2thelegendofsleepyhollow.docx
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2thelegendofsleepyhollow.docx
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2thelegendofsleepyhollow
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THELEGENDOFSLEEPYHOLLOW
-------WashingtonIrving
SelectedfromTheSketchBook(1820)
Apleasinglandofdrowsyheaditwas,
Ofdreamsthatwavebeforethehalfshuteye:
Andofgaycastlesinthecloudsthatpass,
Foreverflushingroundasummersky.
InthebosomofoneofthosespaciouscoveswhichindenttheeasternshoreoftheHudson,atthatbroadexpansionoftheriverdenominatedbytheancientDutchnavigatorstheTappanZee,andwheretheyalwaysprudentlyshortenedsail,andimploredtheprotectionofSt.Nicholaswhentheycrossed,thereliesasmallmarket-townorruralport,whichbysomeiscalledGreenshurgh,butwhichismoregenerallyandproperlyknownbythenameofTarryTown.Thisnamewasgiven,wearetold,informerdays,bythegoodhousewivesoftheadjacentcountry,fromtheinveteratepropensityoftheirhusbandstolingeraboutthevillagetavernonmarketdays.Bethatasitmay,Idonotvouchforthefact,butmerelyadverttoit,forthesakeofbeingpreciseandauthentic.Notfarfromthisvillage,perhapsabouttwomiles,thereisalittlevalley,orratherlapofland,amonghighhills,whichisoneofthequietestplacesinthewholeworld.Asmallbrookglidesthroughit,withjustmurmurenoughtolullonetorepose;andtheoccasionalwhistleofaquail,ortappingofawoodpecker,isalmosttheonlysoundthateverbreaksinupontheuniformtranquility.
Irecollectthat,whenastripling,myfirstexploitinsquirrel-shootingwasinagroveoftallwalnut-treesthatshadesonesideofthevalley.Ihadwanderedintoitatnoontime,whenallnatureispeculiarlyquiet,andwasstartledbytheroarofmyowngun,asitbroketheSabbathstillnessaround,andwasprolongedandreverberatedbytheangryechoes.IfeverIshouldwishforaretreat,whitherImightstealfromtheworldanditsdistractions,anddreamquietlyawaytheremnantoftroubledlife,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,istheapparitionofafigureonhorsebackwithoutahead.ItissaidbysometobetheghostofaHessiantrooper,whoseheadhadbeencarriedawaybyacannonball,insomenamelessbattleduringtherevolutionarywar,andwhoiseverandanonseebythecountryfolk,hurryingalonginthegloomofnight,asifonthewingsofthewind.Hishauntsarenotconfinedtothevalley,butextendattimestotheadjacentroads,andespeciallytothevicinityofachurchatnogreatdistance.Indeed,certainofthemostauthentichistoriansofthoseparts,whohavebeencarefulincollectingandcollatingthefloatingfactsconcerningthisspectre,allegethatthebodyofthetrooper,havingbeenburiedinthechurchyard,theghostridesforthofthesceneofbattleinnightlyquestofhishead;andthattherushingspeedwithwhichhesometimespassedalongtheHollow,likeamidnightblast,isowingtohisbeingbelated,andinahurrytogetbacktothechurchyardbeforedaybreak.
Suchisthegeneralpurportofthislegendarysuperstition,whichhasfurnishedmaterialsformanyawildstoryinthatregionofshadows;andthespectreisknown,atallthecountryfiresides,bythenameoftheHeadlessHorsemanofSleepyHollow.
ItisremarkablethatthevisionarypropensityIhavementionedisnotconfinedtothenativeinhabitantsofthevalley,butisunconsciouslyimbibedbyeveryonewhoresidesthereforatime.Howeverwideawaketheymayhavebeenbeforetheyenteredthatsleepyregion,theyaresure,inalittletime,toinhalethewitchinginfluenceoftheair,andbegintogrowimaginative–todreams,andseeapparitions.
Imentionthispeacefulspotwithapossiblelaud;foritisinsuchlittleretiredDutchvalleys,foundhereandthereembosomedinthegreatStateofNew-York,thatpopulation,manners,andcustoms,remainfixed;whilethegreattorrentofmigrationandimprovement,whichismakingsuchincessantchangesinotherpartsofthisrestlesscountry,sweepsbythemunobserved.Theyarelikethoselittlenooksofstillwaterwhichborderarapidstream;wherewemayseethestrawandbubbleridingquietlyatanchor,orslowlyrevolvingintheirmimicharbor,undisturbedbytherushofthepassingcurrent.ThoughmanyyearshaveelapsedsinceItrodthedrowsyshadesofSleepyHollow,yetIquestionwhetherIshouldnotstillfindthesametreesandthesamefamiliesvegetatinginitsshelteredbosom.
