Section 81. PERSEVERANCE FINDS ITS REWARD.
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Robert Bruce, restorer[1] of the Scottish monarchy, being[2] pursued one day by the enemy, was[3] obliged[4] to seek refuge in a barn and to spend[5] the night there. In[6] the morning, when he awoke, he saw a spider climbing up[7] the[8] beam of the roof. The spider fell[9] down to the ground, but immediately tried to climb up again, when it a[10] second time fell to the ground[11]. It made a third attempt, which also failed. Twelve times did (S. 32, N. 11) the little spider try to climb up the beam, and twelve times it fell down again, but the[10] thirteenth time it succeeded[12] and[13] gained the top[14] of the beam. The king (S. 5, N. 2) immediately got up[15] from his lowly[16] couch, and said: “This little spider has taught (S. 42, N. 4) me perseverance; I will follow its example. Twelve times have[17] I been beaten by the enemy. I will try my fortune once more!” He did so[18], and won the next battle. The king became the spider’s scholar.—N. Goodrich.