Sleepy Hollow Notes

 Once upon a time, there was a place in the mysterious land of New York called Tarry
Town. It was called Tarry Town because the husbands from the neighboring towns would
stay there a little too long on market days. Get it? Because they tarry? In the town? Okay,
moving on.
 Not so far from Tarry Town is a little valley that's so quiet you can hear a pin drop. That
little valley is called Sleepy Hollow.
 The people who live in Sleepy Hollow are, well, sleepy. They dream fantastic dreams
about magic, spells, witches, and anything supernatural you can imagine.
 No one is sure why Sleepy Hollow is so full of ghouls and monsters. Maybe the land was
cursed by a high German doctor or maybe it was cursed by a native witchdoctor. Who
knows?
 The worst of all the creepy crawlies is the Headless Horseman. He was a Hessian soldier
(Hessian is a fancy word for the German troops hired by the British Empire) who got his
head blown off in "some nameless battle." No big deal since he still rides fine, but legend
has it that the horseman rushes to the church each night to find his buried head. So that's
creepy.
 We mentioned that the residents of Sleepy Hollow are a little special, but anyone who
visits for a while seems to be drinking whatever the natives are drinking. That is,
everyone who visits becomes superstitious, too.
 The narrator wants us to know that he is totally not making fun of such an upstanding
town as Sleepy Hollow. In fact, he loves it. Unlike most places in America, nothing ever
changes there. Here comes our protagonist, Mr. Ichabod Crane. Tall, lanky, skinny, with a
huge nose and bulging green eyes. Not your typical handsome hero.
 Our man from Connecticut teaches in a run-down one-room schoolhouse and rules with
an iron fist. He's a strong believer in the phrase "spare the rod and spoil the child" (1.9),
but he doesn't consider himself to be cruel. He thinks he's doing his students a favor.
 When school is out, everything is different. Mr. Crane is friends with his students—
especially the ones with pretty mothers and sisters and even more especially the ones who
can cook.
 Ichabod has a huge appetite, and he doesn't make enough money as a schoolteacher to
feed it on his own. So, he's forced to live with the families of his students. He becomes a
temporary handyman/nanny/whatever-they-want-him-to-be to pay for his rent.
 In addition to being a teacher, Ichabod is the choirmaster. He prides himself on his
singing and sings so loudly that he can be heard half a mile away.
 As an educated man of letters, Ichabod is a big deal in the town. He has read several—
count 'em, several—books all the way through. Everyone in Sleepy Hollow gets excited
when they see such a smart guy.
 All the ladies love a smart man, so this guy is the center of attention. On Sundays, he
shows off, reciting poetry and generally acting like a nerdy Casanova.
 Ichabod loves scary stories. The scarier the better. At least until nightfall, when he gets so
scared that he freaks out at the sound of his own footsteps.
 To ward off his fears, Ichabod sings psalms, which impresses the pants off the
townspeople.
 He also likes to chill out with housewives and old Dutch ladies (we're sensing a trend).
They trade scary stories about everything that can possibly be haunted.
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 Of course, when he goes home, he's scared out of his wits, but everything is fine again
when daylight comes.
 Everything would have been fine for our dear protagonist, if it weren't for a meddling
woman.
 Katrina Van Tassel, the fairest lady in all the land, captures the heart (or should we say
stomach?) of Ichabod. Her dad is Baltus Van Tassel, a rich old farmer, and she's his only
child. Rumor has it that she's quite the coquette, or a flirt in old-timey speak.
 After Ichabod visits her dad's farm, he knows that he has to marry Katrina so that it can
all be his. We ain't sayin' he's a gold digger. Actually, we are.
 The farm is overflowing with animals that Ichabod can just picture as food on his plate
and money in his pocket.
 Inside the farmhouse, it's like an old-school episode of MTV Cribs. It's a little weird that
they decorate the place with ostrich eggs and artichokes, but hey, whatever floats their
boat.
 Now Ichabod has a mission: get the girl. But it's not going to be easy—he already has a
rival.
 Brom Van Brunt, who we imagine as a young and goofy Arnold Schwarzenegger, has
been trying to date Katrina for a long time before Ichabod came around. This guy is big
and brawny and everyone in town looks up to him. He has no game, but Katrina's not
saying no either.
 Ichabod knows that he can't compete with Brom's manliness, so he goes undercover and
tries to hit on Katrina under the guise of choir lessons. Since her dad is too busy watching
the weathervane and her mom is too busy minding the farm animals, it works like a
charm.
 Suddenly, Brom isn't invited to the Van Tassels' anymore. Oh, and suddenly, Brom wants
to kill Ichabod.
 As you might have guessed, Ichabod is a wimp and won't agree to a duel, so Brom
decides that he'll just play pranks on him instead. Of course, Ichabod thinks these aren't
pranks, but hauntings. (It is Sleepy Hollow, after all.)
 One day, while Ichabod is ruling over his subjects—er, students—he gets an invite to a
big party at the Van Tassels'. Nice. He lets school out early so he can get a head start on
looking good for his lady.
 He puts on his only suit, brushes his hair by a broken piece of mirror on the wall, and
borrows a broken down old horse from his landlord of the week.
 Clearly Ichabod isn't all that and a bag of chips. Most awkwardly, his horse is ragged and
half blind, and its hair is matted with trash in it. Ichabod can't even sit properly on the
thing and it looks like he is riding a kid's pony. Not exactly a knight in shining armor.
(You should probably just go read this scene. It's kind of hilarious, and it's a great
example of Irving's sarcasm throughout the story.)
 Sleepy Hollow seems to be a pretty beautiful place. The narrator spends a long time
describing the forest and all the antics of the woodland creatures. Ichabod enjoys the
scenery as much as we do, especially because it makes him think of Katrina making him
pancakes. We're not kidding.
 After some more scenic descriptions, Ichabod arrives at the Van Tassel manor, where the
party is bumping. Everyone is dressed to the nines, hair slicked in eel-oil and all. Even
Brom is there, being as alpha male as normal.
 Even though there are lots of buxom ladies around, Ichabod heads straight for the food.
While stuffing his face, he imagines how awesome it will be when everyone has to listen
to him after he marries Katrina. What a dreamboat.
 Old Baltus is being a good host and telling everyone to enjoy their time. He seems like a
pretty laid back guy.
 Now, we dance! Well, Ichabod dances. Or shakes wildly. He isn't so good at this dancing
stuff, but Katrina doesn't seem to mind how he gets down.
 Brom, on the other hand, is in the corner crying.
 After his awesome dance, Ichabod goes to hang out with the old folks, who are telling
stories about the American Revolution. You see, Tarry Town was no man's land, so all
kinds of crazy stuff happened there during the war. The storytellers like to, um, elaborate
a bit, though.
 After the war stories, it's time for more scary stories. Particularly ones about the Headless
Horseman.
 Brom says that he challenged the Horseman to a race one time. He would have won, too,
if the guy didn't disappear when they got to the church. (We totally believe him.)
 Once the ghost stories are all told, the party is over. Everyone starts to head home, but
Ichabod stays behind to talk to his ladyfriend.
 We're not sure what goes down, but suddenly, Ichabod is sad and Katrina has dumped
him. Our guy is heading home alone.
 It's dark when Ichabod rides home, and you know what that means: all the scary stories
come back to him. He's so freaked out that he only barely makes it past a particularly
fearsome tree by kicking his trusty steed half to death.
 And now, the scene we have all been waiting for: Ichabod is face to face with some sort
of large black rider. Dun dun dun.
 Ichabod tries to lose the horseman by speeding up. It doesn't work. He tries to fall behind
the guy. It doesn't work. He's so scared now that he can't even sing.
 Finally, Ichabod realizes who the rider is. You guessed it—the Headless Horseman.
 Now things get crazy. Ichabod is trying to get to safety at the church, but he's a really
(and we mean really) bad rider. The horse is out of control and nearly throws Ichabod off.
 Finally, Ichabod makes it to the church. He thinks he's won, but he looks behind him to
find that the Horseman is still there.
 The Horseman promptly throws his head (which he carries with him) at Ichabod and
knocks him right off of his horse.
 End scene.
 The next day, no one knows what happened to Ichabod. He doesn't show up for breakfast,
and he doesn't show up for school. Uh oh.
 When people go looking for him, all they find are a bunch of horse tracks, Ichabod's hat,
and a shattered pumpkin. What does it all mean?
 Since they can't find his body—and this is Sleepy Hollow—they assume that the
Headless Horseman has stolen him away. Of course.
 No one is sad or concerned. Nope, they just move on and get a new teacher.
 Some years later, a farmer tells the townspeople that Ichabod ran away and became a
judge—but no one pays attention. No one even pays attention when Brom laughs every
time people talk about Ichabod's abduction. Hmmm.
 The story ends with a new tale about a haunted schoolhouse and a teacher who, like
someone we know, loves to sing.
Characters
Baltus Van Tassel

