The Literary World Seventh Reader | Page 8

him
but as one night. The neighbors stared when they heard it; some were
seen to wink at each other, and put their tongues in their cheeks: and
the self-important man in the cocked hat, who when the alarm was over
had returned to the field, screwed down the corners of his mouth, and
shook his head--upon which there was a general shaking of the head
throughout the assemblage.
It was determined, however, to take the opinion of old Peter
Vanderdonk, who was seen slowly advancing up the road. He was a
descendant of the historian of that name, who wrote one of the earliest
accounts of the province. Peter was the most ancient inhabitant of the
village, and well versed in all the wonderful events and traditions of the
neighborhood. He recollected Rip at once, and corroborated his story in
the most satisfactory manner. He assured the company that it was a fact,
handed down from his ancestor the historian, that the Catskill
Mountains had always been haunted by strange beings. It was affirmed
that the great Hendrick Hudson, the first discoverer of the river and
country, kept a kind of vigil there every twenty years, with his crew of
the Half-moon; being permitted in this way to revisit the scenes of his
enterprise, and keep a guardian eye upon the river and the great city
called by his name. His father had once seen them in their old Dutch
dresses playing at ninepins in a hollow of the mountain; and he himself
had heard, one summer afternoon, the sound of their balls, like distant
peals of thunder.
To make a long story short, the company broke up and returned to the
more important concerns of the election. Rip's daughter took him home
to live with her; she had a snug, well-furnished house, and a stout,
cheery farmer for a husband, whom Rip recollected for one of the
urchins that used to climb upon his back. As to Rip's son and heir, who

was the ditto of himself, seen leaning against the tree, he was employed
to work on the farm; but showed an hereditary disposition to attend to
anything else but his business.
WASHINGTON IRVING.
=HELPS TO STUDY=
"Rip Van Winkle" is the most beautiful of American legendary stories.
Washington Irving, the author, taking the old idea of long sleep, as
found in "The Sleeping Beauty" and other fairy tales, gave it an
American setting and interwove in it the legend of Henry Hudson, the
discoverer of the Hudson river, who was supposed to return to the
scene of his achievement every twenty years, together with the shades
of his crew.
I. Where is the scene of this story laid? In which paragraph do you
learn when the incident related in the story took place? Why does
Irving speak of the mountains as "fairy mountains"? In which
paragraph do you meet the principal characters? Give the opinion you
form of Rip and his wife. Read sentences that show Rip's good
qualities--those that show his faults. What unusual thing happened to
Rip on his walk? How was the dog affected? Give a full account of
what happened afterward. Tell what impressed you most in this scene.
Read aloud the lines that best describe the scenery.
II. Describe Rip's waking. What was his worst fear? How did he
explain to himself the change in his gun and the disappearance of Wolf?
How did he account for the stiffness of his joints? What was still his
chief fear? Describe the changes which had taken place in the
mountains. With what feeling did he turn homeward? Why? How did
he discover the alteration in his own appearance? How did the children
and dogs treat him? Why was this particularly hard for Rip to
understand? What other changes did he find? What remained unaltered?
How did Rip still account for the peculiar happenings? Describe Rip's
feelings as he turned to his own house, and its desolation.
III. What change had been made in the sign over the inn? Why? What

important thing was taking place in the village? Why did the speech of
the "lean fellow" seem "perfect jargon" to Rip? Why did he not
understand the questions asked him? What happened when Rip made
his innocent reply to the self-important gentleman? How did he at last
learn of the lapse of time? What added to his bewilderment? How was
the mystery explained? Note the question Rip reserved for the last and
the effect the answer had upon him. How did Peter Vanderdonk explain
the strange happening? What is the happy ending? Do you like Rip?
Why?
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Urashima--Graded Classics III. Vice Versa--F. Anstey. Peter
Pan--James Barrie. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow--Washington Irving.
A Christmas Carol--Charles Dickens. Enoch Arden--Alfred Tennyson.
FOOTNOTE:
[9-*] For words