Sage, storyteller, and wit, Washington Irving created such staples of American fiction as the stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” He earned his preeminence in early American literature with the masterpieces in miniature collected here: dozens of stories, travel essays, biographical discourses, and literary musings. “His influence on American writers is unquestioned,” wrote Edgar Allan Poe, and his stories have proved as enduring as the Catskill Mountains the author immortalized. “Exceptional talent….I am one of his most ardent admirers. I admired Mr. Irving’s work so much, in fact, that I gave it the ultimate praise; I ‘borrowed it.’”—Edgar Allan Poe With an Introduction by Wayne Franklin

A compilation of Washington Irving's stories, essays, and travelogues includes Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

If you were asked to choose the most fabulous character in English literature, who would it be? Perhaps the one and only Ichabod Crane. Just in time for the 70th anniversary of the release of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, relive the action of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with this storybook and CD set, featuring word-for-word narration and sound effects!

The timeless collection that introduced Rip Van Winkle, Ichabod Crane, and the Headless Horseman Perhaps the marker of a true mythos is when the stories themselves overshadow their creator. Originally published under a pseudonym as The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories gave America its own haunted mythology. This collection of larger-than-life tales contains Washington Irving’s best-known literary inventions—Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, and Rip Van Winkle—that continue to capture our imaginations today. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by name of Sleepy Hollow... A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Washington Irving

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories, also known as The Sketch Book, is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by American author Washington Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820. The collection includes two of Irving's best-known stories, attributed to the fictional Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." The Sketch Book was the first widely read work of American literature in Britain and Europe. It also helped advance the reputation of American writers with an international audience. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle" were the pieces which made both Irving and The Sketch Book famous. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during the Halloween season. This edition is limited to 1,000 copies.