Who wrote "Rip Van Winkle"?

Washington Irving wrote “Rip Van Winkle,” a short story first published in 1819.

The tale follows Rip, a good-natured but idle villager in New York’s Catskill Mountains. After wandering into the mountains, he encounters mysterious figures, drinks their liquor, and falls asleep. When he awakens, 20 years have passed, and he discovers that the American Revolution has transformed his village and country.

Irving wrote the story while staying with his sister and brother-in-law in Birmingham, England. It appeared in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., alongside another famous story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Although the story is set in the Catskills, Irving had never visited the mountains when he wrote it.

A common mix-up is confusing Irving with later stage performers or adapters, including Joseph Jefferson, who became famous for playing Rip. Those adaptations are based on Irving’s original story; Washington Irving remains the canonical author.