The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
| "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story by Washington Irving | |||
Ichabod Crane pursued by the Headless Horseman, by F.O.C. Darley, 1849 | |||
| Text available at Wikisource | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| Language | English | ||
| Publication | |||
| Published in | The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. | ||
| Media type | Hardback, paperback and online | ||
| Publication date | 1820 | ||
| Chronology | |||
| Series | The Sketch Book | ||
| |||
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is an 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving wrote the story while living in Birmingham, England.
Along with Irving's companion piece Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring appeal, especially during Halloween. Irving's early literary success with The Sketch Book established his career, providing the financial means to support both himself and his family as a professional writer. The Legend has remained continuously in print since its initial publication and is arguably Irving's most popular work.
It has been adapted for the screen several times, including a 1922 silent film and a 1949 Walt Disney animation as one of two segments in the package film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.