THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL G117

 THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL

A long time ago the tiny country of Switzerland was ruled by Austria. But the Swiss did not take their fate lying down. Every week there was a rebellion somewhere, and the Austrian soldiers were kept busy hurrying from one town to another in order to put down the rebellions. The town of Altorf was particularly troublesome.

The emperor of Austria finally decided to teach the Swiss a lesson. He sent a special governor to Altorf, a man named Gessler, who would rule with a firm hand.

One of Gessler's orders required all Altorfers to bow before him. Anyone who refused to bow was thrown into prison. Although most of the people bowed to Gessler, they spat into the dirt as they did so. So Gessler decided to get even tougher. He placed his hat on a pole in the marketplace and ordered the Altorfers to bow before it whenever they passed.

One day, William Tell, a famous hunter, came to Altorf with his little son. He saw that ten soldiers were stationed beside the pole. He knew about the order, and he knew why the soldiers were there, but he would have none of it.

Holding his head high, he walked past the pole and the soldiers as if they didn't exist. Immediately the soldiers surrounded him and his son, saying, “You must bow before the hat!”

“Why?”

“It's an order”

“It's your order,” said William Tell, “not mine.”

“We'll show you whose order it is,” said the soldiers, and they led the father and son to Gessler.

Even before the cruel governor himself William Tell did not bow. He held his son's hand firmly to be sure that the boy did not bow either.

“You broke the law,” said Gessler.

“That is not my law,” said William Tell. “I am a citizen of Switzerland, not Austria.”

Gessler turned red with anger. He then thought of a plan to punish William Tell.

"You're a hunter, "he said. "Well, we'll see how good you are. "Picking an apple from a tree overhead, he turned to a soldier and said, "Take the boy one hundred paces down the street and place this apple on his head. "Then he ordered Tell to shoot at the apple with one of his arrows.

The people who had gathered around gasped at the cruelty of the order.

Without saying a word, William Tell drew two arrows. He looked at his son, one hundred paces away with an apple on his head. The soldiers had him stand with his back to his father.

"Turn around, "William Tell called to his son. "Look this way."

The boy turned around and faced his father.

William Tell studied the two arrows, selected one, and placed it in his bow. Slowly he raised the bow; pulled back the cord, and after taking careful aim, let the arrow fly.

It split the apple in half!

The people raised a shout of joy. William Tell turned and looked calmly at Gessler.

“Congratulations!” said Gessler, sneering. "Now tell me why you took a second arrow."

“If I had missed,” said William Tell, “and had shot too low, I was going to use this arrow on you.”

The story of the bravery of William Tell and his son quickly got round throughout Switzerland. It filled the hearts of the Swiss with pride and courage, and it was not long before the whole country rose up and drove the Austrian soldiers from their homeland.