The school was a low building with one large room, and Ichabod was the only
teacher there. This schoolhouse stood by itself at the bottom of the valley. The hills
around it were covered with trees. A small river ran near the schoolhouse.
On summer days, the windows of the schoolhouse were always open. Anyone
who passed could hear Ichabod’s pupils saying their lessons in sleepy voices.
When lessons had finished for the day, Ichabod often went home with one of the
children. Some boys and girls had pretty older sisters. Ichabod liked young, pretty
ladies. And some of his pupils had mothers who where good cooks. Ichabod liked to go
home with these children most of all.