Baltus Van Tassel, also known as Balt, is a thriving and contented farmer, father of Katrina, who
is perfectly happy within the confines of his farm. He lives abundantly but not proudly.
Brom Van Brunt
Brom, short for Abraham, is Ichabod Crane’s greatest rival in the fight for Katrina’s hand. He is
boisterous, burly, and the hero of the area, known for his heroics and feats of strength, for which
he earns the nickname Brom Bones. He is especially for skilled on horseback. He is mischievous,
but he is often motivated by goodwill. He is most likely the one in disguise as the Headless
Horseman.
Hans Van Ripper
Hans Van Ripper is a choleric old farmer who is housing Ichabod Crane at the time of the Van
Tassels’ party. He lends Ichabod the horse on that fateful night.
Ichabod Crane
A native of Connecticut, Ichabod Crane comes to Sleepy Hollow to work as a schoolteacher and
singing master. His erudition and skill at singing are disputed only by the narrator. He is tall and
extremely thin with a huge appetite and a certain amount of greed. He uses the rod as his
preferred method of disciplining his students—but only on those strong enough to bear it. He is
especially interested in ghost stories and the supernatural, because he believes in it. His attempt
to woo Katrina Van Tassel fails just before he meets the headless horseman, who is most likely
Ichabod's primary competition in disguise.
Katrina Van Tassel
The only child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel, Katrina is eighteen and universally known
for both her beauty and her riches. She is also a flirt, and she always dresses to show off her best
features. She is one of Ichabod Crane’s singing students, and she is the object of his desires. Just
at the point when Ichabod thinks he has won her over, the narrator suggests that an undisclosed
attempt was unsuccessful, which means that Ichabod must leave her house dejected and
susceptible to his worst fears.
Questions
Who do the villagers believe the headless horseman is? How did he lose his head?
He was the ghost of a Hessian trooper (soldier) who had his head carried away by a cannon-ball
in the Revolutionary War
What do the villagers think he is doing out at night? Why is he said to be in such a hurry?
looking for his head- he goes to the battle scene where he lost it; then he has to rush back to the
courtyard where he is buried before daylight
What is Ichabod Crane's job? What other job did he do to earn a little more money?
school teacher/ singing master (voice lessons)
Where does Ichabod Crane live? Why does he need to be able to have all of his belongings in a
small bundle?
he lives with the children he instructed; he has to move often to the different houses (switches
weekly)
What are two things that Ichabod would do to make himself useful to the farmers? How does he
help the wives?
childcare and assisting in light chores
Why do the women in the countryside think he is an important person? How do the mothers treat
him as a result? How do the younger girls respond to him?
they think he's important because he is generally more educated than everyone else; so educated
supposedly brought better taste. They bring out best China to impress him. elegant way of
talking. mothers gave him food and took care of him; girls followed him around and flirted with
him
What subject does Ichabod like to read about? What has increased his interest in this subject?
ghosts and spirits; Cotton Mather's history of New England Witchcraft (he believed in it) he liked
the marvelous and extraordinary; increased his residence in this spellbound region
What would happen to Ichabod when he would wlak home at night after spending the afternoon
reading? How would he handle that?
saw and heard things from what he read and little things would startle him so he would sing
psalm tunes.
What are the two main things that Katrina Van Tassel is known for? What different things does
she wear that demonstrate each of these?
beauty and money(vast expectations)
a mixture of ancient and modern fashions, suited to set off her charms, ornaments of gold from
her great great grandmother, a stomacher, and a short petticoat to show her pretty feet
The author, Washington Irving says, "When he entered the house, the conquest of his heart was
complete." What does the rest of that paragraph on page 18 tell us about why Ichabod liked
Katrina?
all for the money (and she was beautiful)
What two things make it difficult for Ichabod to fulfill his goal of marrying Katrina?
Brom Bones, and she's a flirt
Why would it have been crazy for Ichabod to be open about his feelings for Katrina? What gives
Ichabod an excuse to visit Katrina at her house?
because Brom Bones had a good chance with her and could knock him into next week; he was
her voice instructor
What approach does Brom Bones (Brom Van Brunt) want to take when he discovers Ichabod is
interested in Katrina? Why can't he do that?
hurt him; Ichabod refused to fight (he'd obviously lose)
What are two things Brom Bones does to get back at Ichabod for trying to steal Katrina?
ridicule, jokes and make funof him in front of Katrina
Ichabod takes great care in his appearance as he gets ready for the party at Baltus Van Tassel's
What is funny about the horse he is riding as he starts off like a "Knight in quest of adventures"?
the horse was called Gunpowder, but the horse is broken down and the horse was just as much of
a joke as Ichabod (the horses parallel their men)
How is Brom Bone's horse, Daredevil, similar to him in its appearance and actions?
full of mischief and tricks
What explanation is given for why there are more ghost stories in a long-settled village
the longer they are there, the longer the ghosts of those families remain there; people continue to
tell the stories, they are not forgotten, people didn't move away
What story is towld about Brouwer's encounter with the headless horseman?
he didn't believe in ghosts but they tell a story about him being forced to ride behind the
horseman and he suddenly turned into a skeleton, fell off, and never to be found again
What story does Brom Bones tell about his encounter with the headless horseman?
he raced with him and would have beat him but he burst into flames at the last moment
What mood is Ichabod in when he leaves Katrina's house that night? What evidence is there of
his mood? What speculation does the author make as to what happened?
he is scared; happy for a good night, but quiet, and second guessing his relationship, dismal and
disheartened by that
What logical explanation is there for three of the things Ichabod sees or hears when he is near the
old, large tree?
whistle: blast of wind
sees white: bark came off tree
groan: branches rubbing against one another
What happens when Ichabod tries to get across the bridge?

