F E L B E R G E N G L I S H R E A D E R S

SIMPLIFIED EDITION

The Headless

Horsman

WASHINGTON IRVING

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F E L B E R G E N G L I S H R E A D E R S

The Headless

Horseman

Simplifi ed edition of a story byWASHINGTON IRVING

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Adaptation and Exercises: Jerzy SiemaszSeries Editor: Adam Wolañski

Warsaw 2001

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Reviewers:

Dorota ChromiñskaAnna Kowalczyk

Copy editor:Natica Schmeder

Production editor: Barbara Gluza

Cover designer: Andrzej-Ludwik W³oszczyñski

Illustrator: Dariusz Miroñski

DTP:

A.L.W. GRAFIK

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Found among the Papers of the Late Dietrich Knickerbocker” by Washington Irving was

fi rst published in “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” (1819-1820).

Text and illustrations copyright © by FELBERG SJA Publishing House, 2001

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

Printed in Poland

ISBN 83-88667-02-5

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CHAPTER ONE

At the point where the Hudson River is the widest lies a small market town or river port. Some call it Greensburgh. Others, however, call it Tarry Town. This is the name by which it is more generally known. Why, you may ask? Tarry means to delay; to be late, slow in acting, starting or coming. The good housewives of the neighboring county gave this name in former days. It referred to the fact that their husbands used to stay longer than expected in the village tavern on market days. They were strangely unwilling to come back home to their better halves to join them in their “blue heaven.” In any case, I mention the matter at all just for the sake of being precise and authentic.

Not far from the village, perhaps about two miles, there is a little valley. It is a lap of land, among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small stream runs through it, and its murmur is pleasant enough to the ear to put one to sleep. One can also hear the occasional whistle of a small bird or the tapping of a woodpecker. But those are almost the only sounds that break the silence.

I remember that, when I was young, my fi rst heroic act in squirrel shooting was in a small wood of walnut-trees that cast their round shadows on one side of the valley. I had wandered into it at noontime. That’s when all nature is strangely quiet. Suddenly, I was agitated by the roar of my own gun, as it broke the Saturday peace and quiet around. The gunshot was prolonged and answered by the angry echoes . . . I should, however, tell you something important: If I ever wish to fi nd a quiet spot, in which to escape far from the madding crowd and the world and its distractions, this is the place.

The peaceful look of the countryside and the unusual character of its inhabitants has given the place its name. That unusual

lap a hollow place, as a hollow among hills; woodpecker a bird which fi nds insects in trees by hammering with its bill repeatedly into wood in search for them; squirrel wiewiórka in Polish; agitated worried or excited; spot a particular place or area; madding wild or very excited

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character of the people may be connected with their ancestors, who were the original Dutch settlers. So this small, isolated place has been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, which means sleepy valley. Its boys are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout the entire neighbouring county. A sleepy, dreamy infl uence seems to hang over the land and its atmosphere. Some people say that a German doctor enchanted the place during the early days of the settlement. Others claim that an old Indian chief held his ceremonies there. It was before Master Hendrick Hudson discovered the country. And even today the place appears to be under the rule of some witching power. Strangely enough, that power holds a spell over the minds of the good people. Thus, they seem to walk lost in a continual state of dreamy meditation. They hold all kinds of marvelous beliefs. They are subject to strange trances and visions. They also frequently see strange sights and hear music and voices in the air. In the whole neighborhood, one will hear lots of local tales and superstitions and will be shown quite a number of haunted places. It is here that stars shoot and meteors shine with more blinding light across the valley oftener than in any other part of the country. And it is said that nightmares seem to make it their favorite place to visit.

There is one dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region. It seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air. That is the apparition of a fi gure on horseback without a head. According to the legend, it is the ghost of a Hessian soldier. In some nameless battle during the American Revolution his head was carried away by a cannon ball. The

county an area with its own local government; enchanted under a magic spell; spell a word, phrase, or form of words supposed to have magic power, charm; trance a condition of mind in which you behave as if you were controlled by another person or power; superstition a belief or notion not based on reason or knowledge; irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious; haunt to visit habitually or appear frequently as a spirit or ghost; apparition a supernatural appearance of a person or thing as a ghost; Hessian soldier a hired soldier from Hesse, Germany used by Great Britain during the American Revolution; American Revolution, the the war between Great Britain and its American colonies, 1773-1783

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country folk swear they see him hurrying along in the night, as if on the wings of the wind. He does not only haunt the valley. Some claim to have seen him on the neighboring roads, and especially near the church at no great distance.

