The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a classic American short story by Washington Irving, first published in 1820. Set in the quiet, superstitious village of Sleepy Hollow, the story follows Ichabod Crane, a lanky and ambitious schoolteacher who arrives in town with dreams of wealth and romance. He sets his sights on Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy farmer, but finds himself competing with the formidable Brom Bones, a brash and mischievous rival. As Ichabod navigates village life and his pursuit of Katrina, he becomes increasingly fascinated–and terrified–by the local legend of the Headless Horseman, a spectral figure said to haunt the area. One fateful night, Ichabod encounters the ghostly rider, leading to a chilling and mysterious climax that has left readers intrigued for generations. Blending elements of folklore, humor, and gothic horror, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow remains one of America’s most enduring ghost stories. Its eerie atmosphere, rich characterizations, and masterful storytelling have secured its place as a timeless literary classic.

Nestled in the tranquil Sleepy Hollow resides Ichabod Crane, a lanky schoolmaster with a penchant for spooky tales. Fueled by ambition and a desire for wealth, Ichabod sets his sights on Katrina Van Tassel, a beautiful young woman with a hefty inheritance. However, his rival, the stout Brom Van Brunt, stands in his way. As Halloween approaches, whispers of the Headless Horseman, a vengeful spirit searching for his missing head, circulate throughout Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod, a creature of nervous disposition, finds himself entangled in the spooky legend after a night spent feasting at Katrina’s wealthy father’s house. A thrilling chase ensues as Ichabod flees on horseback, pursued by a figure matching the description of the Headless Horseman. Does Ichabod escape the clutches of the ghostly pursuer? Does he win the hand of Katrina Van Tassel? Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” leaves these questions unanswered, prompting readers to ponder the nature of fear, superstition, and the pursuit of love and fortune.

Washington Irving’s classic tale, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” weaves a haunting narrative that has become a quintessential piece of American literature. Set in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, the story unfolds against the backdrop of the mysterious and eerie Sleepy Hollow, a place steeped in folklore and supernatural legends. Ichabod Crane, the lanky and superstitious schoolteacher, becomes entangled in a love triangle with the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel and the brawny Brom Bones. As the story unfolds, Irving skillfully blends elements of horror, humor, and the supernatural. The legend of the Headless Horseman, a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a cannonball during the Revolutionary War, takes center stage, haunting the imaginations of the inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow. Irving’s prose is characterized by its rich description and evocative atmosphere, immersing readers in the eerie world he has created. The tension builds as Ichabod Crane encounters the ghostly apparition on a fateful night ride, leading to a climax that has left readers both terrified and enchanted for generations. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” stands as a timeless exploration of the power of folklore and the human fascination with the supernatural. Irving’s storytelling prowess, combined with the vivid portrayal of characters and the haunting landscape, has solidified this tale as a cornerstone of American literary tradition. Journey into Sleepy Hollow, but beware–the legend may linger in your own dreams long after the tale is told.

From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by name of Sleepy Hollow … A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. –Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The story is set in 1790 in the countryside around the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town (historical Tarrytown, NY), in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its ghosts and the haunting atmosphere that pervades the imaginations of its inhabitants and visitors. Some residents say this town was bewitched during the early days of the Dutch settlement. Other residents say an old Native American chief held his powwows here before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. The most infamous spectre in the Hollow is the Headless Horseman, said to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during “some nameless battle” of the American Revolutionary War, and who “rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head”. The “Legend” relates the tale of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel. Crane, a Yankee and an outsider, sees marriage to Katrina as a means of procuring Van Tassel’s extravagant wealth. Bones, the local hero, vies with Ichabod for Katrina’s hand, playing a series of pranks on the jittery schoolmaster, and the fate of Sleepy Hollow’s fortune weighs in the balance for some time. The tension between the three is soon brought to a head. On a placid autumn night, the ambitious Crane attends a harvest party at the Van Tassels’ homestead. He dances, partakes in the feast, and listens to ghostly legends told by Brom and the locals, but his true aim is to propose to Katrina after the guests leave. His intentions, however, are ill-fated. After having failed to secure Katrina’s hand, Ichabod rides home “heavy-hearted and crestfallen” through the woods between Van Tassel’s farmstead and the Sleepy Hollow settlement. As he passes several purportedly haunted spots, his active imagination is engorged by the ghost stories told at Baltus’ harvest party. After nervously passing under a lightning-stricken tulip tree purportedly haunted by the ghost of British spy Major Andre, Ichabod encounters a cloaked rider at an intersection in a menacing swamp. Unsettled by his fellow traveler’s eerie size and silence, the teacher is horrified to discover that his companion’s head is not on his shoulders, but on his saddle. In a frenzied race to the bridge adjacent to the Old Dutch Burying Ground, where the Hessian is said to “vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone” upon crossing it, Ichabod rides for his life, desperately goading his temperamental plow horse down the Hollow. However, to the pedagogue’s horror, the ghoul clambers over the bridge, rears his horse, and hurls his severed head into Ichabod’s terrified face. The next morning, Ichabod has mysteriously disappeared from town, leaving Katrina to marry Brom Bones, who was said “to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related.” Indeed, the only relics of the schoolmaster’s flight are his wandering horse, trampled saddle, discarded hat, and a mysterious shattered pumpkin. Although the nature of the Headless Horseman is left open to interpretation, the story implies that the ghost was really Brom (an agile stunt rider) in disguise. Irving’s narrator concludes, however, by stating that the old Dutch wives continue to promote the belief that Ichabod was “spirited away by supernatural means,” and a legend develops around his disappearance and sightings of his melancholy spirit

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Written while Irving was living abroad in Birmingham, England, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was first published in 1819. Along with Irving’s companion piece “Rip Van Winkle”, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity. This story in particular became very popular as a Halloween tale because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle. The “Legend” relates the tale of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut. As a firm believer in witchcraft and the like, Crane has an unequaled “appetite for the marvelous,” which is only increased by his stay in “the spell-bound region” of Sleepy Hollow. A source of “fearful pleasure” for Crane is to visit the Old Dutch wives and listen to their “marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins,” haunted locations, and the tales of the Headless Horseman, or the …Galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him.” Throughout the story, Ichabod Crane competes with Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of wealthy farmer Baltus Van Tassel. Ichabod Crane, a Yankee, and an outsider sees marriage to Katrina as a means of procuring Van Tassel’s extravagant wealth. The tension among the three continues for some time and is soon brought to a head.

Complete and unabridged hardcover edition. Among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween. First published in 1820.