The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

“Not far from Tarry Town, on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, there lies a little valley among high hills, one of the quietest places in the whole world.”

From the story by Washington Irving

Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was first published in 1820 as part of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. This reader presents the introduction to the tale: the enchanted valley of Sleepy Hollow, the awkward schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, and his rivalry with the boisterous Brom Bones for the hand of the beautiful and wealthy Katrina Van Tassel. Irving's story is a masterpiece of American literature, blending folklore, satire, and the tension between reason and superstition in the young republic. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. Irving's wit, his affection for the Hudson Valley Dutch, and his gift for character and atmosphere have made this tale a permanent part of American culture.

Band

Blue · Independent readers, confidentTypical starting range: ages 12–14

Length

long · about 1072 words in 5 sections · 2 pictures

Source

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

Report a concern about this reader · What’s in a HummingRead reader