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00:00In a remote period of American history, there was among the high hills, not far from Tarrytown,
00:11a drowsy little Dutch settlement, long known as Sleepy Hollow.
00:17There are some who say that this enchanted region was bewitched by a high German doctor.
00:27Others say that an Indian wizard held his powwows here.
00:33Certain it is that some power held a spell over the minds of the good people.
00:39The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales of haunted spots and twilight superstitions,
00:45and the most fearsome spirit of all, the Headless Horseman.
00:53Now it happened that a very peculiar school teacher came to Sleepy Hollow.
00:58His name was Ichabod Crane.
01:01And to see him striding along with his tattered clothes fluttering about him,
01:06one might have mistaken him for the specter of famine descending upon the earth.
01:23His schoolhouse on a crisp winter day buzzed with the low murmur of his pupils' voices,
01:29interrupted now and then by the authoritative voice of the master,
01:33accompanied by the crack of a birch stick.
01:40Ichabod's scholars were not spoiled, and all of this he called doing his duty.
01:47He was not, as you may have imagined, one of those cruel potentates of the school
01:51who joined the smarting of his subjects.
01:56He administered justice with discrimination rather than severity.
02:01When school hours were over, he would often walk a student home,
02:06especially the ones who had mothers who were noted for the comfort of the cover.
02:11To be continued
02:42Knowing that his rustic patrons were apt to consider schoolmasters as mere thrones,
02:47he would often render himself useful and agreeable.
02:57Then, late at night, sitting by the fire,
03:01he listened to old Dutch wives' tales of ghosts, goblins,
03:07and haunted fields,
03:12and especially the tale of the Headless Horseman.
03:17While listening, all snug by the chimney, Ichabod was only mildly apprehensive.
03:23But afterwards, on his walk homeward, what fearful shapes and shadows beset his path.
03:36The Headless Horseman
03:41The Headless Horseman
04:02Among Ichabod's musical disciples was Katrina Van Tassel,
04:06the daughter and only heir of a substantial Dutch farmer.
04:13On his way to her house, Ichabod rolled his great eyes over her father's fat meadowlands.
04:23In his devouring mind's eye, he pictured to himself every duck roasted succulent brown,
04:32each little pocker with an apple in its mouth.
04:36Strutting turkeys on plates swimming in gravy.
04:40How he sighed and yearned for the blooming Katrina Van Tassel,
04:44who would inherit all these domains.
05:07Ichabod's most formidable rival was Bram Bones,
05:11who was the hero of the countryside and Katrina's tutor.
05:23Ichabod loved to watch her tender face form sweet round voles.
05:28Bram fumed with jealousy.
05:30But he knew he could not regain Katrina's affections
05:33by physically assaulting an obviously weaker opponent.
05:38So he employed his natural inclination for fun and mischief.
05:58Katrina sent Bram away.
06:00Bram left, but he vowed revenge.
06:07Ichabod rejoiced.
06:09Katrina had brushed aside the main impediment to his pursuit of her affections.
06:17Sometime later, Ichabod was handed a note.
06:27An invitation to attend a party at the Van Tassel mansion.
06:39Ichabod imagined himself in the true style of a cavalier.
06:45He saw an admiring Van Tassel, bestowing upon him his total wealth.
06:50He was certain that tonight he would win the heiress' hand.
06:55Ichabod gallantly mounted on a borrowed steed,
06:58lurched along toward the Van Tassel estate.
07:01When he entered, the conquest of his heart was complete.
07:06A world of charms burst upon his enraptured gaze.
07:10Not those of the bevy of bucks and lasses,
07:13but the ample charms of a genuine Dutch country table.
07:19Ichabod was a peculiar creature,
07:21whose spirit rose with eating as some men's do with drink.
07:32Ichabod prided himself on his dancing as much as on his vocal powers.
07:40Not a limb nor a fibre about him was idle.
07:52To see his loosely hung frame in full motion, clattering about the room,
07:57you would think Saint Vitus himself was whirling before you in person.
08:04He was the admiration of all present, except Bram Bond.
08:12When the dance was at an end,
08:14Ichabod was attracted to a group of older folks
08:17who sat and doled out their words.
08:21They were wild and wonderful legends.
08:25Many dismal tales were told about funeral trains and cries and wailings.
08:30Some mention was made of the woman in white
08:33who haunted the dark glen at Raven Rock.
08:36She was often heard to shriek on winter nights before a storm.
