The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Which character trait leads to Ichabod Crane’s downfall?

• His long, narrow nose

• His singing

• His overconfidence

• His greediness

Which character is described as having a spindle neck, huge ears, and a scarecrow's frame?

• Brom Bones

• Ichabod Crane

• Katrina Van Tassel

• The Headless Horseman

The climax of the story would best be described as:

• Katrina’s rejection of Ichabod at the party.

• The chase between Ichabod and the Headless Horseman.

• Ichabod’s invitation to the Von Tassel’s party.

• Ichabod’s horse being found the morning after the party.

Who do the villagers believe is the Headless Horseman?

• He is supposed to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who had his head blown off by a cannonball in the Revolutionary War.

• He is supposed to be the ghost of Brom Bones who comes out every night to scare off anyone attempting to talk to Katrina

• He is supposed to be someone Brom Bones hired to scare off anyone attempting to woo Katrina.

• He is supposed to be the alter ego of Ichabod Crane who had his neck blown off during the Revolutionary War.

Read the following excerpt from the story:

Poor Ichabod. Unhappily, he started his trip home on Gunpowder. But as he rode through the dark night, a strange feeling came over him. “How foolish,” he thought. There are no ghosts out here. I know better than to believe in such things. Still, unhappy as he was, he couldn’t get his mind off the tales he had heard -- especially the one about the Headless Horseman.

How does the above excerpt propel the action of the story?

• This occurs right after Ichabod Crane is wildly chased by the Headless Horseman, contributing to his fear of ghost stories.

• This occurs and helps explain his disappearance, directly connecting Brom Bones to his fright and disappearance.

• This occurs right before Ichabod Crane is wildly chased by the Headless Horseman, falling prey to the ghost stories he heard before leaving the party.

• This occurs and leads to Ichabod going home defeated and alone, leading to Brom Bones marrying Katrina.

Read the excerpt from the story:

When the music stopped, Ichabod hurried to join some guests near the fire. They were telling ghost stories, and Ichabod dearly loved such tales. “A strange woman in white appears in the graveyard just before each big storm,” the blacksmith was saying. “I tell you, I’ve seen her twice!” Ichabod’s teeth began to chatter. Brom saw him and smiled. The mayor’s wife went on. “I’m more afraid of the Headless Horseman.” “The Headless Horseman?” Ichabod asked in a weak voice. “What’s that?”

What does the above conversation reveal to us about Ichabod Crane?

• He is desperate to make new friends, even willing to be afraid to gain their respect and acknowledgement.

• He is not easily fooled and likes to pretend he is afraid to outsmart other people.

• He is an avid lover of ghost stories but does not believe these stories.

• He is gullible and easily believes everything told to him.

What important decision does Brom Bones cause Ichabod Crane to make?

• Ichabod feels threatened by Brom Bones and decides to challenge him at the party for Katrina’s heart.

• Ichabod gets discouraged when Katrina does not pay attention to him and decides to leave the party early.

• Ichabod tries to talk to Katrina after he sees Brom Bones dancing with her

• Ichabod tries to save Katrina from Brom Bones’ ghost stories.

What is the significance of Ichabod Crane shouting, “Help! Help me! It’s after me!”?

• We see Ichabod’s attempt to gather attention from those at the party.

• We see Ichabod’s attempt to shed light on ghosts being real.

• We see Ichabod’s imagination taking over him.

• We see Ichabod’s overconfidence diminish and his genuine fear

How does the time period when the story is set impact our understanding of the Headless Horseman?

• It is set post-Revolutionary War and the Headless Horseman was a soldier.

• The time period has no bearing on the story or the Headless Horseman.

• . It is set in the Civil War when horses are used.

• It is set in World War I and the Headless Horseman is a ghost.

Which two events best serve as a part of the story’s rising action?

• Ichabod dances with Katrina at the party

• Ichabod disappears and is never seen again.

• Ichabod decides to attend Katrina’s party.

• Ichabod is chased by the Headless Horseman.