The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

What mood does the setting of this story create?

Beautiful from the nature and setting, but also mysterious from all of the folklore and ghost stories.

What are two things Brom Bones does to get back at Ichabod for trying to steal Katrina?

Brom Bones smoked Ichabod's school and made fun of him in front of Katrina to get back at him.

How is Brom Bones's horse, Daredevil, similar to him in its appearance and actions?

Brom Bones' horse is similar to him in its appearance and actions because it was vicious and cruel and had darker hair.

Where does Ichabod Crane live? Why does he need to be able to have all of his belongings in a small bundle?

Ichabod Crane lives in Sleepy Hollow and switches between his student's houses, a week at each time. He keeps all of his belongings in a small bundle because he travels from house to house a lot.

What is Ichabod Crane's job? What other job did he do to earn a little more money?

Ichabod Crane's job is a teacher at the school. To earn a little more money he would stay with the students during the day, assisting the farmers in farm labor, and he also would sing and provide lessons.

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?

Ichabod liked Katrina because she had a lot of money and a beautiful home.

What subject does Ichabod like to read about? What has increased his interest in this subject?

Ichabod likes to read about ghost stories and his interest was increased because of the tales in the region.

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"?

Ichabod rides the horse with short stirrups, knees almost against the saddle, his elbows stuck out like a grasshoppers, and his coat was almost as long as the horse's tail.

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?

Instead of following the road to Sleepy Hollow, Gunpowder goes down a hill and Ichabod can no longer hold onto the horse because the saddle completely came off.

What makes it seem that Brom Bones knew something about what happened that night?

It seems as though Brom Bones knows something about what happened that night because he would laugh every time a pumpkin was mentioned.

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?

It would've been crazy for Ichabod to be open about his feelings for Katrina because of Brom Bones being there. Ichabod has the excuse of being her "singing master."

How did Tarry Town get its name? How did Sleepy Hollow get its name?

Tarry Town got its name from the housewives and their husbands who would linger on market days at the tavern. It is quiet.

What explanation is given for why there are more ghost stories in a long-settled village?

The explanation as to why there are most ghost stories in a long settled village was that they are more likely to have families and friends there as well and more ghost stories along with that since they get passed on throughout the years.

What four traces of the chase do the searchers find the next day?

The four traces of the chase the searchers find the next day are horse tracks, the lost saddle, a pumpkin head, and Ichabod's hat in the brook.

What logical explanation is there for three of the things Ichabod sees or hears when he is near the old, large tree?

The logical explanation for the three things Ichabod sees or hears when he is near the large, old tree is that it had been struck by lightning and there was wind.

What did the people of the town believe about what happened that night?

The people of the town believed that the Headless Horseman had killed Ichabod through spiritual means.

What story does Brom Bones tell about his encounter with the headless horseman?

The story Brom Bones tells about his encounter with the Headless Horseman is that he offered to race the Headless Horseman in honor of a bowl of punch. Brom Bones won, but the Headless Horseman just vanished in the end.

What story is told about Brouwer's encounter with the headless horseman?

The story told about Brouwer's encounter with the headless horseman is that he didn't believe in ghosts, but he encountered the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow and they continued to ride until he threw Brouwer into the brook after turning into a skeleton.

What are the two main things that Katrina Van Tassel is known for? What different things does she wear that demonstrate each of these?

The two main things Katrina Van Tassel is known for are her beauty and vast expectations. She wears gold jewelry, beautiful dresses, and a petticoat to demonstrate these.

What do the villagers think he is doing out at night? Why is he said to be in such a hurry?

The villagers believe he rides every night in search of his missing head near the battleground. He is said to be in such a hurry because he needs to get back to the churchyard before daybreak.

Who do the villagers believe the headless horseman is? How did he lose his head?

The villagers believe the headless horseman is the ghost of a Hessian trooper whose head was "carried away" by a cannonball during the Revolutionary War.

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?

The women in the countryside think he is an important person because he was kinda and had more accomplishments than all of the others. The mothers treat him kindly and with respect as they think he would be a good husband for their daughters. The younger girls respond to him with attention as they tried to date him.

What are two things that Ichabod would do to make himself useful to the farmers? How does he help the wives?

Two things Ichabod would do to make himself useful to the farmers would be to mend the fences, and cut wood for winter fires. He helps the wives by caring for their children.

What two things make it difficult for Ichabod to fulfill his goal of marrying Katrina?

Two things that make it difficult for Ichabod to fulfill his goal of marrying Katrina would be that he had to compete against Brom Bones and Katrina was hard to win over.

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?

When Brom Bones discovers that Ichabod is interested in Katrina he takes the approach of playing practical jokes on Ichabod and trying to hurt him. He can't do that because Ichabod would not fight and he knew that he would most likely lose.

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?

When Ichabod leaves Katrina's house that night he is in a sad and melancholy mood as it states how he was crestfallen. The author speculates that he was rejected by Katrina, and she may have wanted Brom Bones instead.

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?

When Ichabod sees something huge and black by the brook, he doesn't try and run away because he knows it is too late and he's doomed. Instead, he asks who it is and then sings.

What happens when Ichabod tries to get across the bridge?

When Ichabod tries to get across the bridge, Ichabod falls off the horse as it goes in the opposite direction

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 he sends his horse into full flight?

When Ichabod tries to slow down or speed up in an attempt to get away from the dark horse and rider, it just continues to follow him, he sends his horse in full flight when he notices it has no head and is the Headless Horseman.

What would happen to Ichabod when he would walk home at night after spending the afternoon reading? How would he handle that?

When Ichabod would talk home at night after spending the afternoon reading he would either try to sing psalm tunes or "drown" the thought

When news of Ichabod is reported years later, what do we learn about why he left?

When news of Ichabod is reported years later, we learn that he left due to the fact that he was embarrassed from being dismissed by Katrina and was scared of other ghost stories.