KING BRUCE AND THE SPIDER

 ENGLISH 10TH - Short Question Answers

UNIT # 3.1

Q.1: Who was King Bruce? What lesson did he learn from the spider?
Ans. King Bruce was the king of Scotland. He learnt a lesson from the spider that hope should never be dashed. Constant efforts should be kept up.

Q.2: Who has composed the poem "King Bruce and the Spider"? What does the poetess teach the reader through this poem?
Ans. Eliza Cook has composed/written the poem "King Bruce and the Spider". The lesson that the poetess teaches to the reader is that we should never lose our hope; we should keep up our struggle till we succeed.

Q.3: Why did King Bruce decide not to give up his effort?
Ans. When the King saw a spider struggling constantly to reach its destination and at last succeeding, he was impressed. So he got a lesson from it and decided not to give up his effort.

Q.4: Why did the spider keep trying? What did the King learn from it? OR What lesson did he learn from what he saw?
Ans. The spider wanted to reach its destination so it kept trying. The King learnt from it that hope should never be dashed and a man should keep up his struggle till he succeeds.

Q.5: What did King Bruce want?
Ans. King Bruce ruled over Scotland. He wanted to do a great deed for his people.

Q.6: What are the messages of the poem "King Bruce and the Spider"?
Ans. The message of the poem is that one should never lose hope in the face of difficulties. One should go on trying to get one’s aim. Those who defy despair are always successful.

Q.7: What do you know about Eliza Cook?
Ans. Eliza Cook was born in London in 1818 and died in 1889. She was self-educated. She started writing verses at 14, and her first work appeared at 17. Her work is simple and highly moral.

Q.8: How did the spider reach its cobweb?
Ans. The spider had fallen down from its cobweb in the ceiling. It was hanging from a fine silken thread. It tried nine times and failed. However, it did not lose hope and in the tenth attempt, it succeeded in reaching its cobweb.

Q.9: How did King Bruce appreciate the spider?
Ans. King Bruce cried bravo, bravo at the spider's success. He said that all honours are to those who try. The spider defied despair and conquered. King Bruce also learnt the lesson of success from the spider.

Q.10: Why did King Bruce of Scotland hide himself in a cave? OR Why was King Bruce so sad?
Ans. Robert Bruce was the king of Scotland under the rule of the English king. He wanted to make Scotland a free country. He fought many battles but he failed each time. He fled from the battlefield and hid himself in a cave to save his life. He had no more courage to fight another battle. He had given up all hopes.

Q.11: Was the king happy or unhappy?
Ans. The king was unhappy because after the English repeatedly defeated his armies, the famed King of Scots was forced into hiding.

Q.12: What attracted his attention as he was thinking?
Ans. As he was thinking, a spider attracted his attention that was attempting to reach its web. The spider tried and failed over and over.

Q.13: Before he saw the spider, what did he decide to do?
Ans. Before he saw the spider, he decided to give up his efforts.

Q.14: Why did King Bruce think that the spider would not be able to reach its home?
Ans. King Bruce thought that the spider would not be able to reach its home because the spider tried to go home many times but failed. The spider would fall down again and again. Bruce thought the spider was tired and could no longer get home.

Q.15: Did the spider climb at the same speed all the time or at a different speed?
Ans. No, the spider's speed was not the same all the time. Each time she made a new attempt, her speed changed.

Q.16: How did the spider finally reach its home?
Ans. The spider kept rising inch by inch. At the last moment, she ran bravely and went home.

Q.17: Why did the king decide to try again?
Ans. While lying in the cave, the king saw a spider on the wall climbing to its home. The spider climbed a little but fell down. The spider made nine attempts, but it could not succeed. As he was thinking, he again saw the spider making another attempt. This time the spider was successful in reaching its home. This successful attempt of the spider gave a ray of hope to the king. Therefore, he decided to try again.