Легенда о Сонной Лощине
Found Among The Papers Of The Late Diedrich Knickerbocker.
Hewas,moreover,esteemedbythewomenasamanofgreaterudition,forhehadreadseveralbooksquitethrough,andwasaperfectmasterofCottonMather’s“HistoryofNewEnglandWitchcraft,”inwhich,bytheway,hemostfirmlyandpotentlybelieved.
Hewas,infact,anoddmixtureofsmallshrewdnessandsimplecredulity.Hisappetiteforthemarvellous,andhispowersofdigestingit,wereequallyextraordinary;andbothhadbeenincreasedbyhisresidenceinthisspell-boundregion.Notalewastoogrossormonstrousforhiscapaciousswallow.Itwasoftenhisdelight,afterhisschoolwasdismissedintheafternoon,tostretchhimselfontherichbedofcloverborderingthelittlebrookthatwhimperedbyhisschoolhouse,andthereconoveroldMather’sdirefultales,untilthegatheringduskofeveningmadetheprintedpageameremistbeforehiseyes.Then,ashewendedhiswaybyswampandstreamandawfulwoodland,tothefarmhousewherehehappenedtobequartered,everysoundofnature,atthatwitchinghour,flutteredhisexcitedimagination,—themoanofthewhip-poor-willfromthehillside,thebodingcryofthetreetoad,thatharbingerofstorm,thedrearyhootingofthescreechowl,orthesuddenrustlinginthethicketofbirdsfrightenedfromtheirroost.
