Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
"Rip Van Winkle" focuses on the simple and idle character of Rip Van Winkle. Most of the villagers love him, but his termagant wife, Dame Van Winkle, constantly scolds him. Rip is good at helping others, but he's inept at helping himself or his family. Leave Dame Van Winkle to take care of the house, take care of the children and work on the farm. However, Rip Van Winkle is not lazy. He is good at hunting and fishing and is willing to do things for others. However, when it comes to his own land, he seems unlucky. He can't make anything grow, and out of frustration he often spends time away from his annoying wife and their ruined farm.
Rip likes to spend time with his friends, who are other idle men like him, on a bench in front of the inn. They are called the "philosophers" of the city and their reflections are languid and cheerful. The main leader of the men's group is the inn's owner, Nicholas Vedder, who never speaks and always smokes. The other men prowling the inn include Van Brummel, the schoolmaster, and Brom Dutcher. Dame Van Winkle believes that these men are a bad influence on Rip Van Winkle. She follows Rip to the inn and scolds him and all the other men. Unable to escape his wife in the city, Rip finds solace by going hunting in the woods. He takes his dog, Wolf, who is also afraid of Dame Van Winkle, and his gun. While exploring the Catskill Mountains, Rip and his dog reach the highest point. Rip rests, leans back on a grassy knoll, and examines the land around him.
As it gets dark, Rip reluctantly begins to head home. Then he hears a man calling his name. Rip at first can't find the source, but eventually, he spies on a strange man climbing the mountain. The man wears old-fashioned Dutch clothes and carries a large beer keg on his back. Rip, helpful by nature, is going to help the man, who doesn't say a word. The man leads Rip through a strange river bed and leads him to a closed hole, where several other men are gathered. They all wear very old Dutch style clothing, and one man, who appears to be the leader, wears a high top hat with a feather. All the men are playing ...
