The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," by Washington Irving, is a short story about Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher who competes for the affection of Katrina Van Tassel. He fears the legendary Headless Horseman, a restless spirit said to haunt Sleepy Hollow. One night, after a Halloween celebration, Ichabod encounters the ghostly rider and experiences a frightening chase. He disappears mysteriously, and some believe he was spirited away or frightened out of the village. The story explores themes of rumour, imagination, and the clash between rationality and superstition.