rip van winkle-第4节

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vehemently　about　rights　of　citizens…　elections…　members　of　congress…

liberty…　Bunker's　Hill…　heroes　of　seventy…six…　and　other　words；

which　were　a　perfect　Babylonish　jargon　to　the　bewildered　Van　Winkle。

　　The　appearance　of　Rip；　with　his　long　grizzled　beard；　his　rusty

fowling…piece；　his　uncouth　dress；　and　an　army　of　women　and　children　at

his　heels；　soon　attracted　the　attention　of　the　tavern　politicians。

They　crowded　round　him；　eyeing　him　from　head　to　foot　with　great

curiosity。　The　orator　bustled　up　to　him；　and；　drawing　him　partly

aside；　inquired　〃on　which　side　he　voted？〃　Rip　stared　in　vacant

stupidity。　Another　short　but　busy　little　fellow　pulled　him　by　the　arm；

and；　rising　on　tiptoe；　inquired　in　his　ear；　〃Whether　he　was　Federal　or

Democrat？〃　Rip　was　equally　at　a　loss　to　comprehend　the　question；

when　a　knowing；　self…important　old　gentleman；　in　a　sharp　cocked　hat；

made　his　way　through　the　crowd；　putting　them　to　the　right　and　left

with　his　elbows　as　he　passed；　and　planting　himself　before　Van

Winkle；　with　one　arm　akimbo；　the　other　resting　on　his　cane；　his　keen

eyes　and　sharp　hat　penetrating；　as　it　were；　into　his　very　soul；

demanded　in　an　austere　tone；　〃what　brought　him　to　the　election　with

a　gun　on　his　shoulder；　and　a　mob　at　his　heels；　and　whether　he　meant　to

breed　a　riot　in　the　village？〃…　〃Alas！　gentlemen；〃　cried　Rip；

somewhat　dismayed；　〃I　am　a　poor　quiet　man；　a　native　of　the　place；

and　a　loyal　subject　of　the　king；　God　bless　him！〃

　　Here　a　general　shout　burst　from　the　bystanders…　〃A　tory！　a　tory！　a

spy！　a　refugee！　hustle　him！　away　with　him！〃　It　was　with　great

difficulty　that　the　self…important　man　in　the　cocked　hat　restored

order；　and；　having　assumed　a　ten…fold　austerity　of　brow；　demanded

again　of　the　unknown　culprit；　what　he　came　there　for；　and　whom　he

was　seeking？　The　poor　man　humbly　assured　him　that　he　meant　no　harm；

but　merely　came　there　in　search　of　some　of　his　neighbors；　who　used

to　keep　about　the　tavern。

　　〃Well…　who　are　they？…　name　them。〃

　　Rip　bethought　himself　a　moment；　and　inquired；　〃Where's　Nicholas

Vedder？〃

　　There　was　a　silence　for　a　little　while；　when　an　old　man　replied；

in　a　thin　piping　voice；　〃Nicholas　Vedder！　why；　he　is　dead　and　gone

these　eighteen　years！　There　was　a　wooden　tombstone　in　the

church…yard　that　used　to　tell　all　about　him；　but　that's　rotten　and

gone　too。〃

　　〃Where's　Brom　Dutcher？〃

　　〃Oh；　he　went　off　to　the　army　in　the　beginning　of　the　war；　some　say

he　was　killed　at　the　storming　of　Stony　Point…　others　say　he　was

drowned　in　a　squall　at　the　foot　of　Antony's　Nose。　I　don't　know…　he

never　came　back　again。〃

　　〃Where's　Van　Bummel；　the　schoolmaster？〃

　　〃He　went　off　to　the　wars　too；　was　a　great　militia　general；　and　is

now　in　congress。〃

　　Rip's　heart　died　away　at　hearing　of　these　sad　changes　in　his　home

and　friends；　and　finding　himself　thus　alone　in　the　world。　Every　answer

puzzled　him　too；　by　treating　of　such　enormous　lapses　of　time；　and　of

matters　which　he　could　not　understand：　war…　congress…　Stony　Point；…　he

