Exploring "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
A Grade 6 ELA worksheet focusing on comprehension, character analysis, and literary elements in Washington Irving's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'.
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Exploring "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Use complete sentences for short answer questions.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
In the secluded glens of New York's Catskill Mountains lies a little valley, or rather lap of land, among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a High German doctor, during the early days of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the discovery of America, and that his spirit still presides over the land, causing all kinds of strange shadows and visions. Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions; stars shoot across the sky, and meteors flash athwart the valley, more frequently than in any other part of the country, and the nightmare, with her whole ninefold, seems to make it the favorite scene of her gambols. The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head. It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War; and who is ever and anon gallopading through the valley, just as he used to do when alive, but with this difference, that he carries his head before him on his saddle. It is true, that when the story is told, the old wives of the village will shake their heads, and declare that the headless horseman is often seen in the twilight, hurrying along the road, as if on the wings of the wind.
1. What is the main reason Sleepy Hollow is considered a 'quietest place in the whole world'?
It is far from any major cities.
A drowsy, dreamy influence hangs over the land.
The residents are all very old and quiet.
There are no animals in the valley.
2. What is the dominant spirit said to haunt Sleepy Hollow?
An old Indian chief
A High German doctor
A headless figure on horseback
The nightmare with her whole ninefold
1. Some believe Sleepy Hollow was bewitched by a doctor.
2. The headless horseman is said to be the ghost of a trooper.
3. The ghost's head was carried away by a in battle.
1. Describe the general atmosphere of Sleepy Hollow as presented in the passage.
2. What are some of the strange sights and sounds the people of Sleepy Hollow experience?
1. The Headless Horseman carries his head on his saddle.
True
False
2. The story suggests the headless horseman was killed during the Civil War.
True
False
Imagine you are a resident of Sleepy Hollow. Write a short journal entry describing a strange or spooky event you witnessed or heard about. Be sure to include details that reflect the 'drowsy, dreamy influence' of the valley.