THE　SKETCH　BOOK
  RIP　VAN　WINKLE
  A　POSTHUMOUS　WRITING　OF　DIEDRICH　KNICKERBOCKER
  by　Washington　Irving
  By　Woden；　God　of　Saxons；
  From　whence　comes　Wensday；　that　is　Wodensday。
  Truth　is　a　thing　that　ever　I　will　keep
  Unto　thylke　day　in　which　I　creep　into
  My　sepulchre…
  CARTWRIGHT。
  ＇The　following　Tale　was　found　among　the　papers　of　the　late
  Diedrich　Knickerbocker；　an　old　gentleman　of　New　York；　who　was　very
  curious　in　the　Dutch　history　of　the　province；　and　the　manners　of　the
  descendants　from　its　primitive　settlers。　His　historical　researches；
  however；　did　not　lie　so　much　among　books　as　among　men；　for　the
  former　are　lamentably　scanty　on　his　favorite　topics；　whereas　he
  found　the　old　burghers；　and　still　more　their　wives；　rich　in　that
  legendary　lore；　so　invaluable　to　true　history。　Whenever；　therefore；　he
  happened　upon　a　genuine　Dutch　family；　snugly　shut　up　in　its　low…roofed
  farmhouse；　under　a　spreading　sycamore；　he　looked　upon　it　as　a　little
  clasped　volume　of　black…letter；　and　studied　it　with　the　zeal　of　a
  book…worm。
  The　result　of　all　these　researches　was　a　history　of　the　province
  during　the　reign　of　the　Dutch　governors；　which　he　published　some　years
  since。　There　have　been　various　opinions　as　to　the　literary　character
  of　his　work；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　it　is　not　a　whit　better　than　it
  should　be。　Its　chief　merit　is　its　scrupulous　accuracy；　which　indeed
  was　a　little　questioned　on　its　first　appearance；　but　has　since　been
  completely　established；　and　it　is　now　admitted　into　all　historical
  collections；　as　a　book　of　unquestionable　authority。
  The　old　gentleman　died　shortly　after　the　publication　of　his　work；
  and　now　that　he　is　dead　and　gone；　it　cannot　do　much　harm　to　his　memory
  to　say　that　his　time　might　have　been　much　better　employed　in　weightier
  labors。　He；　however；　was　apt　to　ride　his　hobby　his　own　way；　and　though
  it　did　now　and　then　kick　up　the　dust　a　little　in　the　eyes　of　his
  neighbors；　and　grieve　the　spirit　of　some　friends；　for　whom　he　felt　the
  truest　deference　and　affection；　yet　his　errors　and　follies　are
  remembered　〃more　in　sorrow　than　in　anger；〃　and　it　begins　to　be
  suspected；　that　he　never　intended　to　injure　or　offend。　But　however　his
  memory　may　be　appreciated　by　critics；　it　is　still　held　dear　by　many
  folk；　whose　good　opinion　is　well　worth　having；　particularly　by　certain
  biscuit…bakers；　who　have　gone　so　far　as　to　imprint　his　likeness　on
  their　new…year　cakes；　and　have　thus　given　him　a　chance　for
  immortality；　almost　equal　to　the　being　stamped　on　a　Waterloo　Medal；　or
  a　Queen　Anne's　Farthing。＇
  WHOEVER　has　made　a　voyage　up　the　Hudson　must　remember　the
  Kaatskill　mountains。　They　are　a　dismembered　branch　of　the　great
  Appalachian　family；　and　are　seen　away　to　the　west　of　the　river；
  swelling　up　to　a　noble　height；　and　lording　it　over　the　surrounding
  country。　Every　change　of　season；　every　change　of　weather；　indeed；
  every　hour　of　the　day；　produces　some　change　in　the　magical　hues　and
  shapes　of　these　mountains；　and　they　are　regarded　by　all　the　good
  wives；　far　and　near；　as　perfect　barometers。　When　the　weather　is　fair
  and　settled；　they　are　clothed　in　blue　and　purple；　and　print　their　bold
  outlines　on　the　clear　evening　sky；　but；　sometimes；　when　the　rest　of
  the　landscape　is　cloudless；　they　will　gather　a　hood　of　gray　vapors
  about　their　summits；　which；　in　the　last　rays　of　the　setting　sun；
  will　glow　and　light　up　like　a　crown　of　glory。
  At　the　foot　of　these　fair　mountains；　the　voyager　may　have　descried
  the　light　smoke　curling　up　from　a　village；　whose　shingle…roofs　gleam
  among　the　trees；　just　where　the　blue　tints　of　the　upland　melt　away
  into　the　fresh　green　of　the　nearer　landscape。　It　is　a　little
  village；　of　great　antiquity；　having　been　founded　by　some　of　the
  Dutch　colonists；　in　the　early　times　of　the　province；　just　about　the
  beginning　of　the　government　of　the　good　Peter　Stuyvesant；　（may　he　rest
  in　peace！）　and　there　were　some　of　the　houses　of　the　original
  settlers　standing　within　a　few　years；　built　of　small　yellow　bricks
  brought　from　Holland；　having　latticed　windows　and　gable　fronts；
  surmounted　with　weather…cocks。
  In　that　same　village；　and　in　one　of　these　very　houses　（which；　to
  tell　the　precise　truth；　was　sadly　time…worn　and　weather…beaten）；　there
  lived　many　years　since；　while　the　country　was　yet　a　province　of
  Great　Britain；　a　simple　good…natured　fellow；　of　the　name　of　Rip　Van
  Winkle。　He　was　a　descendant　of　the　Van　Winkles　who　figured　so
