the legend of sleepy hollow.docx
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thelegendofsleepyhollow
TheLegendofSleepyHollow
ByWashingtonIrving
FoundamongthepapersofthelateDiedrechKnickerbocker.
Apleasinglandofdrowsyheaditwas,
Ofdreamsthatwavebeforethehalf-shuteye;
Andofgaycastlesinthecloudsthatpass,
Foreverflushingroundasummersky.
CastleofIndolence.
InthebosomofoneofthosespaciouscoveswhichindenttheeasternshoreoftheHudson,atthatbroadexpansionoftheriverdenominatedbytheancientDutchnavigatorstheTappanZee,andwheretheyalwaysprudentlyshortenedsailandimploredtheprotectionofSt.Nicholaswhentheycrossed,thereliesasmallmarkettownorruralport,whichbysomeiscalledGreensburgh,butwhichismoregenerallyandproperlyknownbythenameofTarryTown.Thisnamewasgiven,wearetold,informerdays,bythegoodhousewivesoftheadjacentcountry,fromtheinveteratepropensityoftheirhusbandstolingeraboutthevillagetavernonmarketdays.Bethatasitmay,Idonotvouchforthefact,butmerelyadverttoit,forthesakeofbeingpreciseandauthentic.Notfarfromthisvillage,perhapsabouttwomiles,thereisalittlevalleyorratherlapoflandamonghighhills,whichisoneofthequietestplacesinthewholeworld.Asmallbrookglidesthroughit,withjustmurmurenoughtolullonetorepose;andtheoccasionalwhistleofaquailortappingofawoodpeckerisalmosttheonlysoundthateverbreaksinupontheuniformtranquility.
Irecollectthat,whenastripling,myfirstexploitinsquirrel-shootingwasinagroveoftallwalnut-treesthatshadesonesideofthevalley.Ihadwanderedintoitatnoontime,whenallnatureispeculiarlyquiet,andwasstartledbytheroarofmyowngun,asitbroketheSabbathstillnessaroundandwasprolongedandreverberatedbytheangryechoes.IfeverIshouldwishforaretreatwhitherImightstealfromtheworldanditsdistractions,anddreamquietlyawaytheremnantofatroubledlife,Iknowofnonemorepromisingthanthislittlevalley.
Fromthelistlessreposeoftheplace,andthepeculiarcharacterofitsinhabitants,whoaredescendantsfromtheoriginalDutchsettlers,thissequesteredglenhaslongbeenknownbythenameofSLEEPYHOLLOW,anditsrusticladsarecalledtheSleepyHollowBoysthroughoutalltheneighboringcountry.Adrowsy,dreamyinfluenceseemstohangovertheland,andtopervadetheveryatmosphere.SomesaythattheplacewasbewitchedbyaHighGermandoctor,duringtheearlydaysofthesettlement;others,thatanoldIndianchief,theprophetorwizardofhistribe,heldhispowwowstherebeforethecountrywasdiscoveredbyMasterHendrickHudson.Certainitis,theplacestillcontinuesundertheswayofsomewitchingpower,thatholdsaspelloverthemindsofthegoodpeople,causingthemtowalkinacontinualreverie.Theyaregiventoallkindsofmarvelousbeliefs;aresubjecttotrancesandvisions,andfrequentlyseestrangesights,andhearmusicandvoicesintheair.Thewholeneighborhoodaboundswithlocaltales,hauntedspots,andtwilightsuperstitions;starsshootandmeteorsglareofteneracrossthevalleythaninanyotherpartofthecountry,andthenightmare,withherwholeninefold,seemstomakeitthefavoritesceneofhergambols.
Thedominantspirit,however,thathauntsthisenchantedregion,andseemstobecommander-in-chiefofallthepowersoftheair,istheapparitionofafigureonhorseback,withoutahead.ItissaidbysometobetheghostofaHessiantrooper,whoseheadhadbeencarriedawaybyacannon-ball,insomenamelessbattleduringtheRevolutionaryWar,andwhoiseverandanonseenbythecountryfolkhurryingalonginthegloomofnight,asifonthewingsofthewind.Hishauntsarenotconfinedtothevalley,butextendattimestotheadjacentroads,andespeciallytothevicinityofachurchatnogreatdistance.Indeed,certainofthemostauthentichistoriansofthoseparts,whohavebeencarefulincollectingandcollatingthefloatingfactsconcerningthisspectre,allegethatthebodyofthetrooperhavingbeenburiedinthechurchyard,theghostridesforthtothesceneofbattleinnightlyquestofhishead,andthattherushingspeedwithwhichhesometimespassesalongtheHollow,likeamidnightblast,isowingtohisbeingbelated,andinahurrytogetbacktothechurchyardbeforedaybreak.
Suchisthegeneralpurportofthislegendarysuperstition,whichhasfurnishedmaterialsformanyawildstoryinthatregionofshadows;andthespectreisknownatallthecountryfiresides,bythenameoftheHeadlessHorsemanofSleepyHollow.
ItisremarkablethatthevisionarypropensityIhavementionedisnotconfinedtothenativeinhabitantsofthevalley,butisunconsciouslyimbibedbyeveryonewhoresidesthereforatime.Howeverwideawaketheymayhavebeenbeforetheyenteredthatsleepyregion,theyaresure,inalittletime,toinhalethewitchinginfluenceoftheair,andbegintogrowimaginative,todreamdreams,andseeapparitions.
