Act 2 — SCENE III.—The town of Rip’s nativity, instead of the village as presented in first scene of the drama:—It is now a populous and flourishing settlement.—On the spot where Rory’s tap house formerly stood, is a handsome hotel and the sign of “George III” is altered into that of “George Washington.” A settee in front, with table.—The harbor is filled with shipping.—Music at the opening of the scene.

Seth Slough, the landlord enters from the Hotel.—Loud shouts, L. H. 3 E.

Seth. Well, ich denk de ’lection is about ferbei. Wann de temperance, leit ’s g’winna, don geb ich uf un ferkawf ous, for d’no shtate ’n wært odder ’n saloon keeper net so feel chance os ’n mook im a g’witter shtorm. [Laugh U. E. R.] Hullo—wær der deihenker is don dar olt ding doh? Ar gookt os wann ar about fooftzich yohr dode wær g’west un d’no ous ’m grawb rous g’fetsht for ’s temperance ticket tzu vota.

[Music.—Enter male and female villagers, laughing.—Enter Rip,—they gather round him.

Rip. Wo ich war is wass mich now woonert? Sawg, eer leit, kent er deitsh shwetza?

Villagers. Haw, haw, haw.

1st. Vill. Sawg, du, olter ding, husht nix g’sana fum ’a olta shpinrawd odder ebbas fun seller awrt ommanot doh rumm shpringa?

Rip. Nay, ich hob kæ so’n ding sana doh rumm shpringa.

Villagers. Haw, haw.

1st Villager. Un wær is di bolweerer? Un wann husht ’n ’s letsht mehl gapatronized?

Rip. De saucha con ich net fershtæ, es gookt olles so ferennert sidder geshter owet—un ich aw—my bawrd is by chucks sheer so long os ’n ku shwans, un aw sheer shnæ weis!

Seth. (Coming down.) Now, sawg du olter mon—ich denk du besser gaisht hame un wesht dich un lusht dich bolweera.

Rip. Oh, never mind. My olty wærd mich shun bolweera wann ich hame coom. Awer, wo der bettle is my haimet? Ich bin about om plotz wo ’s ols war, awer ’s is net doh un ich bin a wennich os we ferhootled. Un now, sawg mer amohl, woonsht ommanot doh naigsht om Blowa Barrick?

Seth. Ei, of course wohn ich doh.

Rip. Don consht mer ferleicht sawga wo ich wohn?

Seth. According tzu diner appearance date ich sawga du woonsht narryats abbordich except ebmohls doh un ’n onners mohl dort.

Rip. Awer now for de wohret. Du wohnsht ommanot doh in der nochbershaft fum barrick—net so?

Seth. Be sure du ich.

Rip. Un waisht net os ich aw ommanot doh wohn?

Seth. Nay, de krenk will ich krega wann ich sell wase. Es date mich awer gor net ferwoonera wann du ous ’m olt Noah siner orrich g’shloopt wærsht.

Rip. Is ’s don now miglich os du nix fun Rip Van Winkle waisht?

Seth. Rip Van Winkle! Der gresht whiskey siffer im gonsa shtate.

Rip. Sell is a fact—sell maned der Rip—du husht recht.

Seth. Yaw, ich hob shun uft fun ’m g’hared. Der olt ding is awer dode—shun de tzwansich yohr.

Rip. So so. Demnoch bin ich dode, un ich expect os sell aw so is. Es du’t mer awer doch laid, for der Olt Rip war ’n ordlich gooter karl—anyhow.

Seth. Un ich wet yusht ’s het orrick feel so karls doh om Blowa Barrick, for d’no het mer aw plenty gooty customers—for ar hut whiskey g’nunk sowfa kenna for ’n grose meel rawd tzu runna.

Rip. Awer now, di g’shwetz fun weaga whiskey maucht mich so dorshtich feela os wann ich ’n gons quart sols g’fressa het.

Seth. Well don, ward a wennich—ich will der ebbas bringa—ebbas os dich uf tuned.

[Exit into house.

Rip. Un hole mich der bettle wann doh net noch ’n ferennerung is. Des doh war ’m Rory si house geshter owet [Seth re-enters] mit ’m kainich si picter uf ’m sign.

