TheLegendofSleepyHollow.docx
- 文档编号:8765819
- 上传时间:2023-02-01
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:17
- 大小:40.60KB
TheLegendofSleepyHollow.docx
《TheLegendofSleepyHollow.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《TheLegendofSleepyHollow.docx(17页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
TheLegendofSleepyHollow
THELEGENDOFSLEEPYHOLLOW
byWashingtonIrving
FOUNDAMONGTHEPAPERS
OFTHELATEDIEDRICHKNICKERBOCKER.
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.
Imentionthispeacefulspotwithallpossiblelaud,foritisinsuchlittleretiredDutchvalleys,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,byawithetwistedinthehandleofthedoor,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;buttheclaimsofjusticeweresatisfiedbyinflictingadoubleportiononsomelittletoughwrong-headed,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.Withthesehelivedsuccessivelyaweekatatime,thusgoi
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- TheLegendofSleepyHollow