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THELEGENDOFSLEEPYHOLLOWbyWashingtonIrvingFoundamongthepapersofthelateDiedrechKnickerbocker.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;andtheoccasionalwhistleofaquailortappingofawoodpeckerisalmosttheonlysoundthateverbreaksinupontheuniformtranquillity.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,whos