Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Miracles of the Quran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Supernatural occurrences of the Quran - Essay Example It was uncovered piecemeal to him in twenty three years, beginning from when he was forty, till he passed on at the age of sixty three. The book was not gathered during his lifetime, with numerous Muslims retaining it by heart; a few years a short time later, a great deal of these memorizers, or Hafiz, were killed in fight, consequently, the Muslim Caliph Usman chose to get it assembled. The accumulation of Quran in its current structure was, consequently, done under the Caliphate of Usman. The Muslims accept that the Quran is the immediate expression of God. They accept that the heavenly attendant Gabriel, or Jibra’eel, went to the Prophet Muhammad and uncovered the expression of God to him, which the last spread among his adherents. Muslims further accept that the expression of God, the Quran, is uncovered to be a wellspring of direction and course for all mankind. The way that they think of it as the last disclosure of God to humanity further specifies that Muslims believe this to be the last direction sent to man from God. This involves they spend their lives attempting to live as indicated by the decrees of the Quran, and attempting to carry their lives as near the orders of the Quran as could be expected under the circumstances. The Muslims believe this to be a book from God for a various of reasons. One explanation, as is advanced in the Quran itself, is that such a book, with its idyllic and phenomenal nature would never be created by man. In the subsequent Chapter, or Surah, of the Quran (the Cow, or Al-Baqarah), it is said â€Å"And if ye are in question concerning what We have uncovered every now and then to Our worker, at that point produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your observers or partners (if there are any) other than Allah, if your (questions) are true† (section 23). Besides, the Muslims accept that there have been extraordinary cases in the Quran that are further demonstration of it being the expression of God. These rememb er different forecasts or predictions for the Quran that were later satisfied. One such prescience identifies with the body of the Pharaoh (the Pharaoh said to have abused the Jews); while relating the narrative of his demise, God consequently addresses the Pharaoh in the Quran â€Å"This day will We spare thee in the body, that thou mayest be an indication to the individuals who come after thee! in any case, verily, numerous among humankind are remiss of Our Signs!† (10: 92). The embalmed body of a Pharaoh in an Egyptian Museum in Cairo is said to have been that of a similar Pharaoh, therefore the Quran’s prediction with respect to his body being saved has demonstrated to have worked out. Further, a couple of years after the Byzantines had been crushed by the Persians totally, a disclosure of the Quran said â€Å"The Roman Empire has been vanquished †In a land close by; yet they, (considerably) after (this) thrashing of theirs will before long be triumphant â₠¬ inside a couple years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (60: 2-4). This appeared to be outlandish as the Byzantines had caused substantial misfortunes and the Empire appeared to be near the very edge of all out destruction, in any case, a couple of years after this disclosure, the Persians were, surely, vanquished by the Byzantines. Additionally, in Chapter 48 of the Quran, a prediction is given in regards to the taking of Mecca: â€Å"†¦ye will enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair style short, and without fear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (27). Some time a short time later, Mecca was for sure vanquished by Muhammad and his devotees, and they entered the Sacred Mosque, or Kaaba, in a similar condition portrayed in this. Additionally, there have been a few proclamations in the Quran that have been as of late demonstrated to be experimentally precise. For instance, when a refrain of the Quran says â€Å"By the Firmament which returns (in its round)† (86: 11) and â€Å"

