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(A Swiss Legend)
Long ago the emperor of Austria* wanted to make Switzerland* a part of his empire, and he sent a man named Gessler* to rule the people. Gessler was a tyrant. He ruled the bold Swiss people with a hand of iron. He had many soldiers and did whatever he wished. But there was one thing he could not do, — he could not make the brave, free people of Switzerland bow down to him when he came among them.
He was very angry at this, and tried to think of some way in which to make them feel his power. In those days, as now, every town had a market-place. Here the people came to buy and sell goods. The men and women came down from the mountains with milk and cheese, goats and other animals; they sold these in the market and bought goods which they did not have in their mountain homes.
In the market place of Altdorf, a Swiss town, Gessler put up a tall pole. On the top of this pole he placed his hat, and this hat was the sign of Gessler's power. Then his soldiers went about the town shouting an order to the people: "Every man, woman or child who passes by the pole must bow to the hat to show their respect for Gessler."
From one of the mountain homes near Altdorf there came into the market-place one day a tall, strong man by the name of William Tell. He was a famous archer, for it was in the days before the mountain people had guns, and he shot bears and wild goats with his bow and arrows.
He had with him his little son, and they walked across the market place. But when they passed the pole, Tell did not bow to the hat on the pole. There were spies of Gessler in the market-place, and they at once went to the tyrant and reported the incident. "Tell refused to bow to Gessler's hat on top of the pole!" Gessler at once commanded his soldiers to bring Tell to him, and Tell came, leading his little son by the hand.
"They tell me you shoot well," said the tyrant. "I shall not punish you, but you must show me your skill. Let your boy stand a hundred steps from here. Place an apple on his head. You stand here and shoot the apple off his head with one of your arrows."
All the people who heard him turned pale with fear, but Tell looked straight at Gessler without any fear, and took out two arrows.
"Go there!" he said to his son. Two of Gessler's soldiers led the boy a hundred steps away from Gessler and then placed an apple on the boy's head. They had some pity for Tell in their hearts, so they made the boy stand with his back to his father.
"Face me!" Tell cried in a clear voice, and the boy immediately turned and faced his father. He stood straight, with his head up. Tell put the arrow in the bow and then bent it slowly ready to shoot. He could look no more and shut his eyes.
The next moment a great shout rose from the crowd. The arrow hit the apple and cut it in two. The people shouted with joy, but Gessler was not pleased, and said in an angry voice to Tell.
"You were not so very sure of your first shot. You put a second arrow in your'belt. Why did you do that?"
"The second arrow was for you, tyrant, if I missed my first shot", said Tell.
"Seize him!" shouted the tyrant, and his soldiers rushed forward. But the people also threw themselves upon the soldiers, and Tell, now drawing his bow again, shot the tyrant through the heart. Then, taking his boy by the hand, he fled quickly to the lake, got into a boat standing there, rowed to the other shore, and so escaped to the mountains.
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