Inthisby-placeofnature,thereabode,inaremoteperiodofAmericanhistory,thatistosay,somethirtyyearssince,aworthywightofthenameofIchabodCrane;whosojourned,or,asheexpressedit,“tarried,”inSleepyHollow,forthepurposeofinstructingthechildrenofthevicinity.HewasanativeofConnecticut;aStatewhichsuppliestheUnionwithpioneersforthemindaswellasfortheforest,andsendsforthyearlyitslegionsoffrontierwoodsmenandcountryschoolmasters.ThecognomenofCranewasnotinapplicabletohisperson.Hewastall,butexceedinglylank,withnarrowshoulders,longarmsandlegs,handsthatdangledamileoutofhissleeves,feetthatmighthaveservedforshovels,andhiswholeframemostlooselyhungtogether.Hisheadwassmall,andflatattop,withhugeears,largegreenglassyeyes,andalongsnipenose,sothatitlookedlikeaweather-cock,percheduponhisspindleneck,totellwhichwaythewindblew.Toseehimstridingalongtheprofileofahillonawindyday,withhisclothesbaggingandflutteringabouthim,onemighthavemistakenhimforthegeniusoffaminedescendingupontheearth,orsomescarecrowelopedfromacornfield.
Hisschool-housewasalowbuildingofonelargeroom,rudelyconstructedoflogs;thewindowspartlyglazed,andpartlypatchedwithleavesofoldcopy-books.Itwasmostingeniouslysecuredatvacanthours,byawithtwistedinthehandleofthedoor,andstakessetagainstthewindowshutters;sothat,thoughathiefmightgetinwithperfectease,hewouldfindsomeembarrassmentingettingout;anideamostprobablyborrowedbythearchitect,YostVanHouten,fromthemysteryofaneel-pot.Theschool-housestoodinaratherlonelybutpleasantsituation,justatthefootofawoodyhill,withabrookrunningcloseby,andaformidablebirchtreegrowingatoneendofit.Fromhencethelowmurmurofhispupils’voices,conningovertheirlessons,mightbeheardinadrowsysummer’sday,likethehumofabeehive;interruptednowandthenbytheauthoritativeadventure,bytheappallingsoundofthebirch,asheurgedsometardyloitereralongtheflowerypathofknowledge.Truthtosay,hewasaconscientiousman,andeverboreinmindthegoldenmaxim,“Sparetherodandspoilthechild.”–IchabodCrane’sscholarscertainlywerenotspoiled.
Iwouldnothaveitimagined,however,thathewasoneofthosecruelpotentatesoftheschool,whojoyinthesmartoftheirsubjects,onthecontrary,headministeredjusticewithdiscriminationratherthanseverity;takingtheburthenoffthebacksoftheweak,andlayingitonthoseofthestrong.Yourmerepunystripling,thatwincedattheleastflourishoftherod,waspassedbywithindulgence;buttheclaimsofjusticeweresatisfiedbyinflictingadoubleportiononsomelittle,tough,wrong-headed,broad-skirtedDutchurchin,whosulkedandswelledandgrewdoggedandsullenbeneaththebirch.Allthishecalled“doinghisdutybytheirparents”,andheneverinflictedachastisementwithoutfollowingitbytheassurance,soconsolatorytothesmartingurchin,that“hewouldrememberit,andthankhimforitthelongestdayhehadtolive.”
Whenschoolhourswereover,hewaseventhecompanionandplaymateofthelargerboys;andonholidayafternoonswouldconvoysomeofthesmalleroneshome,whohappenedtohaveprettysisters,orgoodhousewivesformothers,notedforthecomfortsofthecupboard.Indeeditbehoovedhimtokeepongoodtermswithhispupils.Therevenuearisingfromhisschoolwassmall,andwouldhavebeenscarcelysufficienttofurnishhimwithdailybread,forhewasahugefeeder,andthoughlank,hadthedilatingpowersofananaconda;buttohelpouthismaintenance,hewas,accordingtocountrycustominthoseparts,boardedandlodgedatthehousesofthefarmers,whosechildrenheinstructed.Withthesehelivedsuccessivelyaweekatatime;thusgoingtheroundsoftheneighborhood,withallhisworldlyeffectstieduponacottonh
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