This is an old story in Switzerland.
At that time, Switzerland was ruled over by the neighboring country, Austria.
Wherever people went, the Austrian soldiers were walking with a swagger.
The people in Switzerland hoped they would have their own country in no time.
Noticing people's hope for freedom, the soldiers became harsher toward them.
If they told ill of Austria, they were sent to jail at once.
One day, a tyrant, whose name was Gessler, came from Austria to Switzerland.
Gessler was very proud of himself and he was a very mean man.
He set up a tall pole in the public square in the town, and put his cap on the top of it.
The notice board by the pole said,
" This cap belongs to Austrian Emperor.
Every man who passes in front of this cap should bow down to it.
The penalty for disobeying this order was death."
People had no choice but to bow to the cap.
There passed by a hunter, named William Tell, with his six-year-old son.
Tell was also hoping strongly for the freedom of Switzerland.
Tell said to himself,
"We are living in Switzerland.
There is no need for us to bow to the cap of Austrian Emperor."
He ignored and he was about to go past it.
Then, in a moment, Tell was caught by the watching soldiers,
and brought in front of Gessler.
"Tell me why you didn't bow to the cap" asked Gessler to Tell.
"Because I am a Swiss" replied Tell.
"What did you say?"
Gessler got very angry at his reply and shouted,
"I'm going to punish you by death now!
Wait...I have another good idea."
Gessler grinned, noticing the son standing by Tell.
"Well, I will not punish you by death. Instead, you should shoot an apple from the distance.
Put the apple on your son's head, and do it. Do you understand?"
What a cruel plan mean Gessler thought of!
"Well, what do you say to it?
Don't you have any confidence in your skill?
If you refuse it,
both you and your child will be punished by deatt penalty!"
said Gessler.
So Tell made up his mind to do so.
Tell let his son stand under a tree and put an apple on his head.
Then he took two arrows.
He was so nervous that his hands holding his bow and arrow were shaking.
Seeing this,
Tell's son standing under the tree shouted to Tell from the distance.
"Dad! Don't worry! I'm not afraid! I know you are the best arrow shooter in Switzerland!"
The son's words encouraged Tell a lot.
Tell fitted the arrow to his bow, aimed at the apple, and shot!
The arrow whistled through the air.
It flew straight and struck in the center of the apple.
The people who were watching it shouted with joy.
"Hurrah for Tell!
Hurrah for the best shooter in Switzerland! Swiss honor! "
Disappointed, Gessler asked to Tell.
"Well done. But why did you take two arrows?"
"The second arrow was to shoot you if I had failed and shot my son to death."
replied Tell.
"How dare you!"
Tell answered honestly, and he was caught by the soldiers on the spot.
He, however, managed to escape from them on the way to the jail.
He came back to his son safe and sound,
and became more and more popular among Swiss people.
Soon Swiss people made great efforts together, and set their country free.
At last, they claimed back their own country of Switzerland.