Seth. Sell is awer de ercht sort fun a ferennerung.

Rip. [Reading] “George Washington,” wær is now sell? [Taking the jug.] Well, doh gaits, tzu ’m deifel un General Washington un si fomelia un g’sundheit! So so, don is evva der olt Rip dode, un wann ar dode is, wass wærd ous siner fraw!

Seth. Oh, se is aw shun long dode. Se hut amohl ’n oder fershprengt we se drau war ’m ’a Yankee pedler Hail Columby gevva, un sell hut se ob g’fixd.

Rip. De olt fraw aw dode! Well, well, don is demnoch era tzung now aw in der eawich ruh! [Pause.] Un awer, se war evva doch my olty, un now, bin ich aw dode! Se war a wennich hord uf mich, awer weil se dode is will ich era now olles fergevva. Awer, now, sawg du—

Seth. Ich con nimmy lenger mich uf halta doh mit deer. De lection is about ferbei, un ich mus now de drinks uf setza for de boova.

Re-enter Villagers, shouting, R. H.

Seth. Doh, boova, was denkt er now fun dem olta ding doh? Ich geb ’n uf.

[Exit into house.

2d. Vill. Bisht du ’n Democrawt odder ’n Republican?

Rip. De wohret tzu sawga, ich bin a wennich fermixd—

2d. Vill. Well, awer wass sin di politics?

Rip. Oh, my politics? Dort bin ich all recht—ich shtick so goot os amohl tzum kainich fum lond. Hurra for der Kainich George!

Villagers. ’N olter tory is ar! Weck wit ’m—mauch ’n dode—fersowf ’n im meel dom!

Music.—They seize Rip and are about hurrying him off when Gustaffe rushes from L. 1 E. and throws them off.

Gust. Tzurick doh, eer cowards.

Omnes. Cowards! Sawg sell nochamohl!

Gust. Yaw, ich sawg ’s nochamohl. Nemond os ’n coward date so ’n olter gro-keppicher mon so abusa.

Rip. Yaw, yaw, sell is so!

Gust. Un now, tzurick mit eich! Wann aner fun eich den olta mon now yusht aw raigt, don ferlusst eich druf os ich aw derbei bin. [Drives them off.] Un now, sawg mer, olter mon, wass husht gadu os se dich hen abusa wella?

Rip. Ei ich wase ’s g’wiss net. Waisht du’s?

Gust. Es coom’d mer fore du wærsht a wennich uf g’mixd. Con ich ebbas du for dich?

Rip. Well, yaw. Si now so goot un sawg mer wo ich wohn. Sell is about all os ich wissa will.

Gust. Ei waisht du’s net?

Rip. Nay, be dam wann ich du!

Gust. Wass is don di nawma?

Rip. Ei ich was ols der Rip Van Winkle.

Gust. Der Rip Van Winkle! Awer sell is unmiglich.

Rip. Well, ich wase net we ’s is. Ich date by chucks glawb ich selwer net dertzu shwaira.

Gust. Awer sawg mer, husht du ’n duchter?

Rip. Besure hob ich—de Lorrenna, ’n ivver ous shmarty duchter, un hob aw ’n sohn—awer de duchter is ’n maidle.

Gust. Un b’sinnsht dich druf os ’d yeamohls ’n shreivas g’signed husht os di duchter aner Herman Van Slaus hira mus?

Rip. Oh, yaw, ich wase ’s goot, we der Shquire Van Slaus geshter on my house cooma is un hut mich maucha my nawma uf sell bobbeer shreiva—awer ich war evva g’suffa.

Gust. Geshter owet! Der awrm mon! Ar is net by seim fershtond—awer ich bin doch now g’satisfied os ’s een is. Coom, olter mon, coom mit meer!

Rip. Awer so wid mich onna nemma?

Gust. Tzu diner duchter.——

Rip. Yaw, yaw—yaw well, du’s; nem mich tzu era. Ich bin so ferennert os ’s mer bong is os se mich aw fergessa hut. Awer, nay, ’s con net si os se era eagner dawdy fergest. Coom, coom on!