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National
Emblem of Scotland
This
ancient emblem of Scots pugnacity, is represented on various
species of royal bearings, coins, and coats of armour, so
that there is some difficulty in determining which is the
genuine original thistle. The origin of the
badge itself is thus handed down by tradition:
When
the Danes invaded Scotland, it was deemed unwarlike to attack
an enemy in the darkness of the night, instead of a pitched
battle by day; but on one occasion the invaders resolved to
avail themselves of this
stratagem; and in order to prevent their tramp from being heard,
they marched barefooted. They had thus neared the Scottish force
unobserved, when a Dane unluckily stepped with a naked foot
upon a superb prickly thistle, and instinctively uttered a cry
of pain, which discovered the assault to the Scots, who ran
to their arms, and de-
feated the foe with a terrible slanghter. The thistle was immediately
adopted as the insignia of Scotland.
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