☆Rip Van Winkle

I read Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow written by Washington Irving. I write about Rip Van Winkle at first.

I learned about Washington Irving on American Literary History class. I was surprised that I found this book at the school Library, because I think this novel is difficult to read in English. However, it is easy to read so I recommend it, if you have an interest in this novel!!

Rip Van Winkle was liked by the people in the town because he liked talking to them and helping them. He was a farmer but he didn't like working. He always went to the bar in order to talk to his friends so his wife was very angry.

The name of the bar was the King George. King George was the British king, and America was British then.

I think it is an important point!

One day, Rip went to the mountains with his dog, Wolf, because he didn't want to see his wife. The mountains were strange because strange noises came from there sometimes.
When they started to come back, there was a noise: "Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!" Rip asked "Who's calling my name?" but anyone didn't answer and it was quiet there so they were afraid.
Then Rip looked down there and there was an old men. He had a lot of white hair and a long white beard, and he had a big barrel on his back so he walked up there slowly. Rip try to talk him, but he didn't answer. It was strange but Rip helped him by bringing his barrel on Rip's back.
They came to a big building in the mountains and there were a lot of old men having very long white beards. They also ignored Rip but he had a drink from the barrel with them. He was happy because he liked it and his wife was't here. After he drank too much, he started to sleep.

When Rip opened his eyes, there were no men and Wolf. He also looked for the big building but it wasn't here. He wanted to find his dog but he wasn't here too, so Rip walked down there to his town.
There were the people and the buildings that he didn't know in his town. He went to his house and he find a dog but he didn't know him. Then he went to the bar because he wanted to meet his friends.

The name of the bar wasn't the King George. It had a new name--The Union Hotel.

America had a war with Britain and now it is a new country--the United States of America!
There were not his friends there and the men in the bar told Rip that his friends were dead.

He was unhappy and he got out there slowly. A young woman came to the hotel then. She was Rip's daughter and she had her child!!

"Daughter, I don't understand. Yesterday, you were a child, and now you're not. Yesterday, I was young, and today I'm old. Yesterday, I had friends at this bar, and today they're not here. They're dead. I don't understand," Rip said.
"Father, it wasn't yesterday. You walked to the mountains with your dog in 1770. Now it's 1790. Twenty years, father, twenty years!" she answered.

I don't know whether the strange men in the mountain were ghosts or not, but it is scary that Rip had slept for 20 years!


It is similar to Urashima Taro which is a Japanese fairy tale. Taro went to a strange place called "Ryugu castle" in the sea by riding a turtle which is helped by Taro. He met a princess Oto and he have had a wonderful time there with her for several years. When he come back his real home, he become very old though he should have spent there only several years!

I think it is a little diferent from the Urashima Taro. Taro had a wonderful time with the princess at the castle and Rip had a happy time too, but he spent a time with not talking strange men. I think Rip must be scary at that time.

Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Penguin Readers Level 1, 0-582-42051-2

See you again:)

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