Rip Van Winkle

Grade 3

In the Catskill Mountains in what is now the state of New York, people tell many old legends about the first Dutch settlers. (*수능 수준)

In the mountains near the Hudson River is a little village founded by some of those first settlers. (*수능 수준)

A simple, kind man named Rip Van Winkle once lived in this village, along with his wife and their two small children, Rip and Judith.

The people of the village all loved Rip.

The children (of the village) shouted a welcome whenever he approached.

Rip took part in their games and told them stories.

Whenever he went walking, a group of children always followed him, and not (even) one dog in the village ever barked at him.

Rip was always willing to help his neighbors, but he rarely did any work around his own farm.

His fences needed mending, and his cows were always wandering away.

He seemed to grow more weeds than crops.

Rip’s wife constantly scolded him for being lazy.

So he spent most of his time with his friends at the village inn or (he spent most of his time) wandering in the mountains.

One day when Rip got tired of his wife’s nagging, he called his dog, Wolf, and went off toward the mountains.

After walking a long way, he sat down on a grassy hill to enjoy the fine autumn day.

From where he was sitting, Rip could see the Hudson River and the thick forest.

Before long, the mountains threw their long blue shadows over the village below.

Rip knew that it would be dark long before he reached home.

He heaved a deep sigh when he thought of what his wife would have to say to him.

Just as Rip was about to start on his way, he heard a voice in the distance.

“Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!” Rip looked around, but he saw nothing.

He thought (that) his mind was playing tricks on him, and he began his long walk home.

Again he heard the same voice crying out, ‘Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!’

Wolf gave a suspicious growl and went to stand beside his master.

Rip was frightened.

He looked anxiously around again.

An old man dressed in old-fashioned clothes was moving toward him.

The man was bent under the weight of the barrel (that) he was carrying on his back.

Rip, thinking that the man might need help, moved toward him.

The stranger was a short, squarely built old man. (*수능 수준)

His hair was bushy and thick, and he had a full gray beard.

The barrel (that) he carried was full of cider, and it was almost as big as he was.

He didn’t say a word, but he made signs for Rip to help him with his load.

Rip was uneasy, but he decided to help the man.

Every so often as they walked along, Rip heard a rumbling that sounded like distant thunder.

Thunderstorms often occurred in the mountains, so he thought little of it and went on.

A short while later, Rip and the old man reached a grassy meadow.

There Rip saw a group of short men playing ninepins.

What an odd group they were!

One had a long beard and small piggish eyes.

Another had a face that was occupied entirely by his nose.

All the men had beards of various shapes and lengths, and the longest belonged to the man who seemed to be in charge.

He was a serious-looking gentleman with a weather-beaten face.

Rip realized that the thunder he had heard was the noise of rolling balls echoing through the mountains.

When Rip and the old man got closer, the other men stopped their play and stared at Rip.

Rip politely greeted everyone, but not one of the men said a word to him.

Their staring made Rip so nervous that his knees began to knock together.

Rip’s companion began to empty the contents of the barrel into large mugs.

He made a sign that Rip should pass these mugs among the players.

Rip, still uneasy, obeyed.

The strange little men quickly drank down the cider in silence and returned to their game.

When Rip realized that the men did not mean any harm, he became less fearful.

He even took a sip of cider when no one was looking.

Rip found that he liked the taste of the strong cider, and he continued to steal sips.

Soon he felt a little dizzy, and he fell into a deep sleep.

When Rip woke up, it was a beautiful morning.

He found himself at the same spot where he had first seen the old man with the barrel.

He rubbed his eyes.

“Surely,” said Rip aloud, “I have not slept here the whole night.”

He reached for his pocket watch, but it was not there.

Then he remembered the night before.

He remembered the strange men, the game of ninepins, and the cider.

“Now, what have I done?” said Rip.

“What will I ever tell my wife? I cannot tell her about my adventure. She will never believe me.”

He looked around for his watch, but he found only rusty bits and pieces of an old pocket watch lying on the ground.

He suspected that the old men had stolen his.

He decided to find them and (to) demand that they (should) return it.

Rip whistled for Wolf, but the dog did not come running.

Rip started to get up and found that his joints were stiff.

“These mountain beds do not agree with me,” he mumbled.

He began to look for the place where he had last seen the men playing ninepins.

Rip had a hard time retracing his steps.

Trees seemed to have grown overnight because now they blocked his way.

He couldn’t find the grassy meadow where he had been the night before.

He also began to feel very hungry.

He decided (that) he had better go home to face his wife.

Again, he tried whistling for Wolf.

When the dog still did not appear, Rip sadly started for home.

As he got close to the village, Rip saw a number of people, but he did not know any of them.

This really surprised him.

He thought (that) he knew everyone in the village.

As people passed Rip, they stared at him and stroked their chins.

He finally touched his own chin and realized that his beard had grown a foot long!

Everything in the village was strange to Rip.

He saw houses he had never seen before.

He saw strange names over some doors.

He didn’t recognize the children who followed him, and strange dogs barked at him.

Rip was very confused.

He knew that this was the village he had left the day before, but somehow everything was different.

When Rip finally found his way to his small farm, he saw that it was deserted.

The roof had fallen in, and the windows were broken.

Inside, he saw nothing but empty rooms.

Rip hurried back to find the village inn.

Surely he would find his friends there, but the inn, too, was gone.

In its place, was a tall pole with a strange striped flag waving from it.

As Rip stared at the flag, a crowd of people gathered around him.

One man began to ask him questions.

“Tell me, sir, who are you? Where are you from?”

Rip didn’t have the slightest idea what the man was talking about.

Finally, he cried out, “Doesn’t anybody here know Rip Van Winkle?”

“There he is, leaning against that post,” said a man in the crowd.

Rip turned to look, and he saw a man who looked just like he had when he went up the mountain.

This only confused him more.

As the young man wandered over, Rip said, “I fell asleep in the mountains last night.

When I woke up this morning, everything was different.”

The people in the crowd all winked at one another.

They thought (that) Rip was crazy.

Then, a young woman with a crying baby in her arms joined the young Rip in the crowd.

“Hush, Rip,” she said to the baby. “The old man won’t hurt you.”

Rip was startled. “What is your name?” he asked.

“Judith Gardiner,” was her reply.

“And your father’s name?”

“Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it’s been twenty years since he went away. *수능에 매년 출제

His dog came home, but my brother and I have never seen our father since the day (when) he walked off toward the mountains.”

“What happened to your mother?” Rip asked.

“Oh, she has been dead for many years now.”

Rip couldn’t be quiet any longer.

“I am your father!” he cried.

“Doesn’t anyone recognize me?”

Everyone in the crowd was amazed by Rip’s words.

Finally, an old woman in the crowd looked carefully at Rip and declared, “Sure enough, it is Rip Van Winkle! Welcome home, old neighbor.

Where have you been these past twenty years?”

Soon, Rip had told his story.

The twenty years had passed as if they had been only one night.

Some people believed him, but most others still thought he was crazy.

Rip’s daughter, Judith, took him to the comfortable home she shared with her husband.

There he lived with her and her family.

Rip went back to taking long walks, playing with children, and talking with friends.

And today, whenever thunder rolls through the Catskill Mountains, people think of strange little men playing a game of ninepins.