had　no　courage　to　ask　after　any　more　friends；　but　cried　out　in

despair；　〃Does　nobody　here　know　Rip　Van　Winkle？〃

　　〃Oh；　Rip　Van　Winkle！〃　exclaimed　two　or　three；　〃Oh；　to　be　sure！

that's　Rip　Van　Winkle　yonder；　leaning　against　the　tree。〃

　　Rip　looked；　and　beheld　a　precise　counterpart　of　himself；　as　he

went　up　the　mountain：　apparently　as　lazy；　and　certainly　as　ragged。　The

poor　fellow　was　now　completely　confounded。　He　doubted　his　own

identity；　and　whether　he　was　himself　or　another　man。　In　the　midst　of

his　bewilderment；　the　man　in　the　cocked　hat　demanded　who　he　was；　and

what　was　his　name？

　　〃God　knows；〃　exclaimed　he；　at　his　wit's　end；　〃I'm　not　myself…　I'm

somebody　else…　that's　me　yonder…　no…　that's　somebody　else　got　into

my　shoes…　I　was　myself　last　night；　but　I　fell　asleep　on　the

mountain；　and　they've　changed　my　gun；　and　every　thing's　changed；　and

I'm　changed；　and　I　can't　tell　what's　my　name；　or　who　I　am！〃

　　The　bystanders　began　now　to　look　at　each　other；　nod；　wink

significantly；　and　tap　their　fingers　against　their　foreheads。　There

was　a　whisper；　also；　about　securing　the　gun；　and　keeping　the　old

fellow　from　doing　mischief；　at　the　very　suggestion　of　which　the

self…important　man　in　the　cocked　hat　retired　with　some

precipitation。　At　this　critical　moment　a　fresh　comely　woman　pressed

through　the　throng　to　get　a　peep　at　the　gray…bearded　man。　She　had　a

chubby　child　in　her　arms；　which；　frightened　at　his　looks；　began　to

cry。　〃Hush；　Rip；〃　cried　she；　〃hush；　you　little　fool；　the　old　man　won't

hurt　you。〃　The　name　of　the　child；　the　air　of　the　mother；　the　tone　of

her　voice；　all　awakened　a　train　of　recollections　in　his　mind。　〃What　is

your　name；　my　good　woman？〃　asked　he。

　　〃Judith　Gardenier。〃

　　〃And　your　father's　name？〃

　　〃Ah；　poor　man；　Rip　Van　Winkle　was　his　name；　but　it's　twenty　years

since　he　went　away　from　home　with　his　gun；　and　never　has　been　heard　of

since…　his　dog　came　home　without　him；　but　whether　he　shot　himself；

or　was　carried　away　by　the　Indians；　nobody　can　tell。　I　was　then　but

a　little　girl。〃

　　Rip　had　but　one　question　more　to　ask；　but　he　put　it　with　a　faltering

voice：

　　〃Where's　your　mother？〃

　　〃Oh；　she　too　had　died　but　a　short　time　since；　she　broke　a

blood…vessel　in　a　fit　of　passion　at　a　New…England　peddler。〃

　　There　was　a　drop　of　comfort；　at　least；　in　this　intelligence。　The

honest　man　could　contain　himself　no　longer。　He　caught　his　daughter　and

her　child　in　his　arms。　〃I　am　your　father！〃　cried　he　〃Young　Rip　Van

Winkle　once…　old　Rip　Van　Winkle　now！…　Does　nobody　know　poor　Rip　Van

Winkle？〃

　　All　stood　amazed；　until　an　old　woman；　tottering　out　from　among　the

crowd；　put　her　hand　to　her　brow；　and　peering　under　it　in　his　face

for　a　moment；　exclaimed；　〃Sure　enough！　it　is　Rip　Van　Winkle…　it　is

himself！　Welcome　home　again；　old　neighbor…　Why；　where　have　you　been

these　twenty　long　years？〃

　　Rip's　story　was　soon　told；　for　the　whole　twenty　years　had　been　to

him　but　as　one　night。　The　neighbors　stared　when　they　heard　it；　some

were　seen　to　wink　at　each　other；　and　put　their　tongues　in　their

