The legend of Sleepy Hollow is much more than just a Ghost story. It leaves the reader with a moral lesson learned and questions asked at the end of the story.
The legend of Sleepy Hollow is a popular folktale during this season. The story centers on a school headmaster by the name of Ichabod Crane during the early eighteen hundreds in upstate New York. Contrary to popular belief Ichabod was not a mild mannered schoolteacher; he had ulterior motives.
Ichabod came to a town called Sleepy Hollow. Visitors to this town described it as being sleepy as if a thick fog hung not only over the town but over the people’s minds as well. The people held to many superstitions including the fervent belief in ghosts. Ichabod shared in this interest of specters as well, you could say collecting the stories was his hobby.
Though Ichabod was not the most dashing of men (so thin that he looked as though he were a victim of a famine). However, women were very taken by him. After Sunday service Ichabod would lead women around the churchyard and let them revel in his brilliance. Even though he could have his pick of women there was one girl in particular by the name of Katrina who had his heart as well as the title of soul heiress to her father’s estate. This made her Ichabod’s ultimate goal. The only thing that stood in his way was the town hero a strapping young lad by the name of Brom Van Bones.
Brom and Ichabod began a heated rivalry. Ichabod did what he could to show that he was the better catch. While Brom proceeded to never miss an opportunity to thoroughly embarrass Ichabod by playing cruel pranks on him in front of Katrina. This competition reached its climax one fall night at a party thrown by Katrina’s family.
Anyone who was anyone was in attendance including Ichabod. He borrowed the horse and the good Sunday saddle of his boarder and went to this party. While there he heard the recounting of the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow, the most popular ghost story in the town.
During the time of the Revolutionary war Hessian mercenaries came to the aid of the British soldiers. One such Hessian had his head carried away by a cannon ball during a battle that was fought near the town. Every night this ghost would ride out to the battle scene in search of his head. Those that encountered the spirit said he disappeared just before the covered bridge by the church.
That night Katrina decided her choice was Brom. Ichabod left the party defeated. As he traveled down the pathway he soon realized he was not the only one on the road. He heard the headless horseman of sleepy hollow coming for him. He galloped as fast as he could to get away from the specter. He reached the covered bridge and started to race across.
What happens next no one knows. The next morning the towns people found a rider-less horse eating in front of his masters home, a saddle that had been trampled by a horse and Ichabod’s hat next to a crushed pumpkin. Some speculate that the headless horseman took Ichabod others think that Brom had run him out of town and now Ichabod is a lawyer in the American frontier.
