William+Tell



William Tell is a legend and a hero to the Swiss people. Around 1307, when the Austrians had taken over Switzerland, he refused to pay homage to an Austrian bailiff who's name was Gessler. The bailiff then ordered Tell to take the famous shot; to shoot an apple off his son's head. Tell shot the apple off with his crossbow, but had prepared another arrow to shoot the bailiff if he would have accidentally hit the child. Gessler then arrested Tell and sent him on a boat with many guards to prison.

While he was on the boat, a storm arose, making the river dangerous and rough. The guards let Tell take over the tiller because he knew the area much better than they did. Tell then steered the boat towards a flat rock. He grabbed his crossbow, jumped off the boat, and pushed the boat with the guards in it away. After finding his way out of the woods he escaped in, he tracked down the Austrian bailiff, Gessler, and shot and killed him. Tell used the same crossbow to shoot the apple off his son's head that he did to kill Gessler.

After his legendary escape and survival, he began the Swiss rebellion against the Austrian invaders. Tell inspired many people to join and fight for Swiss freedom. Today, he is a figure of Swiss independence and liberty. Works Cited
 * “File:Wilhelm Tell Denkmal Altdorf Un 1900 Detail.jpg.” Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 July 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. .
 * Steinman, Werner. “The Legend of William Tell.” History of Switzerland. Geschichte-Schwewiz.ch, 24 Oct. 2003. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. .
 * “William Tell.” Myth and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan, 2000. N. pag. Student Resource Center Junior. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.