Introduction
The story of Rip van Winkle was written in 1818 by Washington Irving, an American who was visiting England at the time. It tells of an obliging but ne’er-do-well farmer of Dutch descent living in colonial America, who falls asleep in the mountains one evening and consequently misses a rather important event.
BACK in the 1760s, there lived near New York, beneath the Catskill Mountains, a farmer called Rip van Winkle. He had a smallholding, which he neglected; a wife, who scolded him; a raggedy little son and daughter; and a dog called Wolf. Rip’s days were spent among his neighbours, in the ‘King George’ pub, or hunting woodcock with Wolf.
One evening, Rip had sauntered into the hills with Wolf and his fowling-piece when he heard someone calling his name. Presently, a short, bearded fellow appeared, carrying a huge keg of ale. Rip kindly helped them both through a narrow cleft between the rocks, and then stared about in wonder.
There, in a wide dell, quaintly clad folk who might have stepped off a Dutch master’s canvas were drinking, and playing ninepins with outsized wooden balls — yet every face was blank, expressionless, with not a smile among them. Rip took a dazed sip of ale (he found he was holding a cup), then another, and another...
Précis
Some years before the American Revolution, a farmer named Rip van Winkle was in the Catskill Mountains one evening, when a strange man asked him to help carry a keg of ale. Rip obliged, only to fall in with a gloomy company playing ninepins, and drinking ale; and when Rip tried some, he fell into a deep sleep. (58 / 60 words)
Some years before the American Revolution, a farmer named Rip van Winkle was in the Catskill Mountains one evening, when a strange man asked him to help carry a keg of ale. Rip obliged, only to fall in with a gloomy company playing ninepins, and drinking ale; and when Rip tried some, he fell into a deep sleep.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, despite, must, not, unless, until, whether.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
You are welcome to share your creativity with me, or ask for help with any of the exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
See more at Email Support.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