Saturday, August 22, 2020

7 Similar but Distinct Word Pairs

7 Similar however Distinct Word Pairs 7 Similar however Distinct Word Pairs 7 Similar however Distinct Word Pairs By Mark Nichol Copy, sound-the same words can create turmoil. Note the differentiations between each pair of terms recorded beneath: 1. Renounce and Adjure Recant, from Latin by method of French, implies â€Å"to deny† or â€Å"to renounce,† or â€Å"to avoid.† Adjure, which took a similar course to English, implies â€Å"to confirm† or â€Å"to command,† or â€Å"to prompt or urge.† In certain faculties, in this manner, they are close to antonyms. (That’s consistent: Ab-implies â€Å"from† and advertisement implies â€Å"to.†) However, they do share a root syllable, a similar one that is the premise of jury, law, just, equity, and different terms from the domain of law. 2. Abrade and Chaff Abrade, eventually got from the Latin expression calefacere, â€Å"to make warm or hot,† initially implied only that, yet at that point, from the additional feeling of â€Å"rubbing to make warm,† it obtained the negative undertones of â€Å"make sore by rubbing† and afterward, by affiliation, â€Å"irritate.† Chaff, a disconnected word, originates from Old English and alludes to seed husks and, by expansion, anything disposed of as useless. By relationship with the haze of husks and different flotsam and jetsam delivered during sifting of grain, explosions of little pieces of metal launched out from airplane to meddle with adversary radar is called debris. 3. Uneasiness and Discomfit These comparative looking words have comparative implications, yet it was not generally so. Distress is the antonym of the word at last originating from the Latin expression confortare, which means â€Å"to strengthen.† (Fort is additionally the foundation of, well, fortress, just as determination.) Discomfit, from the French word desconfit, which means â€Å"defeated† (its Latin root implies â€Å"to make†), was debilitated by bogus relationship with inconvenience to mean â€Å"frustrate† or â€Å"perplex.† Unlike the antonym for uneasiness, comfit (â€Å"to make†) isn't an antonym; it alludes to sweetened organic product. Comfiture, in any case, is an uncommon equivalent importance â€Å"an demonstration of support.† 4. Perspicacious and Perspicuous The two words come from the Latin expression perspicere, which means â€Å"looking through,† which is additionally the wellspring of point of view. (The component spic, from specare, which means â€Å"look at,† is likewise the base of display and hypothesis.) However, the implications are unmistakable: A perspicacious individual is one who is clever or intellectually alert; the quality so exhibited is perspicacity. A perspicuous contention is one that is obviously clear and exact. 5. Practicable and Practical Something practicable is usable or doable, while something pragmatic is helpful a slight yet noteworthy differentiation. Practicable is utilized to allude to something that is or should be possible (â€Å"a practicable policy†), while down to earth is related with activity or use: A commonsense umbrella is one that shields downpour from falling on you in the downpour; an unrealistic one is enhancing however not durable or waterproof enough for useful use. 6. Turbid and Turgid Turbid alludes to a satisfy of darkness, mistiness, or lack of definition; its Latin source is turba, which means â€Å"confusion.† Turgid, from the Latin expression turgidus, which means â€Å"swollen,† implies only that or, by augmentation, â€Å"embellished† or â€Å"pompous,† in that a bloated discourse, for instance, is conveyed by an individual swollen with gaudiness. 7. Waiver and Waver Waiver, alluding to deserting or surrender, is from an Anglo-French word meaning â€Å"to abandon.† Waver, likely from the Old English term waefre, which implies â€Å"restless,† implies â€Å"to act indecisively.† The last term is in this manner most likely identified with the action word wave, which means â€Å"to move back and forth,† and a similar word as a thing, alluding to the demonstration of waving or to something that moves to and fro, similar to a sea wave or a radio wave. You’ll discover conversations of numerous other effortlessly befuddled words via looking on this site for the words â€Å"commonly confused† or for the particular words. Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities day by day! Continue learning! Peruse the Misused Words classification, check our well known posts, or pick a related post below:100 Exquisite Adjectives50 Idioms About Meat and Dairy ProductsIs Your Novel Secret, Spine chiller, or Tension?

