The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irving, 1820.
Before you read: A spooky but funny tale. Fine for most children.
Ichabod Crane, a gangly, superstitious schoolteacher, hopes to marry the wealthy Katrina Van Tassel. His rival, Brom Bones, loves pranks, and the valley is said to be haunted by a Headless Horseman. One night, riding home alone, Ichabod meets the ghost.
Public-domain text. First published in 1820; Washington Irving died in 1859, so this text is in the public domain in the US, Canada, the EU and India. Summary and notes written by ViralScopeHub.