cheeks：　and　the　self…important　man　in　the　cocked　hat；　who；　when　the

alarm　was　over；　had　returned　to　the　field；　screwed　down　the　corners　of

his　mouth；　and　shook　his　head…　upon　which　there　was　a　general

shaking　of　the　head　throughout　the　assemblage。

　　It　was　determined；　however；　to　take　the　opinion　of　old　Peter

Vanderdonk；　who　was　seen　slowly　advancing　up　the　road。　He　was　a

descendant　of　the　historian　of　that　name；　who　wrote　one　of　the

earliest　accounts　of　the　province。　Peter　was　the　most　ancient

inhabitant　of　the　village；　and　well　versed　in　all　the　wonderful　events

and　traditions　of　the　neighborhood。　He　recollected　Rip　at　once；　and

corroborated　his　story　in　the　most　satisfactory　manner。　He　assured　the

company　that　it　was　a　fact；　handed　down　from　his　ancestor　the

historian；　that　the　Kaatskill　mountains　had　always　been　haunted　by

strange　beings。　That　it　was　affirmed　that　the　great　Hendrick　Hudson；

the　first　discoverer　of　the　river　and　country；　kept　a　kind　of　vigil

there　every　twenty　years；　with　his　crew　of　the　Half…moon；　being

permitted　in　this　way　to　revisit　the　scenes　of　his　enterprise；　and

keep　a　guardian　eye　upon　the　river；　and　the　great　city　called　by　his

name。　That　his　father　had　once　seen　them　in　their　old　Dutch　dresses

playing　at　nine…pins　in　a　hollow　of　the　mountain；　and　that　he

himself　had　heard；　one　summer　afternoon；　the　sound　of　their　balls；

like　distant　peals　of　thunder。

　　To　make　a　long　story　short；　the　company　broke　up；　and　returned　to

the　more　important　concerns　of　the　election。　Rip's　daughter　took　him

home　to　live　with　her；　she　had　a　snug；　well…furnished　house；　and　a

stout　cheery　farmer　for　a　husband；　whom　Rip　recollected　for　one　of　the

urchins　that　used　to　climb　upon　his　back。　As　to　Rip's　son　and　heir；

who　was　the　ditto　of　himself；　seen　leaning　against　the　tree；　he　was

employed　to　work　on　the　farm；　but　evinced　an　hereditary　disposition　to

attend　to　any　thing　else　but　his　business。

　　Rip　now　resumed　his　old　walks　and　habits；　he　soon　found　many　of

his　former　cronies；　though　all　rather　the　worse　for　the　wear　and

tear　of　time；　and　preferred　making　friends　among　the　rising

generation；　with　whom　he　soon　grew　into　great　favor。

　　Having　nothing　to　do　at　home；　and　being　arrived　at　that　happy　age

when　a　man　can　be　idle　with　impunity；　he　took　his　place　once　more　on

the　bench　at　the　inn　door；　and　was　reverenced　as　one　of　the　patriarchs

of　the　village；　and　a　chronicle　of　the　old　times　〃before　the　war。〃

It　was　some　time　before　he　could　get　into　the　regular　track　of　gossip；

or　could　be　made　to　comprehend　the　strange　events　that　had　taken　place

during　his　torpor。　How　that　there　had　been　a　revolutionary　war…　that

the　country　had　thrown　off　the　yoke　of　old　England…　and　that；

instead　of　being　a　subject　of　his　Majesty　George　the　Third；　he　was　now

a　free　citizen　of　the　United　States。　Rip；　in　fact；　was　no

politician；　the　changes　of　states　and　empires　made　but　little

impression　on　him；　but　there　was　one　species　of　despotism　under

which　he　had　long　groaned；　and　that　was…　petticoa