The Leyend of Sleepy Hollow

The Rival

The most impressive of these was a strong, energetic young man, called Abraham or, according to the Dutch abbreviation, Brom. Brom Van Brunt was a local hero. The countryside was full of stories of his feats of strength. He was broad-shouldered and agile, with short curly black hair. His face was not unpleasant, witha mixed expression of fun and arrogance. People gave him the nickname of Brom Bones because of his Herculean frame and powerful limbs. He was famous for his great knowledge of horsemanship, and was as skillful on horseback as a Tartar. He always won races and cockfights, and because of his strength he was the judge in all disputes No one ever argued against his decisions.

Brom was a rough type but he was good-humored. He had three or four close companions, who regarded him as their model. With them he traveled around the countryside getting into fights or having a good time. In cold weather he always wore a fur cap with a fox's tail, and when people spotted this hat from a distance, among a group of horse riders, they knew a storm was comirig. Sometimes his gang rode past the farmhouses at midnight, whooping and shouting. Old ladies, startled out of their sleep, exclaimed, 'There goes Brom Bones and his gang!

The neighbors regarded him with a mixture of awe, admiration, and good-will. Whenever any prank or brawl occurred in the vicinity, they always shook their heads, and agreed that Brom Bones must be the cause of it. Brom chose the beautiful Katrina as the object of his attention. Though his romantic advances were more like those of a bear, Katrina did not completely discourage his hopes. When Brom's horse was seert tied up outside Van Tassel's house on a Sunday night. it was a sure sign that its master was inside courting Katrina. All other suitors upset a lovesick lion. passed by in despair without stopping. They didn't want to This was the formidable rival with whom Ichabod Crane was in competition. Braver men avoided contests like these. Wiser men despaired of them. But in his character Ichabod had a mixture of flexibility and perseverance. Though he bent, he never broke, and though he bowed beneath the slightest pressure, the moment the pressure was off, he stood up straight and carried his head as high as ever It was madness for him to compete openly with his rival. Ichabod did not like to be beaten in love, so he made his advances in a quiet and crafty manner. As a singing master, he made frequent visits to the farmihouse. There was no need for him to worry about interfererce from the parents, which is so often a obstacle in the path of lovers.

Baltus Van Tassel was an easy-going man. He loved his daughter even better than his pipe and, like a reasonable mån and an excellent father, he let her do anything she liked. His wife had enough to attend to in the house and farmyard. As she wisely observed, ducks and geese are foolish and must be looked after, but girls can take care of themselves.

So, while Katrina's mother worked at her spinning wheel af one end of the porch, Baltus sat smoking his pipe at the other. In the meantime, Ichabod sat with Katrina by the side of the stream under the great elm, or strolled with her in the twilight, that hour so tavorable to romance.

I admit I do not know how women's hearts are wooed and won. To me they have always been a mystery. Some seem to have only one door of access, while others have thousands, and can be aptured in many different ways. From the imoment Ichabod Crane made his advances, Brom Bones seemed to lose interest. His horse was no longer seen tied up outside the house on Sunday nights, and a deadly feud gradually arose between him and the schoolmaster.

Brom liked the idea of settling their dispute over the lady in combat, like the knights of old. But Ichabod was too conscious of his opponent's superior strength to enter into a fight with him. He was not going to give him any opportunity to try.

Brom found Ichabod's pacifism very irfitating. He had no alternative but to think up some unpleasant practical joke to play on his rival. Ichabod became an object of persecution for Brom and his gang. Until this time his life was very peaceful, but now they caused him all kinds of trouble. They blocked the chimney of his school so that it filled with smoke. They broke in at night, in spite of Ichabod's clever security, precautions, and turned everything topsy-turvy. The poor schoolmaster began to think all the witches in the country held their meetings there.

Brom took every opportunity to ridicule Ichabod in Katrina's presence. He even taught a dog to whine, and introduced it as a rival of Ichabod's who was there to instruct her in hymn singing. This went on for some time without either of them winning.