Greetings. Tis I, the Headless Horsemen. Welcome to a very special five-part Halloween presentation from Gen Z Media. If you liked listening to The Hollow, then you probably know it was based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a short story written by Washington Irving, 200 years ago. It is one of the most famous scary stories of all time. We present it here as an audiobook in its original text.

A warning to all mortals.

What you're about to hear is a tale from 1820.

Many things have changed in our culture since then.

You're going to hear some outdated language, some outdated gender roles, and references

to things like corporal punishment in schools and bullying behavior.

Also, it's kind of scary.

Listener discretion is advised.

The legend of sleepy hollow by Washington Urban narrated by Heather Ordover.

In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson,

at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators, the Tapanzee,

and where they always prudently shortened sail and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they crossed.

There lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburg, but which is more generally and properly known,

by the name of Terrytown. This name was given, we are told, in former days, by the good housewives of the adjacent country,

from the inveterate propensity of their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market days.

Be that as it may, I do not vouch for the fact, but merely advert to it,

for the sake of being precise and authentic.

Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, there's a little valley, or rather lap of land among high hills,

which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it,

with just murmur enough to lull one to repose, and the occasional whistle of a quail, or tapping of a

woodpecker, is almost the only sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tranquility.

I recollect that when a stripling, my first exploit in squirrel shooting,

...