William Tell Told Again
William Tell Told Again is a short, playful retelling of the William Tell legend. It blends prose and verse, with 15 color illustrations by Philip Dadd. Each illustration has a caption in verse written by John W. Houghton, who also wrote the prologue and epilogue in verse. The book’s prose is by P. G. Wodehouse and is a humorous parody of traditional story retellings.
It was published on November 11, 1904, by Adam & Charles Black in London and was dedicated “to Biddy O’Sullivan for a Christmas present.” The dedication was notable because Wodehouse had dedicated books to 43 different people, and Biddy O’Sullivan’s identity wasn’t known until 2006. She was later identified as the young daughter of Denis O’Sullivan, a friend of Wodehouse in the early 1900s.
The prologue’s verse explains that the Swiss, long under Austrian rule, will hear the Tell story told again as a tale of freedom. The story follows the familiar outline: Switzerland is controlled by an Austrian governor, Hermann Gessler, who is harsh and taxes the people. Three Swiss representatives try to complain, but Gessler refuses to change the taxes and even threatens punishment. The Swiss decide to look to William Tell to lead them.
Tell is brave and skilled with a crossbow but not much of a speaker. He lives with his wife Hedwig, who is Walter Fürst’s daughter, and their sons Walter and William. Gessler loves to forbid things and finally sets up a pole with his hat on top, demanding that people bow to the hat. Anyone who does not bow is arrested. Tell and his son Walter accidentally cross the meadow without bowing, and Tell fights off the guards after the hat is shot at.
Gessler, already unhappy with Tell, then forces a dangerous test: Tell must shoot an apple off his son’s head from a hundred yards away. Tell promises he would rather die than harm his son, but Gessler insists. Tell shoots the apple, and the crowd cheers. When Gessler asks why Tell kept a second arrow ready, Tell says he would have used it on Gessler if the first arrow had killed his son. Enraged, Gessler imprisons Tell and sends him to a castle across the lake.
On a stormy voyage, the ship is in trouble, and Tell must steer. He saves the ship, escapes, and, after a chase, kills Gessler with a second arrow. With Gessler dead, the Swiss rise up and gain their freedom. The pole with the hat becomes a memorial that some want to burn, but Tell keeps it as a symbol of liberty. Tell returns home to a peaceful life with his family.
Wodehouse’s prose in this work parodies how stories are retold for children. It imitates a slightly artificial, grand style and includes occasional old-fashioned phrases. The book also showcases some of Wodehouse’s early comedic techniques, such as vivid mixed metaphors and playful lists.
The illustrations and verse captions were created well before Wodehouse wrote the main narrative. An American edition appeared later in 1904 from Macmillan in New York, using imported sheets. In 1938, a different edition called The Favourite Wonder Book reprinted the text without the verse captions and with new illustrations by Bowyer. It also included one color plate. The story was later collected in The Eighteen-Carat Kid and Other Stories (US edition, 1980).
Critics have noted the book’s place in Wodehouse’s career. Evelyn Waugh, in 1961, called such early works rare bibliographical curiosities. Barry Phelps, however, viewed William Tell Told Again more favorably as early, lively writing that shows the energy of what was to come. Richard Usborne later described it as a cheerful short tale with good color pictures and strong verse captions, fitting the kind of witty, early Wodehouse humor.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:27 (CET).