The Leyend of Sleepy Hollow

Shadows

It was night and Ichabod travelled home witha heavy heart. Below him from the hills he saw the dark waters of the river. in the distance he heard a guard dog barking on yhe opposite shore. Now and then he heard the crowing of cock from some distant farmhouse. Close by he heard nothing except the occasional sound of a cricket or a bullfrog.

All the stories of ghost and goblins from the afternoon now came back to him. the night grew darker and darker. The clouds hid the stars from his sight. Ichabod never felt so lonely and depressed. In addition he was approaching the very spot where many of the ghost stories once took place. In the centre of the road stood an enormous tree, which towered like a giant above all the other trees. Its branches were huge and gnarled and they twisted down almost to the earth, and rose again into the air. This tree was conected with the tragic story of Major André. In the war they tool him prisoner close by and this tree was known as Major André tree.

As Ichabod approached this fearful tree, he began to whistle. For a moment he thought his whistle was answered, but it was just the wind sweeping through the dry branches. As he came a little nearer, he thought he saw something white, hangingin the middle of the tree. He paused and stopped whistling but, when he looked more carefully, he saw that it was a branch of a whiute wood where the tree was hit by lightning

Suddenlyhe heard a groan. his teeth chettered, and his knees knocked against the saddle. But it was only the sound of one huge branch rubbing against another, as they were blown about by the breeze, He passed the tree in safety, but new dangers awaited him

About two hundred yards from the tree, a small stream crossed the road. A few rough logs, laid side by side, serverd as a bridge over this stream. To pass this bridge was the most difficult trial. Major André was captured at this identical spot. The soldiers who surprised him were hidden under cover of these trees. This stream has always been thought to be haunted, and any schoolboy who has to pass it alone after dark feels very fearful.

As Ichabod approached the stream, his began to thump. However, he summoned up all his courage, gave his horse a few kicks in the ribs, and attempted to move quickly across the bridge. But, instead of moving forward, the stubborn old animal moved sideways, and ran against the fence. Ichabod, whose fears increased with the delay, pulled at the reins and kicked.

It was all useles. His horse started to move, it is true, but he jumped to the opposite side of the road into a thicket of brambles and bushes. The schoolmaster now used both his whip amd his heels on the ribs of old Gunpowder, who ran forward, snorting, but came to a halt just at the bridge, with a suddenness that nearly threw his rider over his head.

Just at this moment Ichabod's sensitive ear heard a noise by the side of the bridge. In the dark shadow in the edge of the stream, he saw something huge and misshapen. It did not mobe, and in the darkness in lookedlike some gigantic mponster getting ready to jump on top of him.

The teacher's terrified hair stood up on his head. what was he going to do? It was too late now to turn and run. Besides, a ghost could ride on the wings of the wind. So what chance was there of escaping from it?

Summoning up his courage and atammering, he demanded, "Who are you?". But he received no reply. He repeated his question in an even more agitated voice. Still there was no anwer. Once more he kicked Gunpowder's sides to try and make him move. Then, shutting his eyes, he atarted to sing a hymn.