  gallantly　in　the　chivalrous　days　of　Peter　Stuyvesant；　and
  accompanied　him　to　the　siege　of　Fort　Christina。　He　inherited；　however；
  but　little　of　the　martial　character　of　his　ancestors。　I　have
  observed　that　he　was　a　simple　good…natured　man；　he　was；　moreover；　a
  kind　neighbor；　and　an　obedient　hen…pecked　husband。　Indeed；　to　the
  latter　circumstance　might　be　owing　that　meekness　of　spirit　which
  gained　him　such　universal　popularity；　for　those　men　are　most　apt　to　be
  obsequious　and　conciliating　abroad；　who　are　under　the　discipline　of
  shrews　at　home。　Their　tempers；　doubtless；　are　rendered　pliant　and
  malleable　in　the　fiery　furnace　of　domestic　tribulation；　and　a
  curtain　lecture　is　worth　all　the　sermons　in　the　world　for　teaching　the
  virtues　of　patience　and　long…suffering。　A　termagant　wife　may；
  therefore；　in　some　respects；　be　considered　a　tolerable　blessing；　and
  if　so；　Rip　Van　Winkle　was　thrice　blessed。
  Certain　it　is；　that　he　was　a　great　favorite　among　all　the　good　wives
  of　the　village；　who；　as　usual；　with　the　amiable　sex；　took　his　part
  in　all　family　squabbles；　and　never　failed；　whenever　they　talked
  those　matters　over　in　their　evening　gossipings；　to　lay　all　the　blame
  on　Dame　Van　Winkle。　The　children　of　the　village；　too；　would　shout　with
  joy　whenever　he　approached。　He　assisted　at　their　sports；　made　their
  playthings；　taught　them　to　fly　kites　and　shoot　marbles；　and　told
  them　long　stories　of　ghosts；　witches；　and　Indians。　Whenever　he　went
  dodging　about　the　village；　he　was　surrounded　by　a　troop　of　them；
  hanging　on　his　skirts；　clambering　on　his　back；　and　playing　a
  thousand　tricks　on　him　with　impunity；　and　not　a　dog　would　bark　at
  him　throughout　the　neighborhood。
  The　great　error　in　Rip's　composition　was　an　insuperable　aversion
  to　all　kinds　of　profitable　labor。　It　could　not　be　from　the　want　of
  assiduity　or　perseverance；　for　he　would　sit　on　a　wet　rock；　with　a
  rod　as　long　and　heavy　as　a　Tartar's　lance；　and　fish　all　day　without
  a　murmur；　even　though　he　should　not　be　encouraged　by　a　single
  nibble。　He　would　carry　a　fowling…piece　on　his　shoulder　for　hours
  together；　trudging　through　woods　and　swamps；　and　up　hill　and　down
  dale；　to　shoot　a　few　squirrels　or　wild　pigeons。　He　would　never
  refuse　to　assist　a　neighbor　even　in　the　roughest　toil；　and　was　a
  foremost　man　at　all　country　frolics　for　husking　Indian　corn；　or
  building　stone…fences；　the　women　of　the　village；　too；　used　to　employ
  him　to　run　their　errands；　and　to　do　such　little　odd　jobs　as　their　less
  obliging　husbands　would　not　do　for　them。　In　a　word　Rip　was　ready　to
  attend　to　anybody's　business　but　his　own；　but　as　to　doing　family　duty；
  and　keeping　his　farm　in　order；　he　found　it　impossible。
  In　fact；　he　declared　it　was　of　no　use　to　work　on　his　farm；　it　was
  the　most　pestilent　little　piece　of　ground　in　the　whole　country；
  every　thing　about　it　went　wrong；　and　would　go　wrong；　in　spite　of
  him。　His　fences　were　continually　falling　to　pieces；　his　cow　would
  either　go　astray；　or　get　among　the　cabbages；　weeds　were　sure　to　grow
  quicker　in　his　fields　than　anywhere　else；　the　rain　always　made　a　point
  of　setting　in　just　as　he　had　some　out…door　work　to　do；　so　that
  though　his　patrimonial　estate　had　dwindled　away　under　his
  management；　acre　by　acre；　until　there　was　little　more　left　than　a　mere
  patch　of　Indian　corn　and　potatoes；　yet　it　was　the　worst　conditioned
  farm　in　the　neighborhood。
  His　children；　too；　were　as　ragged　and　wild　as　if　they　belonged　to
  nobody。　His　son　Rip；　an　urchin　begotten　in　his　own　likeness；
  promised　to　inherit　the　habits；　with　the　old　clothes　of　his　father。　He
  was　generally　seen　trooping　like　a　colt　at　his　mother's　heels；
  equipped　in　a　pair　of　his　father's　cast…off　galligaskins；　which　he　had
  much　ado　to　hold　up　with　one　hand；　as　a　fine　lady　does　her　train　in
  bad　weather。
  Rip　Van　Winkle；　however；　was　one　of　those　happy　mortals；　of　foolish；
  well…oiled　dispositions；　who　take　the　world　easy；　eat　white　bread　or
  brown；　whichever　can　be　got　with　least　thought　or　trouble；　and　would
  rather　starve　on　a　penny　than　work　for　a　pound。　If　left　to　himself；　he
  would　have　whistled　life　away　in　perfect　contentment；　but　his　wife
  kept　continually　dinning　in　his　ears　about　his　idleness；　his
  carelessness；　and　the　ruin　he　was　bringing　on　his　family。　Morning；
  noon；　and　night；　her　tongue　was　incessantly　going；　and　every　thing
  he　said　or　did　was　sure　to　produce　a　torrent　of　household　eloquence。
  Rip　had　but　one　way　of　replying　to　all　lectures