Historians of those parts have been careful in collecting the facts concerning the apparition. And they are certain that the body of the rider was buried in the churchyard. The common belief is that the ghost rides off to the scene of battle at night, looking for his head. The speed with which he sometimes passes along the hollow is because he is late. He hurries so fast because he is determined to get back to the churchyard before daybreak.

This legendary superstition has resulted in making up many wild stories in that region of shadows. At all the country fi resides, the ghost is known by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

There is still another remarkable fact. It is not only the native inhabitants of the valley that believe all those visions and superstitions. Everyone who stays there for some time is also very likely to swallow all those supernatural stories without any examination of the facts. And little does it matter how wide--awake they may be upon entering that sleepy region. The truth is that in a little time they are sure to absorb the witching infl uence of the air. And they begin to day-dream and see apparitions.

I mention this peaceful spot with true admiration. It is no different from other such little isolated Dutch valleys, located here and enclosed in the great State of New York. What makes them different from all the others is their population, manners, and customs that do not change. In other parts of this restless country, however, a great wave of migration and improvement makes continuous changes. But these little Dutch valleys do not even seem to notice them. They are like those little pools of still water on the border of a rapid stream. Try to drop a straw into them. Soon you will see it stand still or maybe revolve slowly on

daybreak the fi rst appearance of daylight in the morning; fi reside the part of the room around the fi replace; restless unable to relax, nervous; straw dry parts of plants, e.g. wheat, used for animals to sleep on

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the surface. It is completely undisturbed by the current that passes close by. Many years have passed since I wandered around Sleepy Hollow. Yet I wonder whether I should not fi nd the same trees and the same families living undisturbed in the valley.

CHAPTER TWO

In this place, in a distant period of American history, there lived a respectable man by the name of Ichabod Crane. He used to say that he “tarried” in Sleepy Hollow in order to instruct the children of the neighborhood. Just “tarried” as he would repeat at every opportunity. For he was a native of Connecticut; a state which supplied the Union with pioneers for the mind as well as for the forest. In those remote times this meant that Connecticut used to send off yearly legions of frontier woodsmen and country schoolmasters. His last name of Crane suited his person perfectly. He was tall, but incredibly thin. His shoulders were narrow and his arms and legs long. So long that his hands seemed to hang loosely a mile out of his sleeves, his feet looked like shovels, and his frame was very loosely hung together. It was topped with a small head, fl at on top, with huge ears. Between his large green glassy eyes stuck out a long nose. This gave Ichabod the look of a weathercock, resting on his long and thin neck, to tell which way the wind blew. Just imagine him walking with long steps down a hillside on a windy day. With his clothes bagging and fl uttering in the wind, he looked like death himself, without the

wander around to move around a place; wonder to speculate curiously or be curious about, to doubt; for here: because; the Union the United States; crane a bird but also a machine used for lifting heavy objects; shovel a tool used for moving earth, snow, etc.; frame the shape of a human body; weathercock a fi gure of a cock placed on top of a building showing which way the wind is blowing; fl utter to wave, fl ap, or toss about, like a fl ag in the breeze

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scythe, coming down upon the earth. And if not death then a scarecrow running away from a cornfi eld.

His schoolhouse was a low building of one large room. It was constructed of logs. The windows had glass panes as well as pages of old copybooks. At vacant hours, when school was not conducted inside, the building was cleverly protected against intruders. A twisted stick was stuck in the hole, where the doorknob was supposed to be, and stakes were set against the window shutters. So though a thief might get in easily, he would fi nd it embarrassingly diffi cult to get out. The schoolhouse stood in a rather lonely but pleasant location, just at the foot of a woody hill. A stream ran close by, and a towering birch tree grew at one end of it. From there one could hear the low murmur of Ichabod’s pupils’ voices, carefully studying their lessons on a sleepy summer day, like the humming of bees. The murmur was interrupted every now and then by the authoritative voice of the teacher in a threatening or commanding tone. Occasionally, one could hear also the sound of the rod, as the teacher would encourage some stubborn lazy pupils along the fl owery path of knowledge. If truth be told, Ichabod was a man of principles, who followed the golden maxim, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” And you could bet your bottom dollar that his pupils were anything but spoiled.

