A New Year with Bruce
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Robert the Bruce sat in his cave,
All he could see was the ocean wave.
He’d already been crowned with a crown on a throne
But then he’d been sitting on destiny’s stone.
Since then he’d fought battles six,
Hadn’t won one and was in a fix.
He’d nothing to read, or games to play,
Only that minstrel who sang all day.
With nothing to do and no paper to write,
A spider came crawling into his sight.
He watched the fool,
As it tried to spool
A web from this side to that
Of the cave wherein he sat.
It tried and tried and he started to add,
The swings it took, the attempts it had.
That’s six he muttered into his beard,
Enough is enough is what I’d feared,
But the spider had more courage than him,
And set off again on another swing.
Just at that the wind gave a puff,
And the spider was carried far enough,
To catch a hold where it wanted to be,
And Robert the Bruce said, I see, I see.
Six is the number of the Bible’s beast,
So seven tries I must make at least.
Bruce went on to win renown,
To sit on a throne and wear a crown.
So whether in word or deed,
You wish to win, succeed,
If time and again you fail the test,
Take a tip from the spider who showed the best,
Don’t sit in a cave and wonder why,
Get out there and try and try.