ImentionthispeacefulspotwithallpossiblelaudforitisinsuchlittleretiredDutchvalleys,foundhereandthereembosomedinthegreatStateofNewYork,thatpopulation,manners,andcustomsremainfixed,whilethegreattorrentofmigrationandimprovement,whichismakingsuchincessantchangesinotherpartsofthisrestlesscountry,sweepsbythemunobserved.Theyarelikethoselittlenooksofstillwater,whichborderarapidstream,wherewemayseethestrawandbubbleridingquietlyatanchor,orslowlyrevolvingintheirmimicharbor,undisturbedbytherushofthepassingcurrent.ThoughmanyyearshaveelapsedsinceItrodthedrowsyshadesofSleepyHollow,yetIquestionwhetherIshouldnotstillfindthesametreesandthesamefamiliesvegetatinginitsshelteredbosom.
Inthisby-placeofnaturethereabode,inaremoteperiodofAmericanhistory,thatistosay,somethirtyyearssince,aworthywightofthenameofIchabodCrane,whosojourned,or,asheexpressedit,"tarried,"inSleepyHollow,forthepurposeofinstructingthechildrenofthevicinity.HewasanativeofConnecticut,aStatewhichsuppliestheUnionwithpioneersforthemindaswellasfortheforest,andsendsforthyearlyitslegionsoffrontierwoodmenandcountryschoolmasters.ThecognomenofCranewasnotinapplicabletohisperson.Hewastall,butexceedinglylank,withnarrowshoulders,longarmsandlegs,handsthatdangledamileoutofhissleeves,feetthatmighthaveservedforshovels,andhiswholeframemostlooselyhungtogether.Hisheadwassmall,andflatattop,withhugeears,largegreenglassyeyes,andalongsnipenose,sothatitlookedlikeaweather-cockpercheduponhisspindlenecktotellwhichwaythewindblew.Toseehimstridingalongtheprofileofahillonawindyday,withhisclothesbaggingandflutteringabouthim,onemighthavemistakenhimforthegeniusoffaminedescendingupontheearth,orsomescarecrowelopedfromacornfield.
Hisschoolhousewasalowbuildingofonelargeroom,rudelyconstructedoflogs;thewindowspartlyglazed,andpartlypatchedwithleavesofoldcopybooks.Itwasmostingeniouslysecuredatvacanthours,bya*withetwistedinthehandleofthedoor,andstakessetagainstthewindowshutters;sothatthoughathiefmightgetinwithperfectease,hewouldfindsomeembarrassmentingettingout,--anideamostprobablyborrowedbythearchitect,YostVanHouten,fromthemysteryofaneelpot.Theschoolhousestoodinaratherlonelybutpleasantsituation,justatthefootofawoodyhill,withabrookrunningcloseby,andaformidablebirch-treegrowingatoneendofit.Fromhencethelowmurmurofhispupils'voices,conningovertheirlessons,mightbeheardinadrowsysummer'sday,likethehumofabeehive;interruptednowandthenbytheauthoritativevoiceofthemaster,inthetoneofmenaceorcommand,or,peradventure,bytheappallingsoundofthebirch,asheurgedsometardyloitereralongtheflowerypathofknowledge.Truthtosay,hewasaconscientiousman,andeverboreinmindthegoldenmaxim,"Sparetherodandspoilthechild."IchabodCrane'sscholarscertainlywerenotspoiled.
Iwouldnothaveitimagined,however,thathewasoneofthosecruelpotentatesoftheschoolwhojoyinthesmartoftheirsubjects;onthecontrary,headministeredjusticewithdiscriminationratherthanseverity;takingtheburdenoffthebacksoftheweak,andlayingitonthoseofthestrong.Yourmerepunystripling,thatwincedattheleastflourishoftherod,waspassedbywithindulgence;buttheclaimsofjusticeweresatisfiedbyinflictingadoubleportiononsomelittletoughwrongheaded,broad-skirtedDutchurchin,whosulkedandswelledandgrewdoggedandsullenbeneaththebirch.Allthishecalled"doinghisdutybytheirparents;"andheneverinflictedachastisementwithoutfollowingitbytheassurance,soconsolatorytothesmartingurchin,that"hewouldrememberitandthankhimforitthelongestdayhehadtolive."
Whenschoolhourswereover,hewaseventhecompanionandplaymateofthelargerboys;andonholidayafternoonswouldconvoysomeofthesmalleroneshome,whohappenedtohaveprettysisters,orgoodhousewivesformothers,notedforthecomfortsofthecupboard.Indeed,itbehoovedhimtokeepongoodtermswithhispupils.Therevenuearisingfromhisschoolwassmall,andwouldhavebeenscarcelysufficienttofurnishhimwithdailybread,forhewasahugefeeder,and,thoughlank,hadthedilatingpowersofananaconda;buttohelpouthismaintenance,hewas,accordingtocountrycustominthoseparts,boardedandlodgedatthehousesofthefarmerswhosechildrenheinstructed.Withthesehelivedsuccessivelyaweekatatim