Final answer:
Heorot Hall was abandoned for twelve years due to the fear of Grendel before Beowulf arrived to confront the monster.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpt from the epic poem Beowulf suggests that Heorot Hall, a mead hall built by King Hrothgar of the Danes, was left empty for twelve years due to the fear of Grendel's attacks. Grendel, a creature of evil, was angered by the joy and noise coming from the hall and terrorized its inhabitants, causing it to remain uninhabited as no warrior was able to defeat him until Beowulf arrived. The passage from 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' which describes Ethelred confronting a dragon does not pertain to the question about Heorot Hall and Grendel.