Легенда о Сонной Лощине
Found Among The Papers Of The Late Diedrich Knickerbocker.
Ihadwanderedintoitatnoontime,whenallnatureispeculiarlyquiet,andwasstartledbytheroarofmyowngun,asitbroketheSabbathstillnessaroundandwasprolongedandreverberatedbytheangryechoes.IfeverIshouldwishforaretreatwhitherImightstealfromtheworldanditsdistractions,anddreamquietlyawaytheremnantofatroubledlife,Iknowofnonemorepromisingthanthislittlevalley.
Fromthelistlessreposeoftheplace,andthepeculiarcharacterofitsinhabitants,whoaredescendantsfromtheoriginalDutchsettlers,thissequesteredglenhaslongbeenknownbythenameofSLEEPYHOLLOW,anditsrusticladsarecalledtheSleepyHollowBoysthroughoutalltheneighboringcountry.Adrowsy,dreamyinfluenceseemstohangovertheland,andtopervadetheveryatmosphere.SomesaythattheplacewasbewitchedbyaHighGermandoctor,duringtheearlydaysofthesettlement;others,thatanoldIndianchief,theprophetorwizardofhistribe,heldhispowwowstherebeforethecountrywasdiscoveredbyMasterHendrickHudson.Certainitis,theplacestillcontinuesundertheswayofsomewitchingpower,thatholdsaspelloverthemindsofthegoodpeople,causingthemtowalkinacontinualreverie.Theyaregiventoallkindsofmarvellousbeliefs,aresubjecttotrancesandvisions,andfrequentlyseestrangesights,andhearmusicandvoicesintheair.
