Storytime with Kray

Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow as the local schoolmaster, and Irving paints him as a tall, lanky, awkward figure who looks like a scarecrow brought to life. He runs a rough little schoolhouse and believes strongly in discipline, but he is not purely cruel, just self-important and convinced he is doing what is necessary. Despite his oddness, he settles into the community and becomes part of the daily rhythm of the valley.

Sleepy Hollow is introduced as a quiet valley near the Hudson River, steeped in old Dutch traditions and an atmosphere so dreamy it makes people more superstitious just by living there. The area is filled with local legends, haunted spots, strange sounds, and eerie sightings, all feeding the sense that the land is bewitched. The most feared presence is the Headless Horseman, said to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head in the Revolutionary War and still rides at night searching for it.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
by Washington Irving | 1820

Written during a time when American writing was still treated like the weird cousin at the fancy European dinner table, Washington Irving helped change that with polished, spooky folklore set in real places. Sleepy Hollow drops us into a dreamy Hudson River valley where old legends linger, and where one superstitious schoolmaster is about to learn that local ghost stories are way funnier when they are happening to someone else.

Send us Fan Mail

Alice is called as a witness in the trial, accidentally upsetting the jury-box due to her growing size. She denies any knowledge of the stolen tarts, leading to absurd exchanges with the King, who attempts to apply nonsensical rules related to her height.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Alice attends a chaotic trial where the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the Queen's tarts. The King acts as a bumbling judge, and the first witness, the Hatter, provides nonsensical testimony that further adds to the confusion in the courtroom. During the proceedings, Alice continues to grow larger, causing disruptions.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The Mock Turtle vividly describes the peculiar "Lobster Quadrille," a dance involving lobsters being thrown into the sea. He and the Gryphon then demonstrate the dance and sing a whimsical song about a whiting. Alice attempts to tell them her own adventures, but her version becomes increasingly nonsensical, much to the confusion and impatience of her listeners.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Alice meets the Duchess, who is surprisingly amiable and constantly spouts morals. The Queen then dispatches Alice with a Gryphon to find the Mock Turtle. The Mock Turtle, a melancholic creature, recounts his bizarre education in the sea, including peculiar subjects like "Reeling and Writhing" and "Uglification," taught by various strange masters. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Alice finds her way into the Queen's garden where she observes card-gardeners painting white roses red to avoid the Queen's wrath. The Queen of Hearts arrives with a grand procession, and an absurd game of croquet ensues, played with live flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls, while the Queen constantly threatens to behead anyone she dislikes. 

Support the show

Send a text

Alice joins a perpetual tea-party hosted by the March Hare and the Hatter, with a sleepy Dormouse. The conversation is filled with illogical riddles and nonsensical remarks, frustrating Alice with their rudeness and the constant changing of places. She eventually leaves in disgust, deciding it's the stupidest tea-party she has ever attended.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Alice observes two footmen, one resembling a fish and the other a frog, discussing an invitation for the Duchess. She enters a kitchen filled with pepper smoke, where the Duchess nurses a constantly sneezing baby and a grinning Cheshire Cat sits by the fire. The cook throws dishes, and the Duchess is rude to Alice when asked about the Cat's grin. 

Support the show