If you love short stories, you may be familiar with 'Rip Van Winkle' by Washington Irving. It's a story about a Dutch-American villager who meets a mysterious Dutchman, imbibes his liquor, and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains. This eerie tale has inspired many movies and television shows.
'Rip Van Winkle'
Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle, published in 1819, is a classic short story about the adventure of a young Dutch-American villager. In the story, Rip meets a mysterious Dutchman, imbibes some of his liquor, and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains.
Washington Irving's short story
Rip Van Winkle is a ne'er-do-well and henpecked husband who wanders off into the mountains and meets strange people. His wife, Dame Van Winkle, and son, Rip Jr. are not happy to have lost their husband. The town of Rip's birth is a small Dutch town that was ruled by the British. But after the Revolutionary War, the town grew up and the government changed.
Nicholas Vedder's portrayal of 'Rip'
The story of Rip Van Winkle is a timeless one. He lives in a mountain village in the Kaatskills with his wife Dame Van Winkle and their children. When his wife becomes abusive, he turns to a group of wise men who help him make decisions. They also help him find his way through life.
His wife's nagging
Rip Van Winkle's wife is a nag who nags him about every little thing. She constantly harps on how idle he is and how it is ruining the family. Rip finds her nagging to be irritating and eventually decides to leave her. Despite the intrusion of the nagging, he is relieved to know that Dame Van Winkle is dead.
His drinking habits
Rip Van Winkle's drinking habits are one of the most interesting stories in literature. The author uses his own experiences as a way to explore the subject. In one episode, Rip meets a dwarf on South Mountain. The dwarf was wearing a steeple hat, a belted coat, and petticoat trousers. His unmoving eyes were filled with a mysterious gaze. The dwarf carried a keg. Rip took the dwarf's gesture to relieve him of the keg.
His wife's death
Rip Van Winkle was a foolish, happy mortal. He liked brown bread better than white. He would rather starve than work, and would whistle his way through life. However, Rip's wife was a constant complainer about his carelessness and how he was ruining his family.
His disappearance
The mystery surrounding Rip Van Winkle's disappearance is complicated. The story was retold in several different versions of history, but the basic facts are still the same. Rip van Winkle was a married man who lived in the Catskill Mountains. He was married to Dame Van Winkle, the only woman in the town. Rip was a wandering, gregarious man who seemed to take care of everybody else's business. He also built a cabin for himself and his dog in the mountains. The property was deteriorating and he sought refuge in the woods.
His mythology
The legend of Rip Van Winkle has become part of New York's mythology. The story is set in the Catskill Mountains before and after the Revolutionary War. Irving incorporates actual events and places to give the story added weight. Unlike many other myths, Rip's story begins innocently enough. As time passes, Rip begins to realize that he has been sleeping for two decades.
