Folktales are defined as stories or legends that are passed down through generations as part of an oral tradition. They typically focus on universal themes and contain supernatural elements. Throughout his short story The Devil and Tom Walker, Washington Irving suggests that his story is actually a folktale by mentioning various versions of the same story told by others. When Irving is describing what happened to Tom's wife, he mentions that various people believed different versions of how she disappeared. Some believed that she fell into a pit, while others believed that she ran off with the "household booty." Others believed Tom's wife got into an argument with the devil and was killed. By presenting various versions of the same story, Irving illustrates how the story has been shared orally and passed down.
Later on in the story, Irving describes some of the stories that circulate about Tom Walker's behavior later on in the life. Irving says,
"If he really did take such a precaution it was totally superfluous; at least so says the authentic old legend which closes his story in the following."
Referencing the "old legend" also implies that the story he is telling is a folktale. The fact that there are supernatural elements to the story, it is considered a legend, and has been passed down orally suggests that the story of Tom Walker is a folktale.
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