Prevod
Na s cvetjem posejanem pokopališču v Tarrytownu, kjer spi blagi Irving, so pokopali hessenskega vojaka, ki ga je v eni izmed bitk za neodvisnost doletela nesreča, da je izgubil glavo. Še dolgo po pogrebu je imel ta gospod navado ob neprimernih urah lesti iz groba in galopirati po deželi ter spravljati v srh mnoge vrle ljudi, ki so se stiskali pod odejami, kadar so zaslišali topot kopit po neosvetljenih cestah.
V poznejših časih je v Tarrytownu — tako imenovanem zaradi nizozemskih opravljivcev, ki so ob tržnih dneh radi postavali in se zamujali, čeprav nekateri trdovratni stvarneži vztrajajo, da Tarwe-town pomeni Pšenično mesto — živel preklast učitelj po imenu Ichabod Crane. Ta je gojil nežna čustva do Katrine Van Tassell, brhke kmetove hčere, ki je slovela tudi po svojih pitah in krofih. Nekega večera se je Ichabod dolgo zadržal pri njej na obisku, in ker ga je čakala dolga pot domov, mu je Katrinin oče posodil konja; a kljub tej ugodnosti se je mladenič odpravil na pot s tesnobo v srcu, saj je moral mimo pokopališča.
Ker se je bližala ura, ko naj bi Hessenec prijezdil na plan, si je s slabotnim žvižganjem vlival pogum, toda ko je prispel do strašnega kraja, se mu je žvižg zadušil v hlastnem vdihu, saj je zaslišal konjske korake. Ozrl se je, lasje so mu šli pokonci in srce se mu je kakor čep zataknilo v grlu, da je komaj dihal: zagledal je namreč brezglavega jezdeca, ki se je prikazal na grebenu za njim in se črno zarisoval na zvezdnatem nebu. Svojemu kljusetu je zasadil ostroge v boke v upanju, da bo prvi dosegel most v Zaspani dolini, čez katerega prikazen ni nikoli šla, in nesrečnež je oddirjal tja, kolikor hitro je mogel, kajti zasledovalec ga je nezadržno dohiteval. Še minuta, pa bi bil pri mostu; tedaj pa je Hessenec na Ichabodovo grozo pridirjal vštric z njim, se dvignil v stremenih in zalučal svojo glavo naravnost v ubežnikov hrbet. Učitelj je od strahu zacvilil in se zvalil v goščavo plevela ob cesti, kjer je nekaj minut obležal, ne da bi se česa zavedal ali se česa spominjal.
Naslednje jutro so konja kmeta Van Tassella našli na paši na polju blizu Zaspane doline, neki mož, ki je živel nekaj milj južneje, pa je povedal, da je videl gospoda Crana, kako je po cesti proti New Yorku korakal tako naglo, kolikor so ga nesle suhe noge, in imel pri tem bled in resen obraz. Na hrbtu suknjiča je imel rumene madeže, mož, ki je vrnil konja, pa je med polomljenim grmovjem ob cesti našel razbito bučo. Ichabod se ni nikoli več vrnil v Tarrytown, in ko se je Brom Bones, krepak mladi orač in reden obiskovalec krčem, poročil s Katrino, so si ljudje drznili reči, da o galopirajočem Hessencu ve več kot kdor koli drug, čeprav so bili prepričani, da nikoli ni imel razloga za ljubosumje na Ichaboda Crana.
Izvirnik
In the flower-gemmed cemetery of Tarrytown, where gentle Irving sleeps, a Hessian soldier was interred after sustaining misfortune in the loss of his head in one of the Revolutionary battles. For a long time after he was buried it was the habit of this gentleman to crawl from his grave at unseemly hours and gallop about the country, sending shivers through the frames of many worthy people, who shrank under their blankets when they heard the rush of hoofs along the unlighted roads.
In later times there lived in Tarrytown--so named because of the tarrying habits of Dutch gossips on market days, though some hard-minded people insist that Tarwe-town means Wheat-towna gaunt schoolmaster, one Ichabod Crane, who cherished sweet sentiments for Katrina Van Tassell, the buxom daughter of a farmer, also a famous maker of pies and doughnuts. Ichabod had been calling late one evening, and, his way home being long, Katrina's father lent him a horse to make the journey; but even with this advantage the youth set out with misgivings, for he had to pass the graveyard.
As it was near the hour when the Hessian was to ride, he whistled feebly to keep his courage up, but when he came to the dreaded spot the whistle died in a gasp, for he heard the tread of a horse. On looking around, his hair bristled and his heart came up like a plug in his throat to hinder his breathing, for he saw a headless horseman coming over the ridge behind him, blackly defined against the starry sky. Setting spurs to his nag with a hope of being first to reach Sleepy Hollow bridge, which the spectre never passed, the unhappy man made the best possible time in that direction, for his follower was surely overtaking him. Another minute and the bridge would be reached; but, to Ichabod's horror, the Hessian dashed alongside and, rising in his stirrups, flung his head full at the fugitive's back. With a squeal of fright the schoolmaster rolled into a mass of weeds by the wayside, and for some minutes he remained there, knowing and remembering nothing.
Next morning farmer Van Tassell's horse was found grazing in a field near Sleepy Hollow, and a man who lived some miles southward reported that he had seen Mr. Crane striding as rapidly along the road to New York as his lean legs could take him, and wearing a pale and serious face as he kept his march. There were yellow stains on the back of his coat, and the man who restored the horse found a smashed pumpkin in the broken bushes beside the road. Ichabod never returned to Tarrytown, and when Brom Bones, a stout young ploughman and taphaunter, married Katrina, people made bold to say that he knew more about the galloping Hessian than any one else, though they believed that he never had reason to be jealous of Ichabod Crane.
