The Apple and the Arrow

From Publishers Weekly
Told from the point of view of William Tell's son, Walter, the 1952 Newbery Honor book The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff recounts the 1291 Swiss struggle for freedom. Full-color and b&w illustrations highlight key points in the drama (including Tell aiming his bow and arrow at an apple atop Walter's head) as well as the breathtaking Swiss landscape. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
The year is 1291, and Walter is the twelve-year-old son of William Tell, the greatest bowman in the land of Uri. Walter lives happily in the remote heights of the Alpine Mountains, caring for his family"s goat herd and practicing his marksmanship in the hopes of making his father proud. But as the end of the year approaches, Walter"s peaceful life is shaken as his country enters a revolution, and Walter must carry a secret that could threaten the life of the father he loves so dearly. More than seven hundred years have passed since the day Walter stood in the marketplace balancing an apple on his head while the Austrian tyrant Gessler commanded Walter"s father, William Tell, to take aim at the apple with his great crossbow. The dramatic tale of William"s arrest and escape and the daring revolt of the Swiss against the Austrians has become a legend around the world.

Card catalog description
Eleven-year-old Walter Tell awaits the skillful demonstration of his father William, a Swiss freedom fighter, who will shoot an apple from his head.

From the Back Cover
"Shoot, Father, shoot! I am not afraid." Walter's voice seemed to bring back his father's courage. He quickly raised the heavy crossbow to his shoulder as muscles rippled on his brown arms. He sighted the apple on his son's head. He pulled back the bowstring… The legend of William Tell survived for more than seven hundred years. The Apple and the Arrow, winner of a 1952 Newbery Honor Medal, tells the story through Walter's eyes, as he and his father struggle for the freedom of their family, their village, and their country.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

The reissue of this classic Newbery Honor Book retains its value for another generation of young people. It relates the legend of the William Tell who refused to bow to the tyrant's hat and was forced to shoot an arrow through an apple on his son's head. Although there are a few discrepancies from the tale as it is told in Switzerland, the basic plot is the same. Tell does hit the apple, but he is arrested when Gessler learns that a second arrow was intended for him if Tell had harmed his son. Tell is released to steer the boat in which he is imprisoned. He then jumps free and kicks the craft back into the storm. He searches out Gessler and kills him, thus becoming a hero and clearing the way for the leaders of the cantons to form an independent republic. The illustrations are the major asset of this book. They accurately depict, in both color and black-and-white, the countryside and the clothing of Switzerland in the late 1200s.The text is a bit stilted and depends heavily on invented dialogue. The Swiss version of the tale does not have Tell as one of the one of the original canton leaders who met to organize the revolt. Another difference is that the Buffs indicate that Tell lived to an old age, while the Swiss legend has him dying in a swollen stream as he rescued a child. 2001 (orig. 1951), Houghton Mifflin, $5.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer:Phyllis Kennemer


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices