Washington Irving, American Story Teller I believe it is true that “Washington Irving found in legend and folklore a vision of the natural world colored by emotion, superstition, and ancient belief that supernatural beings inhabit the wild places of the earth. He wrote stories that illustrated old truths about human nature and the dramatic possibilities of the American landscape. Although Irving wrote more than twenty volumes, including essays, poems, stories, biographies, and more, in class we focused on his fiction. Irving has dispersed in his stories many beliefs and legends of his time and the past. He also made great use of American themes in these literary endeavors. Such details, along with existing people and events (1819), in New York, Philadelphia and London, allowed him to become an international figure. The book contained a variety of witty sketches and fictitious accounts, narrated by an illusionist, Geoffrey Crayon. This collection included two of the most recognized (and first) American short stories, “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which I will discuss here. Both fictions under review gently poke fun at the irrational beliefs of ordinary people, but I'll focus on "Rip Van Winkle" first. For this story, Irving uses the backdrop of the Catskill Mountains. Near the beginning of this story, he plants the seeds of rural beliefs and opens a door to the supernatural by mentioning that good wives regard their “magical hues and shapes” (Irving 492), as barometers and goes on to call them “these fairy mountains” ( 492).The story begins before the Revolution, in an ancient village founded by some Dutch settlers. Irving explained that at that time America was still a province of Great Britain. The protagonist of this yarn is the affable title character Rip Van Winkle is a simple and respectable man, but at the same time gentle by virtue of his kindness towards others and unyielding submission to his markedly annoying wife. Both Rip and Dame Van Winkle convey characteristics that lend themselves to the idea of ​​Washington Irving which illustrates “old truths about being human. Always friendly and willing to help others, he spends quality time with the children of the village and is a passionate outdoorsman. Having given up on the idea of ​​being a worthy farmer or financier, Rip often escaped his wife's harassment by joining idle village friends to discuss current gossip and stories. When his troublesome wife left these gatherings, Rip's only escape was to hunt in the woods. On one of these occasions, Irving's story of this ordinary everyman changes