In two sketches, he experiments with tales transplanted from Europe, thereby creating the first classic American short stories, Rip Van Winkle, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Based on Irving's final revision of his most popular work, this new edition includes comprehensive explanatory notes of The Sketch-Book's sources for the modern reader.

    Even though everything in it is really small, it takes up half the basement. There's a tiny castle with tiny knights in armor and tiny dragons. There's a tiny pioneer village with tiny log cabins and tiny farm equipment. There's even a tiny First Family in Tiny Town, called the Weevils. But ever since Willy added Hurley the Hobo to his tiny collection, Tiny Town has been... well, strange. Willy's toys aren't always where he left them, and sometimes Willy even hears the Tiny Town train hooting in the night. But tiny little figures can't really be plotting to take over Willy's house - can they?