. The fascination of Switzerland. l,proud and free, refused. He was seized, andoidered with a sneer to win his life with hisarchery. An apple to be shot from his sons headwas the task, and Tell accomplished it. But asecond arrow in his quiver aroused Gesslerscuriosity. Had it injured my son, this secondshaft should have pierced thy heart, repliedTell, and Gessler in fury had him chained in abarge to be taken across the lake. He was tokeep his life but only in a dungeon. Near Axenstein a storm arose. Tell wasfamous as a sailor, and as he alone had skillenough to save the boat he was
. The fascination of Switzerland. l,proud and free, refused. He was seized, andoidered with a sneer to win his life with hisarchery. An apple to be shot from his sons headwas the task, and Tell accomplished it. But asecond arrow in his quiver aroused Gesslerscuriosity. Had it injured my son, this secondshaft should have pierced thy heart, repliedTell, and Gessler in fury had him chained in abarge to be taken across the lake. He was tokeep his life but only in a dungeon. Near Axenstein a storm arose. Tell wasfamous as a sailor, and as he alone had skillenough to save the boat he was steered to the rock at Axenberg; in amoment he had seized his bow and arrows andjumped ashore alone. On he hastened to thedefile at Kiissnacht, where Gessler must pass if hewere not drowned. He did pass, and receivedTells arrow in his heart. So runs the story, and if historians find fault with the dates and dispute the facts we can answer that the story accurately symbolizes the spirit of the time and has inspired many a brave 10. OF SWITZERLAND the cantons deed since. Besides, has not Schiller placed thisstory in eternal literature^ and is there not TellsPlatte to fix the place of his landing ? The forest cantons kept their oath, and bit bybit won back their independence till the Aiistrianslearnt at the Battle of Morgarten that moun-taineers though peasants are men. Those ac-customed to stem the avalanche know how tocreate one, as the Austrians found to their costwhen they were swept to their death by therocks sent downwards by a handful of the men ofSchwyz. It was not long before the cantons of Lucerneand Ziirich, followed by Zug, Glarus, and Berne,joined the League which had been inauguratedby the three forest cantons. As the centuries went by other cantons wereadded to the League—some of them unfortunatelyas subject states; for those who had fought forfreedom forgot in the hour of victory thatfreedom was dear to others too. But thecantons though leagued for mutual defence
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1912