the horse stops, dumps Ichabod into some bushes
When Ichabod sees something huge and black by the brook, why doesn't he turn and run away?
What two things does he do instead?
too terrified to move; tries to talk and asks who are you; begins to sing (loudly)
What happens when Ichabod slows down or speeds up in an attempt to get away from the dark
horse and its rider? What does Ichabod see that makes him so terrified that the sends his horse
into full flight?
sees the silhouette of the horseman (we learn later that it was probably Brom) he sees the head in
the saddle
Instead of following the road to Sleepy Hollow, where does Gunpowder go? What makes it even
harder for Ichabod to hold onto his run-away horse?
down a hill, the saddle comes loose and slips
What four traces of the chase do the searchers find the next day?
-saddle trampled in the dirt
-horse tracks
-hat of Ichabod
-shattered pumpkin
-horse
-no schoolmaster
When news of Ichabod is reported years later, what do we learn about why he left?
-went to NY maybe as a politician, writer, etc
-left bc of fear
-left bc of heartache for Katrina
What makes it seem that Brom Bones knew something about what happened that night?
he wins Katrina and he always laughs when someone says 'pumpkin'
what did the people of the town believe about what happened that night?
it was the headless horseman
Compare the school where Ichabod Crane taught with the school you go to. How is your school
similar to and different from Ichabod's school?
the similarities are we have a small school, and our families know our teachers. The differeces
are that we have better education (we are taught NOT to believe superstitions, for example), and
our teachers are better paid (they don't live and eat with us as their salary).
Contrast Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones. How are they different in physical appearance? How
are their actions different? What would have made Katrina attracted to each of them?
Ichabod Crane is thin and lanky. he's quiet and educated and awkward. Despite being tall, he's a
small person. Unlike the "burly, dashing Brom Bones," who was "broad-shouldered and double-
jointed," and arrogant. Ichabod is quiet and timid, and goes about pursuing Katrina in a
roundabout way. Brom Bones is all about strength and is willing to show that in everything he
does. He is forceful and upfront. Katrina woul dhave been drawn to Ichabody because he is smart
and witty and a good singer. Katrina would have liked Brom because he's strong and manly and
seems like he could be a good provider.
What evidence is there that Ichabod Crane had an active imagination?

