Rip Van Winkle Full Story in English

This is an old popular story of Rip Van Winkle for Kids. A man with that name was lazy and did not like to work at all. He ignored what his mother said and went to a mountain one day with his dog. He met a strange man and fell asleep for twenty years. What happened to him? Did anyone in the village recognise him? Read this interesting story and find out.

Rip Van Winkle: The Lazy Lad

Once upon a time, there was a lazy young man named Rip Van Winkle. He lived with his mother in a village. His mother urged him to find work but he did not.

He used to dodge responsibilities and go back to the hillside with his dog to rest all day. He returned before sundown and rested at home.

One day, she told him to find and take a job. As usual, Rip ignored his mother and took his companion dog with him. He carried a gun and went deep into the forest after getting annoyed by his mother’s constant whining.

Young Rip Van Winkle

A Strange Man out of Nowhere

Rip chose the remotest location on a hillside after crossing a stream. It was deep inside the jungle and nobody took that route.. He was tired from the uphill walk and fell asleep.

Suddenly, he woke up due to a man’s call. He saw a strange man carrying a barrel up the hill. He was calling him constantly.

Rip thought he cannot get a proper place to rest the whole day. Even at this spot, a strange-looking man had found him.

He refused to help the old man but felt pity. He thought that he would rest after helping the man to carry the barrel.

The Time of Merriment

In the Rip Van Winkle Nursery Rhyme, Rip went up the hill with the barrel. He was tired. To his surprise, he saw other men like the old strange man playing with nine pins and a ball.

They welcomed the old man and he started playing with them. Rip was surprised to see these people here up on the hilltop. They offered him a drink from the same barrel. It was a good wine to drink.

They laughed and played. Eventually, Rip was drunk. The whole world was swinging in front of his eyes. He fell asleep.

The Surprise of Twenty Years

After some time, he woke up and found no men beside him. He called his dog but it was not there. He found his gun beside him. He picked up the gun but found it all rusted.

He tried to stand but his joints were hurting. He struggled to come back to his village. When he arrived in the village, all he found were new faces.

Rip Waking up After Twenty Years

He enquired about his old friends and learned that they were all dead or gone. He found that he had grown a foot-long white beard overnight. He was surprised when he realised that he slept for twenty years.

He asked the villagers, “Do you know someone called Rip Van Winkle?”

Nobody but an old lady answered, “He was my lazy son who did not return from the mountains.”

Rip ran and embraced his mother.

Moral of the Rip Van Winkle Short Story

The moral of this story is laziness and disobedience to elders can lead to a disastrous end.

Tips for Parents

Explain Rip Van Winkle slept for many years to the children and tell them the moral of this story. Explain to them how being lazy can be harmful. Encourage them to read more stories related to good and bad habits.