| music playing is Gioachino Rossini's William Tell Overture (1829) |
| ~ Mother and Son ~ |
| A Little About William Tell William Tell is the National Hero of Switzerland. He began a successful uprising against the occupying Austrians in the 14th century. According to legend, the Swiss were ruled by an Austrian Governor named Gessler. He was aware of the people's discontent and arranged a test of their loyalty. Gessler placed a hat with Austrian colors in the main square and ordered that every citizen bow to the hat as they passed. Soldiers were put in place to enforce his order. A well-known archer, William Tell, walked into town with his son. Tell refused to bow to the hat, and was arrested. Governor Gessler ordered he and his son be put to death unless Tell could shoot an apple from his son's head at 50 paces. The expert archer successfully shot the apple from his son's head, but another arrow dropped from beneath Tell's waistcoat. When the governor asked the pupose of the second arrow William Tell declared, "To pierce your heart should I have missed!". Tell was again placed under arrest, and was being transported by ship to a distant prison when a storm hit. As the boat was tossed by the storm the passengers cried out to let Tell take the rudder. When he guided the ship safely to the coast he used a spear to vault to the rocky shore, then kicked the boat away to make his escape. The Governor and crew eventually made it to shore and headed for a nearby castle. William Tell waited on the road and killed Governor Gessler with an arrow through his heart. This began the successful Swiss uprising that defeated the invading Austrians. |
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