The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Group

Question:

racer77
racer77
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," whom does the Headless Horseman throw into the brook?

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Posted by racer77 on Thursday September 24, 2009 at 6:00 PM and tagged with brook, characters, headless horseman.

Answers:


  1. scarletpimpernel Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    This part of the Headless Horseman legend occurs when Ichabod has spent the night dancing and impressing the ladies with his manners at the Van Tassel dance.  Brom knows that Ichabod is superstitious, and so the party guests start telling ghost stories which naturally leads to Headless Horseman tales. The narrator, at this point, brings up the legend of old Brouwer, someone who naysayed the idea of ghosts and was punished by the Headless Horseman for his cynicism.  Irving writes that

    "[Brouwer] met the Horseman returning from his foray into Sleepy Hollow, and was obliged to get up behind him; how they galloped over bush and brake, over hill and swamp, until they reached the bridge; when the Horseman suddenly turned into a skeleton, threw old Brouwer into the brook, and sprang away over the tree-tops with a clap of thunder."

    This story sets the stage for Ichabod's terrorizing ride home after the party.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/legend-sleepy/summary
    http://www/enotes.com/legend-sleepy/characters

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    Posted by scarletpimpernel on Friday September 25, 2009 at 8:27 AM