The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Plot Summary
In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster, vies for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel against Brom Bones. After a party at the Van Tassel home, Ichabod rides through the woods and encounters the Headless Horseman, a ghost doomed to ride forever. Ichabod disappears, leaving Katrina to Brom Bones.
Setting of Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow is a secluded glen in a rural community near the Hudson River. The area is steeped in superstition and legend, and is said to be haunted by the Headless Horseman, the ghost of a Hessian soldier beheaded during the Revolutionary War.
Ichabod Crane Arrives
Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster from Connecticut, arrives in Sleepy Hollow to teach the children. He is tall, thin, and awkward, and the children call him the 'skinny schoolmaster.' Ichabod boards with the widow Hudson and sets his sights on Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy farmer.
The Van Tassel Party
At a party at the Van Tassel home, Ichabod vies for Katrina's affections against Brom Bones, a local rowdy. Ichabod eats and drinks his fill and listens to tales of the Headless Horseman. As he rides home through the woods, he encounters the ghostly figure of the Horseman, who hurls his head at Ichabod. Ichabod disappears, leaving only his horse and a shattered pumpkin behind.
The Legend Lives On
The next day, the townsfolk search for Ichabod but find no trace of him. They surmise that the Horseman has taken Ichabod, and the legend lives on in Sleepy Hollow.
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