The Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane are returning to Sleepy Hollow for Halloween, and this time they will not be disappearing afterward into the mists of legend.
Just in time to frighten young trick-or-treaters, a 5.5m steel sculpture of the Horseman and his gangly patsy was to be erected yesterday, not far from the grave of Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The sculpture, like the 1819 short story, depicts Crane riding for his life on old Gunpowder, closely followed by the decapitated Horseman, who is about to throw his head -- or is it just a leering jack-o'-lantern -- at the schoolteacher.
Weighing 10 tonnes and embedded in concrete, the sculpture is likely to become a symbol of the village and a magnet for history and literature buffs visiting Sleepy Hollow. Ten years ago, after a General Motors plant closed, the same motive led residents to change the name of the village from North Tarrytown to the more tourist-friendly Sleepy Hollow.
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