Holiday Making in the Land of William Tell

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22320, 18 January 1936, Page 4 (Supplement)

Holiday Making in the Land of William Tell

DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS — TT OLID AY making in New Zealand is a bright and joyous thing—so long as the sun shines!—for young and tl' old. but our country has not as yet attempted anything like the organised holiday outings and p.lgr.mages that are a feature of the summer vacation in other countries. Our health and holiday camps are most popular, but New Zealand has not yet developed the Children s Pilgrimage idea that is a remarkable feature of life in Switzerland. I was reading this week an account of a vis. to Ae land of William Tell, and one of the writer's happiest experiences was his meeting with a joyous party of c; «« Kov* and eirls on the way to view the historic sights of their land. For m Switzerland, every school sends itTband of pilgrim children at least once in the summer, on a voyage of discovery. The times have just one its band p g children are gradually promoted to a whole day, or even two or three days of afternoons oult g, alpenstocks in hand and knapsacks on their backs, aingirtg their national songs, Sszs, -p«^■-* ,h - - cßr t hobnai, i b ri °d gW, ."kT with thick woollen sock. turned down at the ankle and .hoy sing a. .hey tramp .long .he lakes,d. Toada and mo Chapel .ha. I' made the acquaintance of a group of Swiss children on their pd- '.. .u wri ,„ „f the anicla mentioned. "They ware impeding .he four p.m.,ngs .ha, decorate .he 11 t.l 1 1 tell the story of the Hero of Switzerland. In the first, William Tell is shown m the act wall, of the chapel. 'wh.ch t.l "h. «oryof ». ev „ y S wi„ cW ld know., wa, inof shooting the celebrated apple poised on r • * on Austrian can placed a - j l- Austrian bailiff. Gessler, as a punishment for refusing to salute an Austrian cap piacea lTl\Z7n the market place. Tall', famous .hot pinned, the apple well «»/ «~ly the «e. hAe feel"-econd arrow would have orde'red Tell to he put m chain. ,^fand' Thr™o C wn,t 8 .0o a k fhe'Tille'rSu?! the ho.t n.ared land, he leap, ashofe and wi.h . mighty par.ing .hrus., .en. his captors back into the raging waters! f j t hj 3 feat and a second fresco shows him leaping from the bo. t .^?rhf.h P ird pSu'raJ"h.'l" .W, in higher of revenge, shoo.ing from hi. »»*»£,;» ">« ™„„,ai», an arrow that strikes deep into the heart of the bailiffSwitterlanV swearing'to* free their country from Austrian "Th,tf.ur.h andl Us.* '°Ti f,1 3 ,!<, - rr„ 7 u m yn.%f ca:,e„ e t:b.:n erected nearby to the poet and composer of .he Ruth song of freedom. widely sung by the . the voune Swiss children set out on their- holiday One can readily imagine the joy and excitem history of his or her own country! Someday, pilgrimage. And what a splendid way o eac mg a ' pilgrimages to the famous historic spots in -which most of us do learn, and about the only thing many of us remem er.