One of the first things the Emperor did was to send his friend Hermann Gessler to govern the country. Gessler was not a nice man, and it soon became plain that he would never make himself really popular with the Swiss. The point on which they disagreed in particular was the question of taxes. The Swiss, who were a simple and thrifty² people, objected to paying taxes of any sort. They said they wanted to spend their money on all kinds of other things. Gessler, on the other hand, wished to put a tax on everything, and, being Governor, he did it. He made everyone who owned a flock of sheep pay a certain sum of money to him; and if the farmer sold his sheep and bought cows, he had to pay rather more money to Gessler for the cows than he had paid for the sheep. Gessler also taxed bread, and biscuits, and jam, and buns, and lemonade, and, in fact, everything he could think of, till the people of Switzerland determined³ to complain. They appointed Walter Fürst, who had red hair and looked fierce; Werner Stauffacher, who had gray hair and was always wondering how he ought to pronounce his name; and Arnold of Melchthal, who had light-yellow hair and was supposed to know a great deal about the law, to make the complaint. They called on the Governor one lovely morning in April, and were shown into the Hall of Audience.

 

"Well," said Gessler, "and what's the matter now?"

 

The other two pushed Walter Fürst forward because he looked fierce, and they thought he might frighten the Governor.

 

Walter Fürst coughed.

 

"Well?" asked Gessler.

 

"Er--ahem!" said Walter Fürst.

 

"That's the way," whispered Werner; "give it him!"

 

"Er--ahem!" said Walter Fürst again; "the fact is, your Governorship--"

 

"It's a small point," interrupted Gessler, "but I'm generally called 'your Excellency.' Yes?"

 

"The fact is, your Excellency, it seems to the people of Switzerland--"

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