Surrendering to the wishes of her parents, Katrina makes the difficult decision to marry Ichabod. She informs Ichabod that her choice was based on ?duty? rather than ?love!? But Ichabod is confident she will ?learn? to love him. At the Oktoberfest party festivities, Baltus discovers Ichabod?s deception.

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As the melodic tunes of Oktoberfest drift through the party, Brom?s plan to rid Tarrytown of Ichabod Crane begins to unfold. He gathers the villagers together to tell one of the town?s most infamous tales: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!

Annoyed by all the attention Brom?s getting, and not wanting to be taken in by another one of his stories, Ichabod distances himself from the crowd.

In a hushed tone, so as to draw everyone closer, Brom begins his spooky tale. ?Before the Great War with England was won, through curtains of smoke and volleys of guns, rode a Hessian so fierce.

His sword drew a bloody bath from dismembered limbs of dying Patriots.? Brom weaves his way through the crowd, slowly bringing his grisly tale directly to Ichabod.

?No peril of war could cut this man down, ?til one cannon ball slammed him to the ground.? Brom is now standing right in front of Ichabod, surrounded by the haunting masks of the Octoberfest party.

?He was laid in a grave from his neck to his feet. But this warrior?s soul would not rest in peace. On each full moon night, he leaves his cold, earthly bed, and roams Sleepy Hollow searching for a head!?

Brom closes in on Ichabod with the crowd pressing in behind him. Slowly, they push Ichabod toward the trestle bridge; all eyes are on him, pressuring him to flee!

?He can?t hear you, cannot see you, but he knows you?re there!? The intensity of Brom?s haunting tale chills Ichabod to the bone.

The masked revelers purposely close in tighter on Ichabod ? the sweat on his brow now betraying his fear. ?He rides in search of a head! He rides in search of a head!?

With a fiendish smile on his face, Brom leans in so that he is almost nose-to-nose with Ichabod and shouts: ?He rides in search of your head!?

Overtaken by fear, Ichabod runs panic-stricken through the trestle bridge, escaping into the darkness of the eerie Hollow.

Brom turns to Katrina and she smiles knowingly. A wink from Baltus shows them that he approves and the crowd cheers! The plan has worked!

Millie enters the trestle bridge and thoughtfully picks up the walking cane Ichabod dropped in his mad dash across the bridge. She smiles and sets out in search of the frightened Schoolmaster.

Ichabod breathlessly stumbles through the dark, haunted woods, fearing that the Headless Horseman may be lurking in the shadows. ?Oh, me ... Oh, my ... I don?t want to die!? he pleads.

An owl hoots! And Ichabod jumps behind a bush! After a moment, he peers above the thicket and titters nervously, ?Silly old me ... Just an owl in a tree!?

Now another noise ? something rustling in the bushes! Wolves howl, a bat screeches, a whippoorwill sounds an eerie lament. Ichabod dives back beneath the bush, crawling on his hands and knees looking for a place to hide. Behind him, the faint glow of a small, orange light twirls out of a rolling fog ... The light grows in intensity, as it relentlessly follows him.

A gypsy wind blows leaves and the devilish gibberish of night creatures begins to multiply and magnify! And finally, the unmistakable sound of a horse?s gait...

Ichabod?s step increases, as do the clattering hooves behind him. Ichabod turns and catches a quick glimpse of a magnificent, black stallion at the edge of the bramble.

A symphony of shadow, light, and sound comes crashing in on him, as the Horseman slowly stalks him through the maze of bushes. ?There?s no such thing as ghosts! There?s no such thing as ghosts!? Ichabod tells himself. But the ghost of Sleepy Hollow would argue otherwise, as a hideous and high-pitched cackle echoes maniacally through the forest! As the sound of a sabre is drawn from its scabbard ? Ichabod freezes!

Thunder and lightning create a dizzying effect, as the Headless Horseman steps out of the haze! He is holding a crazed looking jack-o-lantern, flaming red and orange.

His evil laughter splits the cold night air! Ichabod is frozen in his tracks ? he falls to his knees and desperately pleads ? ?I?ll change my ways! It?s not too late!?

The Horseman draws back his sabre, as if to swing! Ichabod gasps! Just above a whisper, Ichabod begs for mercy: ?I can change ... I can change ... I can change!?

To be continued?

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Next Week: The Man in the Mirror

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Enjoying the serialised story? Come to the Bermuda Youth Library, Church Street, Hamilton to see the musical film version of Ichabod! The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Saturday 29 October, 2005 at 2.30pm. Admission is free; popcorn and drinks 50 cents. Reserve your seat by stopping by the Circulation Desk or telephoning 295-0973.