NUC:DIST:251 1542|NUC:DIST:254 1543|MOD:DIST:256|MOD:DIST:257|NUC:DIST:258 1544|NUC:DIST:262 1545|NUC:DIST:271 1546|MOD:DIST:273|MOD:DIST:274|NUC:DIST:275 1547|NUC:DIST:279 1548|NUC:DIST:282 1549|MOD:DESC:282|NUC:DIST:283 1550|MOD:DIST:288|NUC:DIST:289|MOD:DESC:290~291~292 1551|MOD:DIST:291|NUC:DIST:292 1552|MOD:DIST:295|NUC:DIST:296 1553|MOD:DIST:298|MOD:DIST:299|NUC:DIST:300 1554|NUC:DIST:303 1555|NUC:DIST:306 1556|MOD:DIST:306|MOD:DESC:307|NUC:DIST:308 1557|NUC:DIST:310 1558|MOD:DIST:322|NUC:DIST:323 1559|NUC:DIST:326 1560|NUC:DIST:329 1561|MOD:DIST:331|NUC:DIST:332 1562|MOD:DIST:335|MOD:DESC:336|NUC:DIST:337 1563|MOD:DIST:340|NUC:DIST:341 1564|NUC:DIST:346 1565|NUC:DIST:352 1566|MOD:DIST:356|NUC:DIST:357 1567|MOD:DESC:359|NUC:DIST:360 1568|NUC:DIST:363 1569|MOD:DIST:363|NUC:DIST:364 1570|NUC:DIST:366 1571|NUC:DIST:368 1572|MOD:DIST:371|NUC:DIST:372 1573|MOD:DIST:376|MOD:DESC:377|NUC:DESC:378 1574|NUC:DIST:380 1575|MOD:DESC:380|NUC:DIST:381 1576|MOD:DESC:389|NUC:DESC:390 1577|MOD:DIST:398|NUC:DIST:399 1578|MOD:DIST:403|MOD:DESC:404|NUC:DIST:405 1579|MOD:DIST:407|NUC:DIST:408 1580|MOD:DIST:414|NUC:DIST:415 1581|NUC:DIST:417