[Transcriber's note: William Tell Told Again is two children's books in one. One is a picture book--16 full-color illustrations by Philip Dadd described in verse by John W. Houghton. The other is a humorous novel by P. G. Wodehouse, based on the picture book. The novel has a lengthier storyline, a more intricate plot, and more characterization. The bound volume intermingled the picture book with the novel, illustrations and poems appearing at regular intervals. Most pictures and verses were distant from the page of the novel that they reflected.
For this HTML version, thumbnail illustrations have been inserted following the paragraph in the novel that describes the events being illustrated. The verse descriptions of the illustrations have been moved to the end of the novel, so as not to disrupt the story. Each verse also has a thumbnail illustration. Click on the thumbnail for a larger illustration.]
William Tell Told Again
By P. G. Wodehouse
1904
With Illustrations in Colour by Philip Dadd
Described in Verse by John W. Houghton
To Biddy O'Sullivan for a Christmas Present
List of Illustrations
- Sometimes it was only a bird [Frontispiece]
- Gessler's methods of persuasion [Plate I]
- They would march about, beating tin cans and shouting [Plate II]
- An egg flew across the meadow, and burst over Leuthold's shoulder [Plate III]
- "Here! Hi!" shouted the soldiers, "Stop!" [Plate IV]
- They saw Friesshardt raise his pike, and bring it down with all his force on Tell's head [Plate V]
- "Look here!" he began. "Look there!" said Friesshardt [Plate VI]
- Friesshardt rushed to stop him [Plate VII]
- The crowd danced and shouted [Plate VIII]
- "Come, come, come!" said Gessler, "tell me all about it" [Plate IX]
- "I have here an apple" [Plate X]
- There was a stir of excitement in the crowd [Plate XI]
- A moment's suspense, and then a terrific cheer arose from the spectators [Plate XII]
- "Seize that man!" he shouted [Plate XIII]
- He was led away to the shore of the lake [Plate XIV]
- Tell's second arrow had found its mark [Plate XV]
The Swiss, against their Austrian foes, Had ne'er a soul to lead 'em,Till Tell, as you've heard tell, arose And guided them to freedom.Tell's tale we tell again--an act For which pray no one scold us--This tale of Tell we tell, in fact, As this Tell tale was told us.
Chapter I
Once upon a time, more years ago than anybody can remember, before the first hotel had been built or the first Englishman had taken a photograph of Mont Blanc and brought it home to be pasted in