--- title: "William Tell" story_id: "d5ed491f-3d65-441a-bcb8-655fb7f7b99a" text_id: "7a0fe96c-52f3-45bb-9fae-677cd3cc1592" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 1 part_count: 1 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/william-tell" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/william-tell" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # William Tell > OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits. > [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/william-tell) Version: Modernized In this Swiss legend, William Tell refuses to bow to a ruler’s cap. To punish him, Gessler orders the skilled hunter to shoot an apple from his own son’s head. **Content warning:** A father must shoot at an apple on his son’s head while the boy is threatened with death. The ending also mentions a killing recounted in an old story. The people of Switzerland were not always free and happy as they are today. Many years ago a proud tyrant, whose name was Gessler, ruled over them, and made their lives bitter indeed. One day this tyrant set up a tall pole in the public square, and put his own cap on the top of it; and then he gave orders that every man who came into the town should bow down before it. But there was one man, named William Tell, who would not do this. He stood up straight with folded arms, and laughed at the swinging cap. He would not bow down to Gessler himself. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/88f5ea26-1d2f-4dbb-b111-2e0f835f5712) When Gessler heard of this, he was very angry. He was afraid that other men would disobey, and that soon the whole country would rebel against him. So he made up his mind to punish the bold man. William Tell’s home was among the mountains, and he was a famous hunter. No one in all the land could shoot with bow and arrow so well as he. Gessler knew this, and so he thought of a cruel plan to make the hunter’s own skill bring him to grief. He ordered that Tell’s little boy should be made to stand up in the public square with an apple on his head; and then he told Tell to shoot the apple with one of his arrows. Tell begged the tyrant not to make him take this test of his skill. What if the boy should move? What if the bowman’s hand should tremble? What if the arrow should not carry true? “Will you make me kill my boy?” he said. “Say no more,” said Gessler. “You must hit the apple with your one arrow. If you fail, my soldiers shall kill the boy before your eyes.” ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/57b34f90-e81e-494f-b541-a859a5c0e37c) Then, without another word, Tell fitted the arrow to his bow. He took aim, and let it fly. The boy stood firm and still. He was not afraid, for he had all faith in his father’s skill. The arrow whistled through the air. It struck the apple right in the center, and carried it away. The people who saw it shouted with joy. As Tell was turning away from the place, an arrow which he had hidden under his coat dropped to the ground. “Fellow!” cried Gessler, “what do you intend to do with this second arrow?” “Tyrant!” was Tell’s proud answer, “this arrow was for your heart if I had hurt my child.” ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/3e274b2a-f980-47b7-9c6b-160d5459a8d6) And there is an old story that, not long after this, Tell did shoot the tyrant with one of his arrows; and thus he set his country free. ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text Fifty Famous Stories Retold, ≈ 1896, American Book Company, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago - author: James Baldwin ## Illustration [Philip Dadd](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/88f5ea26-1d2f-4dbb-b111-2e0f835f5712) — William Tell Told Again, 1904, Adam and Charles Black, London [Philip Dadd](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/57b34f90-e81e-494f-b541-a859a5c0e37c) — William Tell Told Again, 1904, Adam and Charles Black, London [Philip Dadd](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/3e274b2a-f980-47b7-9c6b-160d5459a8d6) — William Tell Told Again, 1904, Adam and Charles Black, London ## Reading music William Tell — Overture Gioachino Rossini United States Marine Band (wind band) Timothy W. Foley (conductor) [Public domain](https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Agencies/USMC-FOIA/FRR/2013-Presidential-Inauguration-Ceremony/) ## Quiz ### How many national languages does Switzerland have? - Two - Four (Correct answer) - One Switzerland’s four national languages are German, French, Italian and Romansh. Their use varies between regions; many other languages are also spoken there. [SwissFederalDepartmentofForeignAffairs — Multilingualism](https://www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch/en/multilingualism) ### What does a crossbow shoot? - A bolt, a short arrow (Correct answer) - A cannonball - A rifle bullet A bolt is the short arrow used by a crossbow. Hodler shows Tell holding this weapon in the painting. The Tell legend helped make the crossbow a Swiss national symbol. [SwissNationalMuseum — The crossbow](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2022/11/the-crossbow-a-weapon-for-assassins-and-freedom-fighters/) ### An important wild ancestor of our apples grows naturally in which region? - Antarctica - South America - Central Asia (Correct answer) The wild apple Malus sieversii, found in Central Asia, is an important ancestor of cultivated apples. Growers have developed many varieties from wild apple trees over time. [RoyalBotanicGardensKew — Apple](https://www.kew.org/plants/apple) ### What shape does Switzerland’s national flag usually have? - A square (Correct answer) - A triangle - A circle The Swiss national flag has a white cross on a red square. Rectangular versions are also used in some settings, including maritime flags and the Olympics. [SwissFederalDepartmentofForeignAffairs — Swiss flag](https://www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch/en/the-swiss-flag-a-plus-for-the-country) ### What vibrates to make an oboe sound? - A drumskin - A double reed (Correct answer) - A bowed string An oboe uses a double reed to make its sound. It belongs to the woodwind family. The English horn, also called the cor anglais, is a larger relative with a lower range. [PhilharmoniaOrchestra — Oboe](https://philharmonia.co.uk/resources/instruments/oboe/) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/william-tell?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. [Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)