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Headless Horseman at Holy Name

Each mid-October when the Detroit Public Library Bookmobile made its stop at Holy Name, I tried to nab the book before any of my classmates could.

It contained two of Washington Irving's classic stories: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."

Fittingly, "Rip Van Winkle" put me to sleep. But "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was and still is one of my favorite tales of the Halloween season.

I used to imagine myself in poor Ichabod Crane's saddle, trying to get away from the galloping black stallion ridden by the headless beast who held the horse's reins in one hand and a fiery jack-o-lantern in the other. Before too long, my pulse would race faster than the stallion's pace as I anticipated my, err, Ichabod's horrifying demise.

In October 1974, the Headless Horseman nearly did kill me -- and my father was his accomplice.

[More:]

Dad played a little prank on us during a Cub Scout Halloween party in the old Holy Name gym/auditorium one night. With a stuffed Headless Horseman sitting next to him and the lights turned out, Dad, who was the troop leader, read us an abridged version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by candlelight.

Dad's inflections throughout his reading were perfect and had us all on edge. The flickering candle and headless dummy in the gloomy basement auditorium added to the spookiness.

But what happened at the end of the story was more than a little spooky, and made us all jump out of our seats and scream.

No dummy -- actually a good friend of my father in costume -- the Headless Horseman stood up and lunged at us.

Good one, Dad. I'll never forget how my heart nearly burst from fright.

Happy Halloween!

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: geraceyvette [Member]

Wasn't sure where to post my recent "Dads Scary Story" on this post or the Belle Isle. This is more "fitting". In our personal family emails recently my sister wrote of her dilemma in putting out the garbage in the pitch black of night. See she lives in Fenton out in horse and hot air balloon country and it gets very dark out. She wrote of how she for the first time threw caution to the wind and walked the 40 or so yards from the garage to the road in the dark. She pretended the animal noises she heard were just the leaves blowing in the wind. And then how releived she was when safely back up the hill and in her house.

Of course my Dad (Paul Gerace) responds with: "I probably damaged all you kids...don't you remember driving through the woods at night on Belle Isle when you were kids and I'd tell you kids stories of the doomed children trying to get in the back win" YES My Dad was one hell of a story teller too Mike. He still is too!

Permalink 10/30/09 @ 20:37

Comment from: geraceyvette [Member]

Oops, probably should have proof read; not sure what happened but the last line in my Dad's Scary Story should have read:
I'd tell you kids stories of the doomed children trying to get in the back window of the car, and if you looked back to see you would join them forever.

Permalink 10/31/09 @ 02:48