This collection of stories from Washington Irving includes some of America's best-known works of fiction-such as the famous Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow-as well as lesser-known works as The Specter Bridegroom, Westminster Abbey, English Writers on America, Stratford on Avon, The Art of Bookmaking, The Mutability of Literature, and The Christmas Quintet.

Poor Rip Van Winkle is married to a terrible nag of a woman and never seems to be able to do anything right. His only peace comes when he heads into the Catskill Mountains on his own to do a bit of hunting or fishing. One day, during just such a trip, he meets a strange man carrying a keg of liquor and is tempted to taste just a little of it. He falls asleep and when he awakens again, the world is inexplicably different from the one he left behind. What has become of his wife, his children and his trusty dog? Why does no one in the village recognize h m? This classic tale is an amusing and thought-provoking read.