The story of William Tell and the apple

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 22

The story of William Tell and the apple

Almost everyone knows the story of William Tell and the app)e but did you know that Mr Tell probably never existed? The story goes like this: William Tell and his son lived on the banks of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. William was a famous hunter and archer. The year was sometime id the 14th century. In charge of the area in which the Tells lived was a bailiff named Gessler. He was not a popular man among the villagers. One day he ordered his men to place his hat on a tall pole. "Now," he said. "Everyone who passes this hat must bow down before it just as they would bow before me. Anyone who does not bow will be punished.” The peasants bowed before the hat on the pole whenever they passed, but William Tell refused to bow to a hat. Gessler ordered that he be arrested. He decided to put William’s archery skills to

the test. “You are free to go if you can shoot well." he told the famous hunter. "Place an apple on the head of the boy." he told his men. William's son was made to stand in front of a tree several metres away and an apple was placed on his head. William carefully selected two arrows, placed one in his belt and the other in the bow. He took aim. fired and the apple fell from the boy’s head neatly split in half by. the arrow, which stuck in the tree. Gessler was puzzled. "What was the second arrow for?" he asked. William replied. "If my son had been- harmed the second arrow was for you.” In a rage Gessler ordered that he be taken to prison and William's hands were tied, he was put in a boat and taken across the lake to the prison. Not far from the shore a storm blew up and the men in the boat were afraid they

would drown as the small boat rocked about on the waves. William, who was a skilled boatman, was untied and guided the boat ashore. Jumping to land as the boat reached the shore he ran off before Gessler's men could catch him. Hidden by trees he waited for Gessler and his men and shot Gessler through the heart. He then went back to live with his son — or so the story says. Although various statues and memorials of William Tell and his son have been built there is no record of a William Tell in the parish records of the time. Historians have studied the list of bailiffs and cannot find the name of Gessler anywhere. Perhaps there was a William Tell, perhaps the shooting of the apple actually happened and perhaps the story was simply made up from what people thought had happened and passed on from one generation to the next-.