• ISBN13: 9788121249485
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: N/A
• Publisher: Gyan Publishing House
• Publisher Imprint: Gyan Publishing House
• Publication Date: January 1, 2024
• Pages: 229
• Original Price: INR 450.0
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 407 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): N/A

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," penned by Washington Irving in 1820, is a prominent American short story within The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Alongside Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," it represents early enduring American fiction, gaining Halloween prominence due to the Headless Horseman character. Set in 1790 in Tarry Town and the secluded Sleepy Hollow, the narrative follows Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolmaster vying with the rowdy Brom Bones for the affections of Katrina Van Tassel. After a harvest party, Ichabod encounters the Headless Horseman, believed to be a decapitated Hessian trooper, leading to his mysterious disappearance. Influenced by European folklore, Irving explores themes of progress, tradition, and the outsider in a homogeneous community, contributing to the development of American cultural identity in the early 19th century. Paired with "Rip Van Winkle," it stands as one of Irving's most anthologized and adapted works.

Washington Irving (1783–1859), an influential American writer, was renowned for his short stories, including "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both featured in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Born in Manhattan to a merchant family, Irving made his literary debut in 1802. He gained fame in England during his temporary stay in 1815 and served as the American ambassador to Spain in the 1840s. Irving, one of the first American writers celebrated in Europe, inspired authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe. His advocacy for writing as a profession and copyright protection left a lasting impact. He passed away in Tarrytown, New York, in 1859.