Whenever he went in the forest, he would get worried and spooked by his own imagination and
he loved to read, and got lost in stories and legends
What role do Katrina's parents play in her life? What is her father's attitude toward his wealth?
What is his attitude toward his daughter? What is Katrina's mother's attitude toward her?
They take care of her and provide for her. They lover her; her father's main goal is to amass
wealth for his daughter. her father is obsessive over making sure Katrina lives in comfort and
doesn't normally leave his estate, however, although his wealth is incredibly important to him, he
cares more for his daughter. Katrina's mother, on the other hand, does not obsess over protecting
and caring for Katrina. She is jpresent but says "girls can take care of themselves."
Where does the story take place?

Sleepy Hollow
What is the symbolism behind the name of the town?

it is believed to be bewitched and sleepy
What could he be satirizing?

the education system (teacher spooked by myths when he should be logical;_
people's gullibility (they believe in the ghosts)
Why did Ichabody like Katrina?

she was beautiful, wealthy, and had lots of food served at her home (he loves food)
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 Once upon a time, there was a place in the mysterious land of New York called Tarry

Baltus Van Tassel

What happens when Ichabod tries to get across the bridge?

What evidence is there that Ichabod Crane had an active imagination?

Where does the story take place?

What is the symbolism behind the name of the town?

What could he be satirizing?

Why did Ichabody like Katrina?

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