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AboutTheLegendofSleepyHollow“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”waspublishedaspartofWashingtonIrving’sTheSketchbookofGeoffreyCrayon,whichcameoutin1820.Itisprobablythemostfamousstoryfromthecollection,anditisconsideredoneofIrving’smostimportantstories.TheSketchbookofGeoffreyCrayonwasextremelywell-receivedinAmericaandwasthefirstworkbyanAmericanauthortobereviewedwellinEurope.ThecollectionofstoriesandessaysmadeIrving’sreputationandestablishedhimasapreeminentAmericanauthor.MostofthesketchesconcernhisobservationsasanAmericanvisitingEngland,butsix,includingthetwomostfamous—“RipVanWinkle”and“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”—dealwithAmericanscenes,includingadaptationsofGermanfolkloreretoldwithNewYorkasthesetting,aromanticdefenseofNativeAmericans,andafewotheressays.“TheLegendofSleepyHollow,”thoughttohaveasourceinaGermanfolktale,tellsthestoryofIchabodCrane,agreedyandnaïveschoolmasterfromConnecticutwhotriestowinthehandoftheflirtatiousandverywealthyKatrinaVanTassel.BromBones,aneighborhoodhero,isalsoinlovewithKatrina,andhehasatendencytoplaypranksonothers,whichwillcometohauntIchabodsoonenough.Ichabodisespeciallyfascinatedbyghoststoriesandwitches,andSleepyHollowisknownforitssupernaturalactivity--especiallyitsinfamousghost,theHeadlessHorseman.Onenight,afterapartyattheVanTassels’atwhichKatrinaprobablyrejectsIchabod(shemightbeinonBrom'splan),Ichabodfindshimselfjoinedbyadarkfigureonalargehorseonhisridehome.Hecannotshakehisunwantedcompanion,andCraneeventuallyrealizesthatthehorsemanhasnohead.Ichaboddoeshisbesttoescape,butjustwhenheexpectstheHeadlessHorsemantodisappear,theghostinsteadthrowstheheadathim,knockinghimoffhishorse.Thenextday,nothingisfoundofIchabodbuthishat,andnexttoitliesasmashedpumpkin.IchabodisneverseeninSleepyHollowagain,andBromBonessoonaftermarriesKatrina.ThetownspeopleblameIchabod'sdisappearanceontheheadlesshorseman,butBromseemstoknowsomethingmore.Thetalethusbringsalovestoryandaghoststorytogether,butmostofallitisacomictale.Theplotappealstocommonsentiments,butthestorymakesfunofcommunitiesthataresosleepythattheyneedghostsandghoststoriestokeeppeopleoccupied.Italsomakesfunofaschoolmasterwhoissupposedtobeoneofthesmartestpeopleinthetown,yethebelievesinghostsandiseasilyspookedandtrickedbyapracticaljoke.Themanoflettersplayssecondfiddletotheathletic,strongBromBones.TheLegendofSleepyHollowSummary“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”tellsthestoryofIchabodCraneandhishaplessattempttowintheheartandhandofKatrinaVanTasselinthecontextofacomicalghoststory.IchabodcomestoSleepyHollow,NewYork,fromhishomestateofConnecticut,tobetheschoolmasterofthevillage.SleepyHollowisasmall,veryquiettownsaidtobeundersomekindofenchantment.Itsresidentsallseemtomovealittleslower,daydreamalittlemore,andbemorepronetobelieveinthesupernatural.SleepyHollow,maybeforthatreasonormaybebecauseitsresidentsarealmostalldescendedfromitsoriginalDutchsettlers,hasmorethanitsfairshareofsupernaturaloccurrences,oratleaststoriesofthem.SleepyHollow’smostfamoussupernaturalphenomenonistheghostoftheHeadlessHorseman,saidtobeaHessiansoldierwholosthisheadtoacannonballduringtheRevolutionaryWar.TheHorsemanisseenmostoftenridingbythechurch,wherelocalhistorianssayhewasburied.Heisbelievedtobealwaysinsearchofhishead.Ichabodisfascinatedbythisstory,beingespeciallyinterested(andpronetobelieve)intalesofthesupernatural.Ichabodisastrictteacherbutnotacruelone,dolingouthispunishmentoftherodonlytothosewhocanhandleit.Ichabodmakesalmostnomoney,anditiscustomaryinthevillageforthefarmerswhosesonsheteachestofeedandboardhiminrotation.Alongwiththis,Ichabodmakessomeextramoneyteachingsinginglessons—heprideshimselfgreatlyonhismagnificentvoice.Thisarrangementkeepshimemployedandgiveshimmanyopportunitiestohearghoststoriesfromthefarmers’wivesandeatmealswiththefarmers’daughters.Healsohasaninsatiablehungerandatasteforthefinerthings.KatrinaVanTassel,abeautifulyoungwomanofeighteen,isoneofIchabod’sstudents.SheisalsotheonlychildofBaltusVanTassel,oneofthemoresuccessfulfarmersinthearea.Ichabodisquicklytakeninbyherflirtatiouscharms,butitiswhenhefirstvisitsherfather’sabundantfarmthatheconsidershimselftrulyinlovewithher,oratleastherlikelyinheritance.Hequicklysetsouttowinherhandinmarriage,comingbytheVanTasselfarmfrequentlytowooher.IchabodisnotaloneinhisattentionstoKatrina,however.Herbeauty,charm,andwealthhaveentrancedmanyothermeninthevillage,especiallytheformidableBromVanBrunt,alsoknownasBromBones.Bromisnotoriousforhisboisterouspersonality,loveofpranks,andgreatskillathorsebackriding—allofwhichmakehimsomethingofavillagehero.BromhasalreadyscaredoffmanyofKatrina’sothersuitors,butIchabodishardertoshake,avoidingphysicalconfrontationwithBrom,whichisBrom’smainmethodofintimidation.Withoutthatoption,Bromturnstohisnextbestskill—pranks.Hefillstheschoolhousewithsmoke,trainsadogtofollowIchabodaroundhowling,andsetsmanyotherprankstofrustrateandhumiliateIchabod.Oneday,amessengercomestotheschoolhousetoinviteIchabodtoapartyattheVanTassels’.Atthisparty,heapparentlyfindshimselfthebestmaninthehouse,andwhenthepartyisoverhestaysbehind.Forsomereason,however,Katrinadisappointshi