Легенда о Сонной Лощине
Found Among The Papers Of The Late Diedrich Knickerbocker.
Oh,thesewomen!thesewomen!Couldthatgirlhavebeenplayingoffanyofhercoquettishtricks?Washerencouragementofthepoorpedagogueallamereshamtosecureherconquestofhisrival?Heavenonlyknows,notI!Letitsufficetosay,Ichabodstoleforthwiththeairofonewhohadbeensackingahenroost,ratherthanafairlady’sheart.Withoutlookingtotherightorlefttonoticethesceneofruralwealth,onwhichhehadsooftengloated,hewentstraighttothestable,andwithseveralheartycuffsandkicksrousedhissteedmostuncourteouslyfromthecomfortablequartersinwhichhewassoundlysleeping,dreamingofmountainsofcornandoats,andwholevalleysoftimothyandclover.
ItwastheverywitchingtimeofnightthatIchabod,heavy-heartedandcrestfallen,pursuedhistravelshomewards,alongthesidesoftheloftyhillswhichriseaboveTarryTown,andwhichhehadtraversedsocheerilyintheafternoon.Thehourwasasdismalashimself.FarbelowhimtheTappanZeespreaditsduskyandindistinctwasteofwaters,withhereandtherethetallmastofasloop,ridingquietlyatanchorundertheland.Inthedeadhushofmidnight,hecouldevenhearthebarkingofthewatchdogfromtheoppositeshoreoftheHudson;butitwassovagueandfaintasonlytogiveanideaofhisdistancefromthisfaithfulcompanionofman.Nowandthen,too,thelong-drawncrowingofacock,accidentallyawakened,wouldsoundfar,faroff,fromsomefarmhouseawayamongthehills—butitwaslikeadreamingsoundinhisear.