08:41Seeing Ichabod trembling in every limb,
08:43Bram Bond immediately added a tale of his own,
08:47an encounter with their favourite spectre,
08:50the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
08:53He affirmed that returning one night from a neighbouring village,
08:56he had been overtaken by the midnight trooper himself.
09:00He raced home.
09:02And just as they came to the church bridge,
09:04the headless horseman bolted and vanished in a flash of fire.
09:09To Bram's satisfaction and delight, Ichabod was terror-stricken.
09:20Ichabod lingered behind, according to the custom of country lovers,
09:24fully convinced that he had won Katrina's heart.
09:27What passed between them no one knows.
09:30But something went wrong.
09:32Was her encouragement of the poor pedagogue all a mere sham
09:36to secure her conquest of his rival?
09:43Ichabod, heavy-hearted and crestfallen,
09:46pursued his way homeward.
09:49It was the witching hour.
09:52All the stories of ghosts and goblins now came crowding upon his recollections.
09:57The night grew darker and darker.
10:00He had never felt so lonely and dismal.
10:03He was, moreover, approaching the very place
10:06where many of the scenes of the ghost stories had been laid.
10:19Suddenly, a strange sound caught the sensitive ear of Ichabod.
10:24In the dark shadow of the grove,
10:26he beheld a huge, misshapen, black, towering mass,
10:30like some gigantic monster ready to spring upon him.
10:33Ichabod burst forth into a fervent psalm tune.
10:37Hear our voices joyously
10:41Sing this fervent psalm
10:45Ichabod was momentarily relieved until he cautiously opened one eye
10:50and spied a horseman of large dimensions trotting alongside.
11:15No!
11:46Ichabod was never again seen in that region.
11:50Many stories were called to mind and considered and compared.
11:56But in the end, the old man was not alone.
12:00He was not alone.
12:02He was not alone.
12:04He was not alone.
12:06He was not alone.
12:08He was not alone.
12:10He was not alone.
12:12But in the end, the old Dutch wives, who are the best judges in these matters,
12:18maintained that Ichabod was spirited away by the headless horseman.
12:23And to this day, it is a favorite story often told about the neighborhood.
12:41To be continued
13:11To be continued
13:41A woman in the village saw the baby and said
13:44This child is specially blessed.
13:47She will always be lucky.
13:50And when she is 18, she will be queen of the land.
13:57It happened that the real queen heard about the prophecy.
14:00I am the queen.
14:02There can be no other.
14:06Then she put on a disguise and went to the poor man and his wife
14:10and said in a friendly way
14:13Give me your child and I will raise her with great care.
14:20The queen offered them a bag of gold
14:23and the poor parents gave up their luck child
14:27believing that no real harm could ever come to her.
14:32Good riddance!
14:46The baby floated gently down the river to a mill.
14:51The good miller and his wife were delighted with the little girl
14:55and raised her as their own daughter.
14:58She was a kind, clever child
15:01and they blessed the day that they found her.
15:07Eighteen years later, the queen was traveling to a great ball
15:11where she met a young man.
15:14He was a young man with a beautiful face.
15:18Eighteen years later, the queen was traveling to a great ball in the next kingdom
15:23when a thunderstorm broke loose
15:25forcing her to take shelter in a nearby mill.
15:29The miller and his wife were honored to have the queen in their house
15:33and they had their adopted child serve her tea.
15:37Is this lovely girl your daughter?
15:40We think of her as our daughter even though she is not our own.
15:44Eighteen years ago, I pulled her from the water when she was only a baby.
15:49What?
15:51At once the queen realized that this was the very child whom she thought she drowned
15:56and she wanted to get rid of the girl.
15:59Could your daughter take a letter to the king for me?
16:04It would be our honor.
16:06Dear king, she wrote, when this young woman arrives at the castle
16:11kill her at once for she is a wicked witch from your queen.
16:21The journey was long and when darkness fell, the girl became lost in the forest.
16:26After many hours of wandering, she saw a light in the house.
16:30She knocked at the door and an old woman opened it.
16:35This is a robber's house.
16:37Go away before they come home and do you harm.
16:41I must deliver a letter to the king.
16:44I'm lost and tired.
16:46Please help me.
16:48The old woman was curious about the letter.
16:51So she took the girl in and fed her and put her to bed.
16:58When the robbers returned, at first they were angry with the old woman.
17:02Then they too became curious about the letter.
17:06They opened it and read it.
17:09That queen is tricking this young woman.
17:13Let's fix the mean old thing.
17:16The leader sat down and wrote another letter.
