Victory
Every schoolchild in Scotland knows the story of how the thistle saved the country. In the year 1263 when the Scots and Danes were at war, the Danes managed to land unobserved on the coast of Scotland. Under cover of darkness the Danish invaders removed their boots and crept on bare feet toward the unsuspecting Scottish army. Victory seemed certain for the invaders when suddenly a sharp cry of pain shattered the stillness. A Danish soldier had stepped on a thistle and ruined the surprise. The alerted Scots sprang into action and drove the invaders from the country’s shores in victory. (Elizabeth Silverthorne, Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations - 14121).