The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving is an American short story published in 1819 in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayonalong with a companion short story, Rip Van Winkle. The popular Gothic tale is a mainstay in the literary canon as it holds the title of being America's first short story. Its elements of Romanticism shine through in Irving's reference to the town of Sleepy Hollow. Following the tenets of Romanticism, the town is described with a spirituality of nature. Based on folklore, the story revolves around schoolteacher Ichabod Crane who competes against Brom Bones, a local prankster farmer, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. One night, after a party, Crane heads home only to be followed by what he thinks is the legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman. The horseman throws an object at Crane, which knocks him off his horse. The next day, the townspeople look for Crane but cannot find him; all they find is a smashed pumpkin where Crane's hat lies.
The short story has had numerous film adaptations and become well known in pop culture. From a 1912 silent film to two productions by Disney in 1949, the story's popularity gained momentum. Tim Burton made a film adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1999, which was very popular due to its much darker tones. The Hallmark Channel also released a version in 1999, and FOX took the story into a weekly series in 2013.