The Legend

1
The Legend of
2
1. How did Tarry Town get its name?

• The housewives whose husbands lingered about the
  village tavern gave Tarry Town its name.

3
1. How did Sleepy Hollow get its name?

• Sleepy Hollow was called that because it was so
  quiet and tranquil that it lulled people to sleep.

4
2. What mood does the setting of the story create?

• The area is said to have a drowsy, dreamy
  influence on people, which seems to make them
  more susceptible to fantasies associated with the
  night. Many of the inhabitants accepted the idea
  that the place was bewitched and believed in the
  local stories about various supernatural
  happenings. Although they accept these wild
  superstitions, they do not seem to be frightened,
  but instead think of these strange visions and
  sounds as natural. In general, the area seems to
  have a very laid-back, comfortable atmosphere,
  which allows the story to describe supernatural
  events without having them seem terrifying.

5
3. Who do the villagers believe the headless
horseman is? How did he lose his head?

• He is supposedly a Hessian soldier who had his
  head blown off by a cannon ball during the
  Revolutionary War.

6
4. What do the villagers think he is doing out at
night? Why is he said to be in such a hurry?

• He is believed to be riding back to the scene of
  battle in search of his head, but, (since he is a
  ghost who is only free to wander at night), he
  must hurry back to the churchyard where he is
  buried before day break.

7
5. What is Ichabod Cranes job?

• He is a school teacher

8
What other job did Ichabod do to earn money?

• He also teaches singing lessons

9
6. Where does Ichabod live?

• He lives in the houses of the farmers whose
  children attend the school.

10
Why does he need to have all of his belongings in
a small bundle?

• He only spends a week at a time at each place so
  he can only have a few possessions so that he
  could easily carry them with him as he moved from
  place to place.

11
7. What are two things that Ichabod would do to
make himself useful to the farmers?

• He would do any light work around the farm such
  as caring for the livestock and other chores.

12
How does he help the wives?

• He would help the wives with taking care of the
  children.

13
8. Why do the women in the countryside think
Ichabod is an important person?

• Schoolmasters were generally more educated than
  anyone else therefore, they were thought to be
  superior in their tastes and habits.

14
How do the mothers treat him as a result?

• The mothers treated him to the finest food and
  nicest china.

15
How do the younger girls respond to him?

• They were impressed by his superior elegance and
  way of talking

16
9. What subject does Ichabod like to read about?

• He likes to read about ghosts and spirits Cotton
  Mathers History of New England Witchcraft.

17
What has increased his interest in this subject?

• Living in the spellbound region of Tarrytown
  has enhanced his interest in dreadful tales.

18
10. What would happen to Ichabod when he would
walk home at night after spending the afternoon
reading?

• Because he would read until dusk, he would have
  to walk in the dark towards the house in which he
  was currently staying with his mind filled with
  wild thoughts provoked by his readings. As a
  result, he would be frightened by almost
  everything he heard or saw and imagined himself
  surrounded by unknown dangers.

19
How would he handle that?

• To stop thinking these wild thoughts and to drive
  away whatever evil spirits were about, he would
  sing psalms.

20
11. What are the two main things that Katrina Van
Tassel is known for?

• She is known for her beauty and the fortune she
  will inherit from her father.

21
What different things does she wear that
demonstrate this?

• Her clothes show that she is a flirt who is proud
  of her appearance her short petticoat which
  displayed the prettiest foot and ankle would
  have been considered fairly racy for the time.
  Her wealth is indicated by the pure gold jewelry
  she wears, brought over from Holland by an
  ancestor.