Rip Van Winkle (Cambridge Connection English)
Comprehension
A. Answer the questions.
1. Describe the place where Rip Van Winkle used to live.
= Rip Van Winkle used to live in a village down below the mountain. From there he could see the mountains and the streams.
2. What was the biggest weakness in Rip's character? How did it affect his life?
= The biggest weakness in Rip's character was that he was a lazy boy. He was so lazy that he slept the whole day.
His mother tried her best to get Rip Van Winkle to take up a job. When he did get a job, he was asked to leave because he slept too much.
3. Describe the stranger whom Rip met on the mountainside.
= The stranger whom Rip met on the mountainside was a funny looking man carrying a big barrel.
B. Answer the questions briefly.
1. What were the four differences that Rip perceived on waking up?
= The four differences that Rip perceived on waking up were -
i. The funny looking men had gone.
ii. His dog was not there.
iii. He found the barrel rusted instead of being the clean well-oiled piece.
iv. The lock was falling off.
2. What happened when Rip Van Winkle reached his house?
= When Rip Van Winkle reached his house, he found his village had changed and there were new faces whom he did not recognize.
3. Who was the most ancient inhabitant of the village? What did he affirm?
= Rip's mother was the most ancient inhabitant of the village.
She affirmed that she knew Rip Van Winkle. He was his lazy son. He had gone up the mountains twenty-one years back but never returned. He dog came back without him.
4. How does the story end?
= The story ended with the reunion of Rip and his mother.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. "He had never had so much exercise in all his life."
a. Who is being referred to here?
= Rip Van Winkle is being referred to here.
b. What exercise did he have?
= He climbed up the top of the mountain, crossed a stream, went to a spot where nobody ever came. This was his exercise.
c. Was he forced to exercise? Why?
= He was not forced to exercise.
Rather he went up the mountain in his own accord being tired of his mother insisting on him getting a job.
2. "This was the same village, where he could see the mountains and the streams, and yet it was not the same."
a. Who is he?
= He is Rip Van Winkle.
b. Why does he think the village is changed?
= He thinks the village is change because he saw new faces. He knew most of the village folks well but there did not seem to be anyone he knew around.
c. Had the village really changed? Give reasons for your answer.
= Yes, the village had really changed.
Rip was away for twenty-one years. Naturally, many new things happened in his village. Twenty-one year is a long time.
3. "Rip Van Winkle thought he was going mad."
a. Was Rip Van Winkle really mad?
= Rip Van Winkle was not really mad. The surroundings of his village made him astonished.
b. Why did he think he was going mad?
= Rip asked for Schooner, the school master. Someone informed that the school master went to war in sixty three and never came back. Rip asked about Van Dammel. He got to know that Dammel died eighteen years back.
c. What did he realise finally?
= Rip Van Winkle thought he just slept for one day in the mountains. He did not realise that he had in sleep for twenty-one long years. This made many changes in his village. He finally realised the fact that he slept for twenty-one years in the mountain.
D. Think and answer.
1. What do you think of the story? Can it be true?
= This is a nice story to read. There is a mystery which evokes amazement in the readers.
It can not be a true story. This is a fictional story as nobody can sleep for twenty-one years.
2. In reality, if someone slept in the open for twenty years, what do you think will happen?
= In reality, if someone slept in the open for twenty years, he would ultimately die within few days. None can live without food and water for more than few days. He can be attacked and killed by some wild animal being in the open on the mountain top. He can fell ill being in the sun and rain.
3. However, in stories such things happen. Can you recollect two such stories? What are they?
= I can remember the stories of 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Alice in Wonderland'.
In 'Beauty and the Beast', the attendants and couriers of the the cursed prince were turned into cups plates, pianos, clocks and candlesticks.
In 'Alice in Wonderland', the rabbit was wearing waistcoat, he was carrying a pocket watch. Alice followed him and reached a world of strange creatures.