Bruce and the Spider quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Which genre best describes "Bruce and the Spider"?

   • Correct answer: Legend
   • Myth
   • Tall Tale
   • Fairy Tale
   • Science Fiction

   A legend is an old story about a real person that people pass down, even though no one can prove every part of it. Robert Bruce was a real king of Scotland, but the spider part is a legend.

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2. 2

   Question 2. Why is Bruce hiding in the woods and mountains at the start of the story?

   • Correct answer: His army was scattered after six lost battles
   • The King of England put a price on his head
   • He wanted to rest before planning an attack
   • His own people had all turned against him as king

   Six times Bruce's men were beaten and driven into flight. "At last his army was scattered," so he had to hide in the woods and among the mountains.

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3. 3

   Question 3. Where is Bruce lying when he sees the spider?

   • In a dark cave high up in the mountains
   • Correct answer: On the ground under a rude shed
   • In a castle tower during a storm
   • Beside a campfire in a forest clearing

   Baldwin writes that "Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed," listening to the rain. Many other tellings put Bruce in a cave, but this version does not.

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4. 4

   Question 4. How many times does the spider's thread fall short before she succeeds?

   • Three times
   • Five times
   • Correct answer: Six times
   • Seven times

   "Six times she tried to throw her frail thread from one beam to another, and six times it fell short." She succeeds on her seventh try, just as Bruce had lost six battles.

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5. 5

   Question 5. When Bruce says "you, too, know what it is to fail," what does he mean?

   • He thinks the spider is mocking him for losing
   • He wants the spider to stop and leave his shed
   • He is angry that the spider keeps on bothering him
   • Correct answer: He sees that the spider has failed just as he has

   Bruce feels sorry for the spider ("Poor thing!") because she has failed six times, just like him. Later his words change to "I, too, will try a seventh time!"

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6. 6

   Question 6. What is the main lesson of "Bruce and the Spider"?

   • Correct answer: Keep on trying, even after you have failed many times
   • A wise king should never trust small creatures
   • It is better to hide than to fight a stronger foe
   • Kings should always obey the advice of soldiers

   The story teaches perseverance. "The spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure," and her seventh try works. Bruce learns from her and tries again too.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does the spider stand for in the story?

   • Danger hiding in the shadows
   • Correct answer: Perseverance, or not giving up
   • The tricks of Bruce's enemies
   • Bad luck that follows Bruce

   The spider stands for perseverance. Her thread is "frail," but she works "slowly and with great care" and never quits. She also mirrors Bruce, since both have failed six times.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What does Bruce do right after the spider succeeds?

   • He sends a letter of peace to the King of England
   • He stays in hiding until the rain finally stops
   • Correct answer: He calls his men together and shares his plans
   • He travels alone to find a new place to hide

   "He arose and called his men together. He told them of his plans," and sent them out "with messages of cheer to his disheartened people."

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9. 9

   Question 9. Near the end, the storyteller says "I have heard it said." What does this show?

   • He saw the battle with his own eyes as a boy
   • He found the story written in Bruce's own diary
   • He made up the whole story for this one book
   • Correct answer: He is retelling a legend that people have told

   "I have heard it said" shows the storyteller is passing on a tale people tell, not proving a fact. Robert Bruce was a real king of Scotland, but the spider part is a legend.

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10. 10

    Question 10. In "Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed," what does "rude" mean?

    • Correct answer: Roughly built and plain
    • Impolite and unkind
    • Large and well made
    • Hidden and secret

    Here "rude" means roughly built and plain. A shed cannot be impolite! The story also calls the times "wild and rude," meaning rough and lawless.

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11. 11

    Question 11. Bruce sends "messages of cheer to his disheartened people." What does "disheartened" mean?

    • Angry and eager to fight back
    • Correct answer: Having lost hope and courage
    • Cheerful and full of hope
    • Tired from a long journey

    "Disheartened" means having lost hope and courage. The people had seen Bruce lose six battles, so they needed messages of cheer.

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12. 12

    Question 12. Who is at war with Bruce in the story?

    • The King of France
    • A rival Scottish lord
    • Correct answer: The King of England
    • A band of outlaws

    "The King of England was at war with him, and had led a great army into Scotland to drive him out of the land."

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13. 13

    Question 13. After that day, what did people say no one named Bruce would ever do?

    • Lose a battle
    • Sleep in a shed
    • Leave Scotland
    • Correct answer: Hurt a spider

    "I have heard it said, that, after that day, no one by the name of Bruce would ever hurt a spider."

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14. 14

    Question 14. Which of these events actually happened in the story?

    • Bruce had led his army against his foes six times and lost every time.

      Happened

      "Six times had Bruce led his brave little army against his foes; and six times had his men been beaten."

    • Bruce hid in a cave high in the mountains.

      Didn't happen

      In this version Bruce lies "under a rude shed." The story never mentions a cave.

    • It was raining on the day Bruce watched the spider.

      Happened

      It was "One rainy day," and Bruce listened to the patter of the drops on the roof.

    • The spider got her thread to the beam on her third try.

      Didn't happen

      Her thread fell short six times. She succeeded on her seventh try.

    • Bruce felt sorry for the spider after she failed six times.

      Happened

      He said, "Poor thing!" because she, too, knew what it was to fail.

    • The spider spoke to Bruce and told him to try again.

      Didn't happen

      The spider never speaks. Bruce learns just by watching her.

    • Bruce sent his men out with messages of cheer for his people.

      Happened

      He "sent them out with messages of cheer to his disheartened people."

    • Bruce fought the next battle with only a handful of men.

      Didn't happen

      "Soon there was an army of brave Scotch-men around him" before the next battle.

    • The King of England went back to his own country after the next battle.

      Happened

      After another battle, "the King of England was glad to go back into his own country."

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