Friday, July 31, 2020

The Lives of Literary Wives

The Lives of Literary Wives Twenty years ago, when we first lived together, the thought of typing my now-husbands stories was so romantic to me that I almost couldn’t bear it. I even bought him a tape recorder so that he could dictate stories and ideas for me to later type up. This plan did not go well, as he is perfectly capable of typing and in fact does so faster than he can speak and only slightly slower than he can think. We abandoned it quickly, and I was devoted enough to be disappointed. The thing is, I was a writer too. So why did I want to prioritize his work? I still don’t know the answer, but I have discovered that A) this is common behavior among literary wives, and B) I am totally fucking over it and over literary husbands in general. Vera Nabokov I had not, at the time, heard of Vera Nabokov (though I had read Lolita after my high school crush said it made her think of me, a comment that I have never figured out or gotten over), but if I had, that’s who I would have been trying to emulate. Vera met her husband Vladimir through her publisher father. According to a single clause in a single sentence on her Wikipedia page, she had a budding writing career at the time, which never went any further. (It doesnt even merit a full sentence!) She worked as a secretary and translator to pay the bills, and did the same for Vlad (for no money), while raising their son (presumably with no help from him) and keeping house (she said badly, I say who gives a damn). She also learned to drive so she could be his chauffeur, and carried a handgun as his acting bodyguard. I infer from everything I’ve read that she also performed extensive emotional labor, preventing him repeatedly from burning his drafts of Lolita (which was, in hindsight, a mistake). People in relationships make choices that sometimes do not look equitable or reasonable from the outside. I try very hard not to judge, but it is difficult when a marriage is, to my eyes, so dreadfully unbalanced. What on earth did Vlad do for Vera? I can find no evidence of anything whatsoever. I can also find no evidence of her writing, or of her aspirations prior to meeting Vlad. I am very tired when I think about Vera. Sylvia Plath There is a passage in The Bell Jar that absolutely knocked me on the floor when I first read it: But an English major who knew shorthand was something else again. Everybody would want her. She would be in demand among all the up-and-coming young men and she would transcribe thrilling letter after thrilling letter. The trouble was, I hated the idea of serving men in any way. I wanted to dictate my own thrilling letters. There is no question that The Bell Jar is fairly autobiographical, and there is no question that Sylvia Plath died by suicide a few years into an attempt at being a writer and a mother and the wife of a writer. It has, somewhat recently, come to light via Sylvias letters that Ted Hughes was abusive, which I personally think should have been obvious already but I suppose it’s helpful in some abstract way to know it for sure. I am a writer and a mother and the wife of a writer, and I want to dictate my own thrilling letters. I don’t want to be Vera, I want to have a Vera. But it turns out that Veras are still by and large only available to men. This phenomenon is evident particularly in the way that (male) writers thank their spouses in the acknowledgments of their books. #ThanksForTyping A few years ago, Alexis Coe wrote in Lenny Letter about the disconnect she had noticed, where male writers thank their wives for support (i.e. doing everything so they can write) and female writers rarely do the same (most likely because they are writing and caring for the children and doing the laundry and cooking and cleaning and cetera.) Where can I get a research assistant slash editor slash (I assume) sex goddess, please? Nearly a year later, Bruce Holziger tweeted about a verrrry similar discoveryâ€"specifically, that men are thanking wives for typing their manuscripts, something that apparently these male writers are too important and/or inept to doâ€"and got a lot more attention, spawning a hashtag (#ThanksForTyping) and a Buzzfeed article that featured a depressing assortment of tweets using the hashtag. (I could go on for several paragraphs here about how a woman wrote it first but when a man said something it got widespread attention, but, well. Those paragraphs would be better summed up by an emoji of a trash can or possibly a smiling poop.) Jodi FUCKING Picoult, Shirley Jackson, and Anita Loos What I want to know is: who would I thank in my acknowledgments? Without a Vera, how will I ever write enough to be worth anything? To even have acknowledgments? Where will I dictate my thrilling letters? Is there even any point in trying? I guess I want to be the imaginary male author described by Rufi Thorpe in her devastating essay Mother, Writer, Monster, Maid: “Your father is Jodi FUCKING Picoult.” (If you click only one link in this essay, let it be that one.) But Jodi Picoult manages to have a writing career without a Vera (or, put another way, acting as her own Vera), and so have many other literary wives, including Shirley Jackson, whose husband Stanley Hyman was The Worst. Stanley, who somehow was better-known during their lifetimes than she was, took great pride in never having changed a diaper (they had four children), and while that was de rigueur for the time, he also could not boil an egg, make toast, or even pour his own coffee. (Source: Ruth Franklins biography A Rather Haunted Life and Shirleys “fictional” family stories, Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons). Shirley did everything for him and the children, kept house, entertained, and wrote nonstop, while Stanley occasionally wrote for The New Yorker, having affairs in the New York literary scene. Later, he taught at a womens college, having affairs with his students (he did not believe in monogamy or care that his wife wanted it). Stanley, at least (and I do mean least), did not make any effort to stop Shirleys writing career; in fact, they met because he read a story of hers and declared that he was going to marry the author. Compare him to Ted Hughes, or perhaps to John Emerson, who went so far to discourage his wife Anita Loos from having a career as to fake an illness in an attempt to prevent her traveling. Like Hughes and Hyman, he was also unfaithful to his wife. #MeToo In the last few years, we have seen a landslide of mens careers being put on pause (though most of them have quickly resurfaced) due to the way theyve treated women and young boys as sex toys instead of people. Inevitably, a backlash has begun of people crying, “But what of their talent?!” as though somehow the world needs the art of abusers more than it needs that of the abused. Shirley died and Stanley immediately remarried. Sylvia died and Ted went on to publish poems for 35 years, both his own and Sylvias (taking the profits, of course, and edited as he saw fit). Anita suffered for decades, lost most of her money to Emerson, attempted multiple times to divorce him (he refused), and finally went off and enjoyed a successful Hollywood career as a screenwriter in spite of him (she managed, at least, to outlive him by 25 years). I still like my husband. He works a full-time job and comes home and does half the housework. Well, more than half. Most of the housework. Hes an equal parent and does not expect me to be his typist. And yet I find it difficult to not resent the fact that I once wanted to be his goddamn secretary.

