A collection of essays, sketches, and tales.Includes "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle," two of America's most recognizable and loved works of fiction and displays Irving's ability to depict American landscapes and culture so vividly that readers feel themselves a part of them. And it is on the basis of these two classic tales that Irving is generally credited with inventing the short story as a distinct literary genre. Also included here are gently ironic pieces about life in England that reflect the author's interest in the traditions of the Old World and his longings for his home in the New.

Voyage -- Roscoe -- Wife -- Rip Van Winkle -- English writers on America -- Rural life in England -- Broken heart -- Art of book making -- Royal poet -- Country church -- Widow and her son -- Sunday in London -- Boar's Head Tavern, East Cheap -- Mutability of literature -- Rural funerals -- Inn Kitchen -- Spectre bridegroom -- Westminster Abbey -- Christmas -- Stage coach -- Christmas Eve -- Christmas Day -- Christmas dinner -- London antiques -- Little Britain -- Stratford-on-Avon -- Traits of Indian character -- Philip of Pokanoket -- John Bull -- Pride of the village -- Angler -- Legend of Sleepy Hollow -- L'Envoy.