Rip Van Winkle Summary

After Rip Van Winkle awakes from his twenty-year long slumber, he realizes that his dog and his gun are unable to be found. He is determined to revisit the spot that he was at the night before to demand his gun and dog back. Due to the forests long years of growing, he could not again find where he was before, so he decides to walk back to his village, fearing what Dame Van Winkle would say to him. As Rip approaches his village, he sees many people, none of which he recognizes. They were all pointing at his face, and Rip discovers that his beard had grown a foot. He sees many dogs, none of which are his. The town looks very different to him, and there are many new houses and people. Rip Van Winkle blames his confusion to the flagon he had.
Rip does not recognize anyone around him. There is talk about congress and political parties around him, which he does not understand. Rip Van Winkle then asks a kind man about where his friends had gone; one is dead, one was killed in the military, and one is in congress. He finds out that his wife has also died and he does not know if he is sad because of her death or happy for her deliverance. He then asks if they knew about Rip Van Winkle (himself). People explain how he has been missing for twenty years. He meets his now grown-up daughter, and his son who is in very similar appearance to himself. Rip tells them that he is their dad. His story was told all around the village, some believing it and some not. Peter Vanderdonk took his story and wrote it out for him. They talk about how the Kaatskill Mountains have had very crazy events happen in them. One of the stories is when another man saw people playing ninepin. Rip lives with his daughter. He could not comprehend the strange events that he has