Friday, May 22, 2020

PHP Source Code Isnt Viewable; Only HTML Code

With many websites, you can use your browser or another program to view the documents source code. This is a common occurrence  by viewers who want to see how a website developer accomplished a feature on a website. Anyone can view all the HTML that was used to create the page, but even if the web page contains PHP code, you can only view the HTML code and the results of the PHP code, not the code itself. Why PHP Code Isnt Viewable All PHP scripts are executed on the server before the website is delivered to the site viewer. By the time the data gets to the reader, all that is left is the HTML code. This is why a person cant go to a .php website page, save the file and expect it to work. They can save the HTML and see the results of PHP scripts, which are embedded inside the HTML after the code is executed, but the script itself is safe from curious eyes. Here is a test: The result is  PHP Code Test, but the code that generates it isnt viewable. Although you can see that there must be PHP code at work on the page, when you view the document source, you only see PHP Code Test because the rest is just instructions for the server and is not passed on to the viewer. In this  test scenario, only the text is sent to the users browser. The end user never sees the code.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Food Is The Highest Sign Of Igbo Hospitality - 910 Words

Food is a main part of our daily life that brings our families together at least once a day to reconnect. It does not only keep us alive and functioning, but it helps us to learn and immerse ourselves into other cultures. Food can symbolize different things in a certain culture, such as a holiday or a celebration of some sort. An example is that on Jewish Passover each of the foods during the Seder meal have a specific meaning, and is eaten to help with the remembrance of certain events in their cultural history. Food can also show different cultures customs and their perceptions of what good manners are. In the Igbo culture, food is mentioned quite often, especially around times of celebration. It brings people together to share one common thing, their desire for delicious foods. The different food each have different meanings. Igbo people use their food to show gratitude, hospitality, and to express certain customs. For example, the Kola Nut is the highest sign of Igbo hospitality. But, receiving a Kola Nut was only a privilege for the men of the village, not the women. They would first bless the Kola Nut, then break it, and lastly distribute it. Another food that is mentioned quite a bit throughout Things Fall Apart and that has quite a significance is Palm wine. Palm wine is mostly mentioned whenever one of the main characters has someone inside their home, during times of celebration, and also during the time after Ikemefuna’s death. An example of when the palm wineShow MoreRelatedFood Is The Highest Sign Of Igbo Hospitality908 Words   |  4 PagesFood is main part of our daily lives that brings our families together at least once a day to reconnect. It does not only keep us alive and functioning, but it helps us to learn and immerse ourselves into other cultures. Food can symbolize different things in a certain culture, such as a holiday or a celebration of some sort. An example is that on Jewish Passover each of the foods during the Seder meal have a specific meaning, and is eaten to help with the remembrance of certain events in their culturesRead MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 PagesonaryDictionary of Ònà ¬Ã¯â‚¬ ¬chà   Igbo 2nd edition of the Igbo dictionary, Kay Williamson, Ethiope Press, 1972. Kay Williamson († ) This version prepared and edited by Roger Blench Roger Blench Mallam Dendo 8, Guest Road Cambridge CB1 2AL United Kingdom Voice/ Fax. 0044-(0)1223-560687 Mobile worldwide (00-44)-(0)7967-696804 E-mail R.Blench@odi.org.uk http://www.rogerblench.info/RBOP.htm To whom all correspondence should be addressed. This printout: November 16, 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations:Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesin quantity was also a transformation in quality. Migrations were inseparable from unprecedented urbanization and population growth, the expansion of industrial production and global markets, the spread of wage labor, the growth and extraction of food and resources to feed those workers, the revolution of transportation technologies, and the accompanying creation of an international system of nation states, borders, and population management techniques. Cities were the epicenter of this world

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Strategic Analysis Free Essays

