"the devil and tom walker" is based on a german folktale. how does washington irving adapt it to make it purely american?

One example of Irving's grounding the tale in New England and his utilization of stereotypes is in his dramatization of the colonists' attitudes of colonial Americans.  When Tom sits down in the swamp area, he staff strikes against something hard; he unearths and discovers a "cloven skull, with an Indian tomahawk buried deep in it.  With disgust, Tom Walker gives the skull a kick, showing no concern for the murder victim.