Calico Illustrated Classics: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle
This valley is one of the quietest places in the whole world A small brook glides through it as gently as a lullaby I remember the first time I went squirrel hunting among the tall walnut trees of the valley I came upon it around noontime when all of nature was silent The roar of my gun startled me If I’m ever looking for a hideaway this little valley would be my choice The people who live in this quiet peaceful valley the original Dutch settlers named it Sleepy Hollow A drowsy dreamy spirit seems to hang over the land Some say the place was bewitched by a German doctor during the early days of the settlement Others say it was cursed by an old Indian chief before the land was discovered by the explorer Hendrick Hudson People still believe the place holds a spell over the minds of the good folks there They believe in all sorts of magic and sometimes feel they are victims of trances and visions They 6
frequently see strange sights They hear music and voices floating in the air The whole neighborhood whispers strange tales about haunted spots and superstitions Stars shoot and meteors glare quite often across the valley more often than in any other part of the country The folks of Sleepy Hollow are continually troubled with nightmares The most famous ghost of Sleepy Hollow is the spirit that the people feel is the commander in-chief of all ghosts the Headless Horseman It is told that he is the cause of all the bewitching powers that affect the peaceful village The horseman is believed to be a Hessian trooper It is said his head was blown away by a cannonball during a battle in the Revolutionary War He is often seen hurrying along in the gloom of night as though carried on the wings of the wind He not only haunts the valley but is sometimes seen on the outer roads too He especially haunts the Old Dutch Church 7
Many historians in those parts have been careful to collect the floating facts about the ghostly horseman They believe he is buried behind the church in the old graveyard He is on an eternal quest to find his missing head He rides at rushing speeds along the Hollow worried of being late He must hurry to get back to the churchyard before daybreak The residents of Sleepy Hollow believe this legend It has supplied materials for many a wild story The specter is known to all the country folk who spin these frightful tales The people have named him the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow It is remarkable that all I have mentioned is considered true among the residents of the valley Everyone who lives here believes the horseman exists Even if they were not superstitious before moving to Sleepy Hollow they soon have no doubts Their imaginations grow wild They too are troubled with nightmares and begin to see apparitions 8