Introduction to Business Submitted to: Miss. Rabia Hassan Assignment # 1 Section: K Topic: Strategic Alliance Tata and Starbucks Group Members: * Khubaib Yaqub * Rana Zeeshan * Momna Ahmad * Iqra Pervaiz * Aimen Naqvi * Iqra Tariq * Huma Akram TATA Coffee and STARBUCKS Indian Coffee Industry: India is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world, producing more than four percent of the world’s coffee, with the bulk production in southern states. In India the average coffee consumption per day is estimated to be ten cups per day. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Only India produces its coffee in indoor facility. Indian coffee has a unique historic flavor and aroma. Tata Coffee: Tata produces coffee on its private land. They process the beans and export green coffee. Tata also manufacture and exports Instant coffee. Starbucks: Starbucks is an International chain of coffee and coffeehouse based in Seattle and Washington. Starbucks prefers quality over price and is specialized in coffee and related beverages. Starbucks does the business of coffee, Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, high quality teas and coffee related equipment and accessories. About the Deal: Starbucks is joining hands with Tata to set up stores in Tata group’s retail outlets and hotels other then sourcing and roasting beans at Tata Coffees Kodagu facility with its particular process. The deal includes opening cafes, roasting and sourcing beans. Both Tata and Starbucks will have to solve the franchisee-led business model of Starbucks. Both companies have agreed to set up a 50:50% joint venture of growing hot beverages in India Market with a name called â€Å"Tata Starbucks Ltd†. Starbucks will be operated and owned across India through this venture. Their brand name will be named as Starbucks Coffee â€Å"A Tata Alliance†. Tata and Starbucks have agreed to open 50 cafes in several cities of India in 2012 starting with Delhi and Mumbai. Youth of India has increased the use of western Coffee Cafes. In India competitors of Starbucks includes Barista, Cafe coffee Day and Costa Coffee. Together Tata and Starbucks will control a market of Coffee Cafes which is estimated at over Rs. 700 crore a year. The agreement of separate roasting and sourcing between Tata Coffee Ltd and Starbucks Coffee Company Ltd in future will roast coffee to supply to Tata Starbucks and will export to Starbucks Coffee Company for its overseas operations. India produces Coffee over Rs. 3, 000 crore a year. Objectives of Tata Coffee behind this Deal: * Opportunity for TATA coffee to provide roasted coffee beans to Starbucks in India. * Get a chance to jointly invest in facility for export to other market. * Starbucks will provide new technology to the promotion of responsible agronomy practices. * A long term relationship will be formed with this MOU signed with Starbucks. * Tata coffee becomes Asia’s biggest publicly traded coffee grower. Vision: * Tata coffee will become the preferred choice in elite market. Customer satisfaction, centricity, quality, sustainability, and an engaged workforce will be our drivers to achieve Rs. 1, 000 crore enterprise by 2015. * In Future Tata coffee shall be perceived as one of the most respected organizations in the plantation and extraction business. Mission: * To simantinaously improve value to stakeholders through our operations while ensuring and improving the ecological wealth entrusted t o us. * Enhance quality of life of the people. * Be an exemplary corporate citizen having Tata values with total commitment to the communities in which we operate. | Values: * Integrity * Understanding * Excellence * Unity * Responsibility * Safe working Environment| | | | | Objectives of Starbucks Behind this deal: * Through this MOU Starbucks will be able to India’s market. * India can be a useful source of coffee in domestic market for Starbucks. * Starbucks will have the opportunity to get the knowhow of India market through Tata Global Beverages. * There will be synergy because Tata also has a business I retail market. Mission Statement: To establish Starbucks as the premier producer and provider of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow. Environmental Mission Statement: * To understand and share environmental problems. * Inventing a flexible solution to bring a change. * Revolutionise to buy and sell products which are environment friendly. * Recognizing that fiscal responsibility is essential to our environmental future. * Instilling environmental responsibility as a corporate value. Guiding Principles: * To be assertive and provide a good working environment. An essential way of our business is to discourage discrimination. * Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery of our coffee. * Making the customers enthusiastically satisfied. * Positive contribution towards communities and our environment. * To understand that profitability is essential to our future success. Advantages: * Tata and Starbucks both are the compan ies are leading in their sector respectively. * It is going to be a social project in India. * High quality green coffee beans are going to be produced. Considered jointly investing in additional facilities for exports to other markets. * Sources will be utilized by both in encouraging core competency. * The consumption of coffee is expected to grow at 6% annually. * Other companies can also approach Tata coffee for their raw product. * With the help of this deal Tata coffee will enhance to the branded coffee retail market. Competitive Advantage of Tata Coffee: Tata has maintained a strict consistency in quality whereas Tata is the world’s largest indoor coffee plantation company producing heavy quantity of special, strain specific and premium coffee. Tata’s coffee has a major consumption in Arabic-centric markets. Competitive advantage of Starbucks: Starbucks has the largest number of coffee houses in the world having a very strong brand image. They have loyal customers all around the world. Disadvantages: * The selling price of Starbucks is not cheap. * The entry of Starbucks has on the out-of-home coffee consumption market and this will effect alliance of Tata coffee with Barista. * There is no exclusivity for each other from both sides. * The demand I India is highly elastic so Starbucks will have to address its pricing issues. There are several competitions in the segment of Starbucks. * Coffee price continue to rule at historical laws and this definitely has an effect on the bottom line of Tata coffee. Conclusion: * This deal will be beneficial for both Tata and Starbucks as it is opening new phases for both. * Starbucks will be able to enter India’s market after having the MOU signed. * Tata will have the oppo rtunity to enter into retail outlet business by joining hands with Starbucks. * A Revolution will take place in India’s coffee retail outlet business. How to cite Strategic Analysis, Essay examples

