I used to like this better than "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" at least in book form, and I guess I still do. The story is more to my liking, though the prose in "Hollow" is better. The Headless Horseman is kind of a lame ghost, just hanging out to race with people on the road sometimes; there's very little menace about him in the original story, and not a lot of mystery either. He's just kind of there. However, there's nothing but mystery surrounding the ghosts of Henry Hudson and crew in "Van Winkle." Why they're there with their (hot dog! A there/they're/their hat trick! Nine points please) nine pins and moonshine, why they do what they do to Rip or anything else is not discussed. We have no idea if their motive was for good or ill. 
 Some say it's a reward for helping the ghosts carry the barrel. (view spoiler)[He misses the entire American Revolution, no longer has to deal with his bitch of a wife, and has advanced to an age where taking it easy and being taken care of by one's children is expected. Taking it easy is really all the lazy Rip wanted in the first place. Still, he's also been robbed of 20 years of his life, and has advanced into old age which comes with its own problems. (hide spoiler)] Good thing or bad thing? I guess that's up to the individual. Like most situations I reckon it's a mix of both. But still, did Hudson mean him a favor or an injury? And since I believe in ghosts, I find this story enjoyably spooky in its subtlety. 
 Check it out if you like light ghost tales. You shouldn't need more than half an hour to roll through it.