Легенда о Сонной Лощине
Found Among The Papers Of The Late Diedrich Knickerbocker.
Whatevermoneytheschoolmasterpossessed,andhehadreceivedhisquarter’spaybutadayortwobefore,hemusthavehadabouthispersonatthetimeofhisdisappearance.
ThemysteriouseventcausedmuchspeculationatthechurchonthefollowingSunday.Knotsofgazersandgossipswerecollectedinthechurchyard,atthebridge,andatthespotwherethehatandpumpkinhadbeenfound.ThestoriesofBrouwer,ofBones,andawholebudgetofotherswerecalledtomind;andwhentheyhaddiligentlyconsideredthemall,andcomparedthemwiththesymptomsofthepresentcase,theyshooktheirheads,andcametotheconclusionthatIchabodhadbeencarriedoffbytheGallopingHessian.Ashewasabachelor,andinnobody’sdebt,nobodytroubledhisheadanymoreabouthim;theschoolwasremovedtoadifferentquarterofthehollow,andanotherpedagoguereignedinhisstead.
Itistrue,anoldfarmer,whohadbeendowntoNewYorkonavisitseveralyearsafter,andfromwhomthisaccountoftheghostlyadventurewasreceived,broughthometheintelligencethatIchabodCranewasstillalive;thathehadlefttheneighborhoodpartlythroughfearofthegoblinandHansVanRipper,andpartlyinmortificationathavingbeensuddenlydismissedbytheheiress;thathehadchangedhisquarterstoadistantpartofthecountry;hadkeptschoolandstudiedlawatthesametime;hadbeenadmittedtothebar;turnedpolitician;electioneered;writtenforthenewspapers;andfinallyhadbeenmadeajusticeoftheTenPoundCourt
