The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irving
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving is a short story written in 1820. Set in 1790 in a secluded glen near Tarrytown, it follows Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolmaster who competes with local rowdy Brom Bones for the affections of wealthy Katrina Van Tassel. After a harvest party filled with ghost stories about a Headless Horseman, Ichabod encounters a terrifying cloaked rider on his journey home. The next morning, he has vanished, leaving only mysterious clues behind.
About the book
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow first appeared in 1820 in Washington Irving's collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. It is set in a drowsy Dutch settlement in the Hudson Valley, where the schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, lanky, superstitious and ambitious, courts the wealthy farmer's daughter Katrina Van Tassel against the rivalry of the local hero Brom Bones. The valley has its own ghost, the Headless Horseman, said to be a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a cannonball, and the story builds towards a night ride home after a harvest party. Irving blends humour, rural detail and the supernatural, and the tale became one of the first American stories to be read around the world.
Characters
Ichabod Crane — Schoolmaster
A lanky, superstitious schoolmaster with a great appetite and greater ambitions.
Katrina Van Tassel — Heiress
The plump, rosy only daughter of the richest farmer in the valley.
Brom Bones — Ichabod’s rival
Abraham Van Brunt, the boisterous local hero and a famous horseman.
Baltus Van Tassel — Katrina’s father
A prosperous, contented farmer whose table is the richest in the valley.
Hans Van Ripper — Farmer
The old farmer with whom Ichabod lodges and whose horse he borrows.
The Headless Horseman — Ghost
The spirit said to haunt the valley, a Hessian soldier searching for his head.