Легенда о Сонной Лощине
Found Among The Papers Of The Late Diedrich Knickerbocker.
Aninquirywassetonfoot,andafterdiligentinvestigationtheycameuponhistraces.Inonepartoftheroadleadingtothechurchwasfoundthesaddletrampledinthedirt;thetracksofhorses’hoofsdeeplydentedintheroad,andevidentlyatfuriousspeed,weretracedtothebridge,beyondwhich,onthebankofabroadpartofthebrook,wherethewaterrandeepandblack,wasfoundthehatoftheunfortunateIchabod,andclosebesideitashatteredpumpkin.
Thebrookwassearched,butthebodyoftheschoolmasterwasnottobediscovered.HansVanRipperasexecutorofhisestate,examinedthebundlewhichcontainedallhisworldlyeffects.Theyconsistedoftwoshirtsandahalf;twostocksfortheneck;apairortwoofworstedstockings;anoldpairofcorduroysmall-clothes;arustyrazor;abookofpsalmtunesfullofdog’s-ears;andabrokenpitch-pipe.Astothebooksandfurnitureoftheschoolhouse,theybelongedtothecommunity,exceptingCottonMather’s“HistoryofWitchcraft,”a“NewEnglandAlmanac,”andabookofdreamsandfortune-telling;inwhichlastwasasheetoffoolscapmuchscribbledandblottedinseveralfruitlessattemptstomakeacopyofversesinhonoroftheheiressofVanTassel.ThesemagicbooksandthepoeticscrawlwereforthwithconsignedtotheflamesbyHansVanRipper;who,fromthattimeforward,determinedtosendhischildrennomoretoschool,observingthatheneverknewanygoodcomeofthissamereadingandwriting.
