Bruce & The Spider | Submitted by Jashwant CM Rao
Submitted by: Jashwant CM Rao
Submitted on: Oct 10, 2007 via |Submit| page
In my last comment I mentioned a poem that I learnt in school called Bruce and the Spider by Bernard Barton. Rakesh emailed me asking me to share the poem with all Musomians, so that we may have something else to ‘talk’ about and other Musomians may also start contributing similar poems or stories they have learnt. Also Musomians can write about things they learnt when coming to a new country from the little town Musoma. So here is the poem I mentioned.
The poem is about ‘Bruce’ – Robert I, a King of Scotland during the 1300s who was having a tough time winning a battle which was important for Scotland and also to keep his crown. After six attempts Bruce had to go into hiding in a small hut. There he saw a spider try for 6 times to make a thread for the web from one side to another. He saw the spider keep trying and after the seventh try, the spider was successful. Seeing this, Bruce was encouraged and decided to keep trying to win the battle. After the seventh try, he won the battle. The poem teaches us that Patience and Perseverance does pay off. We must not give up.
I did not remember the whole poem, just a few lines – I am now in my 60s!! So I looked on the internet and found the whole poem. It is a bit long.
BRUCE AND THE SPIDER
by: Bernard Barton
For Scotland’s and for freedom’s right
The Bruce his part has played;–
In five successive fields of fight
Been conquered and dismayed:
Once more against the English host
His band he led, and once more lost
The meed for which he fought;
And now from battle, faint and worn,
The homeless fugitive, forlorn,
A hut’s lone shelter sought.
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