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Washington Irving Essays - The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow,

Washington Irving Washington Irving was the first native American to succeed as a professional writer. He remains important as a pioneer in American humor and the development of the short story. Irving was greatly admired and imitated in the 19th century. Toward the end of his career, his reputation declined due to the sentimentality and excessive gentility of much of his work ("Irving" 479). Washington Irving's time spent in the Hudson Valley and abroad contributed to his writing of The Devil and Tom Walker, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Rip Van Winkle. Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783, the youngest of eleven children in a merchant family. Unlike his brothers, Irving did not attend nearby Columbia College, instead he was apprenticed in 1801 to a lawyer. In 1806, he passed the bar examination, but remained financially dependent on his family until the publication of The Sketch Book. In the meantime, Irving did odd jobs for the family as agent and lobbyist. It seems like he worked as little as possible, and for years pursued an amateur or semiprofessional interest in literature ("Irving" 479). In his free time, he read avidly and wandered when he could in the misty, rolling Hudson River valley, an area steeped in local folklore and legend that would serve as an inspiration for his later writings. ("Washington Irving" DISC) At nineteen, Mr. Irving began writing satirical letters under the pseudonym "Jonathan Oldstyle." He wrote to a newspaper owned by his brother Peter, named the New York Morning Chronicle. His first book, Salmagundi, was a collaboration with another brother, William and their friend James Kirke Paulding. This book satirized early New York theater and poked fun at the political, social, and cultural life of the city. Washington Irving's second book, A History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, is narrated by the fictitious Diedrich Knickerbocker. This book is a comical, deliberately inaccurate account of New York's Dutch colonization ("Washington Irving" DISC). Knickerbocker History and the almost thirty parts of Irving's next critically acclaimed book, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., show that his roots in New York and travels abroad gave him the basis for these works. The lively story of "The Devil and Tom Walker" is the story of Tom Walker, his termagant wife, and their separate confrontations with the devil. The New England folk tale is told with very little addition says Sara Rodes: Irving could have heard this tale in New York as well as in new England, for the general picture of the sharp "Yankee" represented by Tom Walker fitted well into the New Yorkers' idea of the new England character. Irving also uses the folk tradition as a base for his own imaginings rather than keeping close to the folk versions for the whole story. However, he always keeps much of the true folk spirit in his stories no matter how much he may add and romanticize. He often eliminates the roughness of the folk version but his folk lore is authentic and his use of it legitimate. (248) In this folk tale we see again that Mr. Irving has used his background to basically retell a story that he might have heard as a child. Also in, "The Devil and Tom Walker," which, despite its wildly improbable plot, foreshadows the best of Hawthornes's fictional exposure of Yankee shrewdness and Puritan hypocrisy (Ferguson 391). The Sketch Book, also contains the classic tale of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." This is the story of Ichabod Crane, which is from Hebrew meaning "inglorious," or literally, "without honor" (Bone 4). Ichabod's encounter with the Headless Horseman is the dramatic climax of the story. In the folktale of German origin Irving has once again transplanted the story to take places in the Hudson Valley of New York and achieved something more than the routine tale of suspense or the bizarre anecdote ("Irving" 480). His descriptions of Sleepy Hollow and the people were so realistic and homey that old timers of the lower Hudson River claimed to have known Brom Bones himself (Rodes 248). ". . . Irving is thoroughly capable of creating pure fiction form his own imagination. He is especially good at elaborating and embroidering the skeleton of a local folk tradition . . .," says Sara Rodes (247). Another tale from The Sketch Book, "Rip Van Winkle" is an American version of an ancient folk tale