The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

First published: 1820

Type of work: Short fiction

Type of plot: Tall tale

Time of plot: Eighteenth century

Locale:New York

Principal Characters

• Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher
• Katrina Van Tassel, an heiress
• Abraham Van Brunt (Brom Bones), a young squire

The Story

Near Tarrytown on the Hudson River is a little valley populated by Dutch folk that seems to be the quietest place in the world. A drowsy influence hangs over the place and people so that the region is known as Sleepy Hollow, and the lads who live there are called Sleepy Hollow Boys. Some say that the valley is bewitched.

A schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane arrives in the valley, looking like a scarecrow because of his long, skinny frame and his snipe-like nose. As is customary, he circulates among the homes in Sleepy Hollow, boarding with the parents of each of his pupils for one week at a time. Fortunately for the schoolmaster, who has a wonderful appetite, the valley’s larders are full and the tables groan with food. He is always welcome in the country homes because in small ways he has contrived to make himself useful to the farmers. He takes care to appear patient with the children, and he loves to spend the long winter nights with the families of his pupils, exchanging tales of ghosts and haunted places, while ruddy apples roast on the hearths.

The main figure said to haunt Sleepy Hollow is a man on horseback without a head. The villagers speculate that the specter is the apparition of a Hessian horseman who lost his head to a cannonball; whatever it may be, the figure is often seen in the countryside during the gloomy winter nights. The specter is known to all as the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

A fan of the writings of Salem witch trial chronicler Cotton Mather and a believer in ghosts, haunts, and spirits of all description, Ichabod is often filled with fear as he walks home after an evening of storytelling. His only source of courage at those times is his loud and nasal voice, which makes the night resound with many a sung psalm.

The schoolteacher picks up a little extra money by holding singing classes. One student who captures his fancy is the plump and rosy-cheeked Katrina Van Tassel. She is the only child of a very substantial farmer, a fact that contributes to her charms for the ever-hungry Ichabod. Since she is not only beautiful but also lively, she is a great favorite among the lads in the neighborhood.

Abraham Van Brunt—Brom for short—is Katrina’s favorite squire. Known for his tall and powerful frame, the locals have taken to calling him Brom Bones. A lively lad with a fine sense of humor and a tremendous amount of energy, Brom scares away Katrina’s other suitors. Brom Bones is a formidable rival for the gaunt and shaggy Ichabod. Brom would like to carry their battle over Katrina into the open, but the schoolteacher knows better than to tangle with him physically. Brom can do little more than play practical jokes on the lanky Ichabod.

One fall evening, the whole countryside is invited to a quilting frolic at Mynheer Van Tassel’s farm. Ichabod borrows a horse for the occasion from his current host. The horse, called Gunpowder, is as gaunt as Ichabod himself but still possesses a spark of spirit. The two of them are a sight as they trot happily to the party. Everything Ichabod sees on the Van Tassel farm pleases him. He revels in the pretty picture painted by fields full of shocks of corn and pumpkins, granaries stuffed with grain, and meadows and barn lots filled with sleek cattle and plump fowl. The farm is clearly the most prosperous holding for miles around. Ichabod thinks that, upon winning the hand of Katrina, he could perhaps sell the farm and, with the proceeds, move farther west.

The party is merry and exciting, punctuated by grand feasts and lively dances. Ichabod is enraptured by the cakes, pies, meats, and tea. He joins in the dancing, feeling himself to be at his best when he dances with Katrina. Later, he listens to the men exchange Sleepy Hollow ghost stories on the porch. As the evening wanes and the others leave, he tarries in an attempt to pay court to Katrina. Before long, however, he leaves the Van Tassels crestfallen at his lack of success and starts home on the gaunt Gunpowder. As he rides along in the darkness, all the evening’s stories of ghosts return to haunt Ichabod, and he becomes even more dismal. In the darkness, he thinks he sees dim shapes and hears soft moans.

When Ichabod finally approaches the bridge over Wiley’s Swamp, his horse, Gunpowder, balks and will not respond to Ichabod’s urgent commands; then, across the marsh, through the dark evening, Ichabod sees something huge and misshapen. He calls out to the figure, which refuses to answer him. Ichabod’s hair stands straight on end, and he keeps to the road, thinking it must be too late to turn back. The strange figure keeps pace with him, whether he goes fast or slow, and before long, Ichabod believes the dark shape to be a headless horseman holding his head on the pommel of his saddle. Ichabod soon loses his nerve and whips Gunpowder to a gallop; as they rush down the dark road, his saddle loosens and he nearly loses his grip, but he hugs the horse around the neck. He is so scared that he cannot even muster the courage to sing a psalm.

When Ichabod reaches the church bridge, where, by tradition, the headless specter should disappear in a flash of fire and brimstone, he hears the horseman close upon him. As he turns to look, the spirit seems to throw his head at the schoolmaster. Ichabod tries to dodge, but the head bursts against his skull and tumbles him from his mount. In the morning, a shattered pumpkin is found near the bridge. Gunpowder is found grazing at the farmer’s gate nearby. Ichabod, however, is never seen in Sleepy Hollow again, although later reports are heard that he has relocated. In the valley, they say that Brom Bones, long after marrying Katrina, laughs heartily whenever the story is told of the Headless Horseman.

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