However, he was not one of those cruel teachers who fi nd joy in punishing his students. On the contrary, he distributed punishment like a helpful, kind and understanding master. He would never punish the weak but always the strong. Thus a small frightened boy was usually spared, whereas a tough, pig-headed Dutch good-for-nothing would receive a double portion of the rod. He called all this “doing his duty by their parents.” And this duty was always followed by the comforting assurance that the

scythe a tool of a long handle with a blade for cutting grass, grain; scarecrow a model of a person dressed in old clothes and placed in the fi eld to fright away birds; log a piece of wood; pane a piece of glass in a window; stake a stick or post, driven into the ground, to support something; rod a stick used as an instrument of punishment; bet one’s bottom dollar to bet the last dollar one has; pig-headed stubborn and stupid; assurance a promise that something will certainly happen

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punished pupil would remember it, and thank him for the longest day he had to live.

When school hours were over, Ichabod was even the companion and playmate of the bigger boys. On holiday afternoons he would escort some of the smaller ones home. Especially those who happened to have pretty elder sisters. And also those who had good housewives for mothers, who were good cooks and always welcomed hungry visitors. Indeed it paid to be on good terms with his pupils. The truth is that his salary was small and could not buy him daily bread. Worse still he was always hungry, and though thin, had the appetite and expanding powers of an anaconda. To recompense his small salary, he was, according to a country custom in those parts, given food and a place to sleep in the houses of the farmers, whose children he taught. So he lived in one place a week at a time then moved out to stay another week in the next farmer’s house. In this way he never moved out of the neighborhood for years. He just kept moving from farmer to farmer with all his worldly possessions tied up in a cotton handkerchief, as poor as a church mouse.

The village folk are not very enthusiastic about spending a fortune on schooling their kids. They often consider schoolmasters as parasites. So, in order not to appear troublesome, Ichabod found different ways of making himself both useful and pleasant to his hosts. He helped the farmers occasionally with the lighter work on the farm. He would help to make hay, mend the fences, take the horses to water, drive the cows from pasture, and cut wood for the winter fi re. With the farmers, all his domination and lordly manner with which he ruled his little school was gone. He would become wonderfully gentle and eager to please. With the mothers, he would fi nd favor in their eyes by looking after the children, the youngest in particular. Like the lion lying with the lamb, he used to sit with a child on one knee and rock a cradle, in which a baby was sleeping, with his foot for hours.

parasite a plant or an animal which lives on another plant or animal and feeds on it; cradle a small bed for an infant, usually on rockers

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In addition to his other talents, he was the singing-master of the neighborhood. This also paid off, as he earned many shillings by instructing the young in singing of the Psalms. Always eager to show off, on Sundays he never failed to take his station in front of the church gallery. There, with a band of chosen singers, in his mind, he completely carried away the palm from the pastor. His voice was heard far above the rest of the congregation. There were some peculiar trills heard in that church and even half a mile away. And everybody in the village would recognize them even from the distance of seven leagues as those that could only come from the nose of Ichabod Crane.

So by these various clever ways, which are commonly called “by hook and by crook,” the poor teacher got on tolerably well. Yet by all who understood nothing of the hard labor of mental work, he was thought to have a wonderfully easy life of it.

The schoolmaster is generally a man of some importance in the female circle of a village. For he is considered a kind of idle gentleman. His taste and accomplishments are far superior to those of the ordinary countrymen. And only the pastor is superior in learning to him. So whenever he appears in the farmhouse, there is a natural excitement at the tea table. Soon some additional dish of cakes or sweets lands on the table and this is also a chance to parade a silver teapot for the occasion. Ichabod, therefore, especially delighted in making all the country girls smile at his sight and he grew so agitated then. How he fi gured among them in the churchyard between services on Sundays! He gathered grapes for them from the wild vines that overran the surrounding trees. To amuse them, he recited all the epitaphs on the tombstones. Or he walked at leisure with them through the woods or along the banks of the millpond nearby. All this to the irritation of the more bashful country gallants, who walked, embarrassed,

trill the sound of singing with a vibratory effect; league a unit of distance of about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers); by hook and by crook by any means, whether just or unjust, legal or illegal; idle not occupied or employed; tombstone a stone over a grave which shows the name of the person who is buried there; bashful shy, nervous, and uncomfortable with other people; gallant a fashionable young man

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On Sundays he never failed to take his station in front

of the church gallery. There, with a band of chosen singers,

in his mind, he completely carried away the palm from the pastor.

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