This perfectly spooky volume collects some of the most well-known Washington Irving tales originally published in the early to mid-19th century for a new generation of young readers—featuring a freshly reimagined cover! “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a ghost story of enduring popularity. In it, lovelorn schoolteacher Ichabod Crane tries to woo local heiress Katrina Van Tassel, only to draw the ire of another of her suitors—Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt—who makes Ichabod the target of practical jokes. One night, at a party, Brom relays the tale of the Headless Horseman, a warrior decapitated by a cannonball who rises from his grave in their own town of Sleepy Hollow nightly to search for his missing head. When Ichabod leaves the party, he’s pursued by a cloaked rider. Could this be the Horseman…and can Ichabod escape him? “Rip Van Winkle” tells the tale of man living in colonial America who falls asleep for twenty years, waking to find his small town in the Catskill Mountains much changed. These and many other tales are included in this classic collection by Washington Irving.
Author
People remember American writer Washington Irving for the stories " Rip Van Winkle " and " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ," contained in The Sketch Book (1820). This author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century wrote newspaper articles under the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle to begin his literary career at the age of nineteen years. In 1809, he published The History of New York under his most popular public persona, Diedrich Knickerbocker. Historical works of Irving include a five volume biography of George Washington (after whom he was named) as well as biographies of Oliver Goldsmith, Muhammad, and several histories, dealing with subjects, such as Christopher Columbus, the Moors, and the Alhambra, of 15th-century Spain. John Tyler, president, appointed Irving to serve as the first Spanish speaking United States minister to Spain from 1842 to 1846.