17:20Dear king, when this young woman arrives at the castle,
17:25marry her to our son.
17:27Do not wait for my return from your queen.
17:32The leader burned the first letter and put the second in its place
17:36as the young woman slept.
17:38In the morning, she thanked her hosts and left for the castle
17:41where she delivered the robber's letter.
17:45The king thought it strange that the queen would not want to be
17:48at the prince's wedding.
17:50But she must have her reasons, he thought.
17:53And he had the marriage performed.
17:57When the queen returned, she saw that her plan had gone wrong
18:02and she decided to get rid of the new princess in some other way.
18:06You must prove to me that you truly love my son.
18:11Go find the devil and bring back three golden hairs from his beard.
18:20The princess took a horse and wagon and started her journey.
18:25Soon she came to a town where the guard asked her,
18:28Who are you and what do you know?
18:32I know everything.
18:35Then tell me why our fountain, which used to pour forth red wine,
18:40now doesn't even give water.
18:43I shall tell you when I return.
18:48In the next town, the guard asked her,
18:52In the next town, the guard asked her,
18:55Who are you and what do you know?
18:58I know everything.
19:02Then tell me why our apple tree, which used to bear golden apples,
19:07now doesn't even have leaves.
19:11I shall tell you when I return.
19:15At last she came to a river and asked a ferryman to take her across.
19:20Who are you and what do you know?
19:23I know everything.
19:27Then tell me why I must ferry back and forth, back and forth,
19:33and never be relieved.
19:37I shall tell you when I return.
19:42After a while she came to the devil's house.
19:46He was not at home, but his grandmother greeted her.
19:50You are so young and beautiful.
19:54Go away or the devil will harm you.
19:58I have come to get three golden hairs from his beard,
20:02and I have three questions to ask.
20:06She told her questions to the old woman.
20:09In that case, stay,
20:12but I shall have to use my magic to hide you from the devil.
20:17She thought for a moment and then changed the princess into an owl.
20:23Now just sit here and keep your ears open.
20:29The devil came home and had a big meal.
20:42As usual, he sat down to drink some wine and listen to his grandmother's tales.
20:48They made him sleepy.
20:50Soon he began to snore.
21:07What is it?
21:09I dreamed about a fountain.
21:12It used to give red wine, but not anymore.
21:17Why?
21:19Because a frog sits at the bottom of the fountain.
21:33What is it?
21:35I dreamed about an apple tree.
21:38It used to bear golden apples, but not anymore.
21:43Why?
21:45Because a mouse is eating one of its roots.
21:59What is it now?
22:01I dreamed about a ferryman.
22:04He goes back and forth and no one ever relieves him.
22:09What should he do?
22:12Give the oar to the next passenger and run.
22:15Now leave me alone or I'll...
22:19Oh!
22:32In the morning, when the devil had left,
22:35the grandmother turned the owl back to a young princess
22:40and gave her the three golden hairs.
22:44Leave quickly. You have the answers.
22:49After the ferryman had taken the young woman across the river, she said...
22:53Give your next passenger the oar and run.
22:58At the town with the apple tree,
23:00she told the people the answer to their question.
23:06At the town with the fountain,
23:08she told the people the answer to their question.
23:15And the people from each town gave her a sack of gold.
23:20So the lucky princess returned home
23:23not only with the three golden hairs from the devil,
23:27but also with two sacks of gold.
23:30The prince was delighted to see his bride.
23:33She gave the three golden hairs to the queen,
23:36who was still determined to get rid of the young woman.
23:41But at the moment, she was more interested in the gold,
23:44for she was very greedy.
23:47Where did you get all that gold, dear?
23:51Oh, I... I crossed the river on a ferry.
23:56On the farther shore, gold lies like sand.
24:00I scooped this up.
24:02Can I get some too?
24:05As much as you like.
24:07Just take the ferry.
24:11No time to waste.
24:12Row me across the river, quickly.
24:16The ferryman took her to the other shore,
24:19then placed the oar in her hand and ran away.
24:28And there the queen has been condemned
24:31to row back and forth,
24:34back and forth,
24:37ever since.
24:42So, since the old queen had disappeared,
24:45things happened just as the wise old village woman
24:48had predicted 18 years before.
24:52The good luck child became queen.
24:56She was just and generous to her people,
24:59and they loved her.
25:01The old queen had been hated by everyone.
25:06No one missed her at all,
25:08and no one ever tried to find out
25:11what had become of her.
25:36Translation & english voice CLAUDIA MARSCHAL
26:06© BF-WATCH TV 2021