ILLUSTRATED STORY · FOUR READING LEVELS

Rip Van Winkle

One strange sleep changes a whole village

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Rip and his wife stand near their small son Rip and daughter Judith outside their Catskill village home

Page 1

Rip Van Winkle lived with his wife, his son Rip and his daughter Judith in a village below the Catskill Mountains, then ruled by Britain. The Hudson River shone beyond the hills.

Rip was kind to his neighbors and the children; at the village inn, a sign showed the British king, George the Third. He helped with other people’s small jobs.

Rip leaves his neglected farm with dog Wolf and an old wooden hunting gun while his wife calls from the doorway

Page 2

Rip disliked work on his own farm, so his wife, Dame Van Winkle, often complained about its weeds and broken fences. He could help a neighbor cheerfully yet put off his own tasks.

One autumn day he took his hunting gun and his dog Wolf into the mountains to escape the complaints. Wolf followed him eagerly.

Rip and Wolf rest on a high mountain knoll as a distant stranger calls his name

Page 3

Late that afternoon, Rip rested on a grassy knoll high above the valley with Wolf beside him. He could see the river far below.

A voice called, “Rip Van Winkle!” and he saw an old man carrying a heavy keg up the mountain. Wolf growled at the unfamiliar sound.

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