Showing results by author "Washington Irving" in All Categories

Enjoy the traditions of holidays past with this classic collection of fun and touching stories. Includes selected readings from Charles Dickens' timeless "A Christmas Carol"; the text of the original newspaper editorial "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus", which has become an indelible part of popular Christmas folklore; O. Henry's unforgettable "The Gift of the Magi"; and much more....

Anjelica Huston narrates this haunting early American tale from Washington Irving following the likable but lazy Rip Van Winkle into the mysterious Catskill Mountains. There he meets a band of odd fellows playing a game of ninepins. After sharing a flagon of strange brew, Rip falls into a deep sleep for 20 years. When he wakes up, he finds that his home is a very different place indeed. This story is a wonderful reminder about making the most of your life.

Even if the act of travel has been transformed beyond recognition in a mere decade or two, how much has actually changed in our favorite destinations in the past two hundred years? Listeners are invited to compare their impressions with those of veteran travelers and literary legends: Charles Dickens on Rome; Mark Twain on Paris and Versailles; and Washington Irving on Stratford On Avon. Added to this mix is elegiac verse by Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti.

There is something about the number 3. The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two. Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating.

There is something about the number 3. The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two. Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating.

These two shorts stories are likely the most well-known and beloved of the famed American author Washington Irving, both having been published serially between 1819 and 1820 in his renowned collection of stories and essays The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. For both of these delightful tales, the fictional Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker is attributed by Irving as his authoritative source.

The American literary tradition has, in a far shorter span of time than others throughout history, achieved a glowing and glittering reputation. From its transatlantic roots it has absorbed the sons and daughters of other cultures, other lands and made them part of her own. Within this melting pot of styles, genres and wordplay one fact stands out: In the American short story, literary tradition has a strong, vibrant and almost inclusive history, if you know where to look.

Enter the eerie world of Sleepy Hollow, a secluded village steeped in mystery, where strange events occur in the dead of night. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving's timeless tale, follows the story of Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher, as he becomes entangled in local folklore and the haunting figure of the Headless Horseman.

"Tales of a Traveler" by Washington Irving is a collection of thrilling and mysterious stories set against romantic and exotic backdrops. This podcast delves into themes of adventure, intrigue, and the supernatural, bringing Irving’s vivid characters and captivating settings to life.

Rip Van Winkle de Washington Irving cuenta la historia de un hombre que se queda dormido en las montañas Catskill y se despierta décadas después en un mundo cambiado. La historia explora temas del tiempo, el cambio y las consecuencias de descuidar las propias responsabilidades.

La leyenda del astrólogo árabe, sin dudas uno de los cuentos de Washington Irving más recordados de aquella colección, nos sitúa en Granada, y relata la historia de un notable astrólogo, cuyo destino ingrato no llegó a vislumbrar en el resplandor distante de las estrellas.

Esta leyenda tiene como protagonista a Pedro Gil, conocido como Peregil, un gallego dedicado a la tarea de aguatero. Irving expresa la opinión de que por sus características estaba destinado a ser aguatero: "La Naturaleza parece haber preparado razas de hombres, como lo ha hecho con los animales, para determinados trabajos"

El Palacio de la Alhambra (Cuentos de la Alhambra) de Washington Irving es una colección de ensayos, bocetos y cuentos inspirados en los viajes de Irving a la Alhambra, un palacio árabe en Granada, España. A través de descripciones vívidas y narraciones románticas, Irving captura la belleza, la historia y la mística de la Alhambra, profundizando en su arquitectura, leyendas y significado cultural. El libro incluye relatos ficticios de personajes históricos como Boabdil, el último rey moro de Granada, así como cuentos míticos de amor, traición y magia ambientados dentro de los muros del palacio.

En la tranquila aldea de Sleepy Hollow, un misterioso jinete sin cabeza atemoriza a los lugareños cada noche. Entre ellos se encuentra Ichabod Crane, un excéntrico maestro escolar de Connecticut, quien se enamora de la bella Katrina Van Tassel. Sin embargo, su rival, Brom Bones, también aspira al corazón de Katrina y no dudará en usar la leyenda del espectro para atemorizar a Ichabod. Una noche, después de una fiesta en la granja Van Tassel, Ichabod se enfrenta al terrorífico fantasma en su camino a casa.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is an 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving wrote the story while living in Birmingham, England. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during Halloween because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle.

The quiet Dutch community of Sleepy Hollow lay in the Adirondack mountains on the western shore of the mighty Hudson River in America’s colonial period. The solitude of the woods was breathtaking, and not even a schoolmaster was immune from the eerie miasma which everyone knew permeated the dense forest. Written in 1820, Washington Irving’s The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow has become a classic of American literature, and has been retold in many different ways. Here is the original, from Irving’s own hand. (Summary by Chip)

Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher, came to Tarry Town in the glen of Sleepy Hollow to ply his trade in educating young minds. He was a gullible and excitable fellow, often so terrified by locals' stories of ghosts that he would hurry through the woods on his way home, singing to keep from hysterics. Until late one night, he finds that maybe they're not just stories. What is that dark, menacing figure riding behind him on a horse? And what does it have in its hands?

During a late-night horse ride, the lovelorn schoolteacher Ichabod Crane passes through the sites of familiar ghost stories. It is dark and the forest is full of spooky sounds. He thinks his imagination is getting the best of him, but suddenly he finds himself being pursued by a shadowy figure. To his horror, Ichabod realizes that the figure has no head on his shoulders, but instead holds his head in front of him on the saddle. Ichabod races to safety at the other side of the bridge, only to turn around and see the horseman’s head hurled directly at him.

Imagine falling asleep, then waking up twenty years later. How would you navigate this unfamiliar new world? Would you recognize anyone? Would they recognize you? In this early-American classic, follow protagonist Rip Van Winkle as he finds himself in this very predicament.

"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by Washington Irving about a man who drinks some liquor then falls asleep for 20 years amidst the hills. Having missed the American Revolution, Rip Van Winke returns home but finds it completely changed. What he notices is really important, as they possess social and political messages that Irving wanted to stress.