Rip Van Winkle

The Catskill Mountains change colour at different times of the year. Many people think that they are magic mountains.

It is 1769. In a village near the Catskills lives a friendly man. His name is Rip Van Winkle. The village children love him.

Rip loves doing nothing all day.

But when the men of the village ask Rip for help on their farms, he always goes and helps them.

And when the women of the village ask Rip for help, he never says no.

Rip is always ready to do his neighbours' work - but he never works on his farm!

The Van Winkles have two wild children - Rip and Judith. Young Rip always wears his father's old clothes.

Morning and night Mrs Van Winkle tells him that he is lazy.

Rip never answers her. This makes her angrier.

One day, Rip leaves his wife at the farm. He calls his dog, Wolf, and they go for a walk in the mountains.

In the late afternoon, Rip sits on one of the mountains. For a long time, he watches the beautiful Hudson River.

Soon the sky is dark. Rip's wife always gets angry when he comes home late, so he must leave now.

When he goes down the mountain, Rip meets a stranger. The man has something on his back.

The stranger isn't very tall. He's fat, his hair is wild, and he's wearing old Dutch clothes. He wants Rip to carry the barrel.

Rip walks up the mountain with the man. Sometimes he carries the barrel to help him. The stranger says nothing.

After a time, they meet a number of men in the mountains. They are all playing an old Dutch game, and wearing old Dutch clothes.

The man with the barrel gives them all a drink. Everything is quiet. Nobody smiles, and nobody speaks.

When the men begin to play again, Rip has a drink. He feels thirsty, so he drinks more and more.

Soon Rip is tired. His eyes close, and he goes to sleep.

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mountains very big hills

magic not usual, and with something that you can't understand

farm a house with land in the country

neighbour a person who lives near you

wild not quiet and not good; not staying where you want

clothes people wear these

lazy not wanting to work

wife a woman living with a man

river water that moves through the country in a long line

stranger someone that you don't know

barrel a tall round box; you put things to drink in it

game something that you play; tennis and football are games