Washington Irving's story of the man who slept for twenty years.
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Ten words open the story. Do the four short activities. Say your answer out loud before you reveal it.
Three words: beard · village · inn. Say the right word for each meaning, then reveal.
Read each part. Then answer the quick questions from memory, and talk about the discussion question.
Long ago — about 250 years ago — there was a small village in America, at the foot of the beautiful Catskill Mountains. In this village lived a man called Rip Van Winkle. Everybody loved Rip. He helped his neighbours, he played with the children, he told wonderful stories. Even the dogs were happy to see him.
But Rip had one problem: he was very lazy — with his own work. He could fish all day and help anyone in the village. But his own farm? His fence was broken. His fields were full of weeds. His cow was always running away. His wife was angry with him from morning to night: "Work, Rip! Fix the fence, Rip! Think of your family, Rip!" Rip never argued. He just shook his head, said nothing, and went out.
When his wife was too angry, Rip took his gun and his dog, Wolf, and walked up into the mountains. There it was quiet. There were tall trees, green valleys, and no angry voices at all.
1. Why did everybody love Rip? What was his problem?
2. Where did Rip go when his wife was angry?
1. He was kind and friendly — he helped everyone, played with children and told stories. But he was very lazy with his own farm, and his wife was always angry about it.
2. Up into the quiet mountains, with his gun and his dog Wolf.
One autumn afternoon, Rip walked high, high up into the mountains. When evening came, he heard a voice: "Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!" A strange little man was climbing up the rocks. He wore very old-fashioned clothes and carried a small barrel on his shoulder. He didn't speak — he just showed Rip: "Help me carry this."
Rip helped. They climbed up into a hidden green valley between the rocks. And there Rip saw something amazing: a group of strange little men, all in old Dutch clothes, playing a game like bowling. Every time a ball rolled, the sound was like thunder in the mountains. But the men never spoke. They never smiled. They played in complete silence.
The little man opened the barrel. Inside was a special drink. Rip served the players — and then, when nobody was looking, he tasted the drink himself. It was delicious! He drank one cup, then another, then another. His eyes became heavy. His head went down. And Rip Van Winkle fell into a deep, deep sleep.
1. Who did Rip meet in the mountains, and what were the little men doing?
2. Why did Rip fall asleep?
1. A strange little man with a barrel, who took him to a hidden valley where silent little men in old clothes were playing a bowling game. The balls sounded like thunder.
2. He tasted the special drink from the barrel — one cup, then more — and it made him very, very sleepy.
Rip woke up on the green grass. It was a sunny morning. "Oh no," he thought, "did I sleep here all night? My wife will be so angry!" But something was wrong. His gun was old and rusty. His dog Wolf was gone. His beard — his beard was long and grey! And his body felt old and stiff.
He walked down to the village. But everything was different. There were new houses everywhere. There were strange faces in the streets. Nobody knew him. His own house was empty and broken. And the old inn was gone — there was a new, bigger building, with a new flag in front of it. The old picture of the King was gone too; now there was a picture of a man called George Washington. While Rip was asleep, everything had changed — even the country itself. America was a new, independent country now. Rip had slept for twenty years!
"Does nobody know Rip Van Winkle?" he cried. "Rip Van Winkle?" said the people. "Yes — look, there he is!" And they pointed at a young man under a tree — lazy-looking, in old clothes. It was Rip's own son, now grown up! Then a young woman came through the crowd, with a baby in her arms. It was Judith — Rip's daughter, now a grown woman with her own family. She took her old father home with her. And Rip? He got a place on the bench in front of the new inn, and became the most famous storyteller in the village. Every child knew his amazing story. And even today, people say: when you hear thunder in the Catskill Mountains, the little men are playing their game again.
1. What surprises did Rip find when he woke up? Name three.
2. How does the story end for Rip?
1. Any three: his gun was rusty; his dog was gone; his beard was long and grey; the village was full of new houses and strangers; his house was empty; the inn and the King's picture were gone; his children were grown up.
2. Happily: he lives with his daughter Judith, sits on the bench at the inn, and becomes the village's favourite storyteller.
To describe a place, English uses there is and there are. To describe a place in the past — like Rip's old village — we use there was and there were.
Write there was or there were.
1. Long ago, a small village near the mountains.
2. In the hidden valley, strange little men playing a game.
3. In front of the old inn, a picture of the King.
1. there was (one village) 2. there were (many men) 3. there was (one picture)
Write there is or there are.
1. Now new houses everywhere in the village.
2. a new flag in front of the new inn.
3. many new faces in the streets.
1. there are 2. There is 3. There are
Write there was, there were, there is or there are. Then read the paragraph aloud.
Twenty years ago, a quiet little village here. only a few small houses. Today, everything is different: new buildings everywhere, and a big new inn with a new flag.
there was · There were · there are · there is
Keep these ready — in the Speak tab you'll describe places from your past and present.
Washington Irving wrote this story in 1819. It was one of the first famous American stories, and people all over the world still know Rip's name. In many countries there are old legends about a person who sleeps for many years — Irving gave America its own version.
This is the heart of the lesson — do all of it out loud. Use the timer, and fill the time with detail.
Tell the story of Rip Van Winkle in your own words: the friendly, lazy man → the angry wife → the strange little men in the mountains → the drink and the long sleep → the changed village → the happy ending.
Use there was/there were at least twice (for the old village) and at least four key words (lazy, mountains, stranger, beard, village, inn, rusty, fell asleep).
Talk about these questions: Would you like to sleep for twenty years and wake up in the future? What would be good about it? What would be terrible?
Rip's village changed completely in twenty years. Now describe changes in a place you know.
Need an idea? Choose one: