SCENE IV.--_Half dark.--A front wood.--The report of a gun is

heard--shortly after, RIP enters, with his fowling piece, L. H._

_Rip._ Wip-per-will! Es is mer maner bong os se der awram olt Rip noch wippa. (_Takes aim at bird--it flashes in the pan._) Widder ferfaild! Sull der deifel all de missa un missussa hohla! Ken ainsicher shoos con ich mæ maucha uf ’m fliggle! Ich wut ich het ’n flint os we ’m Bill Bifflemoyer siney--aney os um ’n eck rumm sheest--d’no date ich se awer fetcha. Awer, ’s maucht net feel ous wann ich aw olly dawg finf hoonert hawsa un feggle sheesa date--de olt fraw wær doch net g’satisfied. Net os se yusht abbordich mean is, awer se mus ebber odder ebbas hawa for gowtza un tzonka, un ich bin for common der unglicklich mon os ’s ols fong’d fun era roat gleedich haisy tzoong. Un now, so bol os ich hame coom fong ich ’s aw widder mit ’m baisa shteel! Dooner wetter! Ich feel meed, un shlefferich. Ich glawb ich gæ now net hame, for wann ich du don ferbrecht se mer anyhow my bookle--un ich gæ nuf in der Blowa Barrick un shlofe dort de naucht, un morya fong ich ’n neie rule aw--os ich kæ druppa mæ drink.

_Voice Outside._ Rip Van Winkle!

[_A dead pause ensues.--Suddenly, a noise, like the rolling of cannon balls is heard--then a discordant shout of laughter, L. H.--RIP wakes and sits up, astonished._

_Rip._ Wass der deivel is now sell? Is my fraw um der waig? Oh, nay, sell is ’s net. Ich denk ich hob yusht gadrawm’d--so now, don gaits for nochamohl ’a wennich shlofa--for desmohl bin ich ordlich weit ous eram range. [_Reclines and sleeps._

_Voice Outside._ Rip Van Winkle. [_The laugh being repeated, RIP again awakes._

_Rip._ Desmohl bin ich gawiss net letz. Es hut beim bettle shpooks odder ebbas-a-so doh im dem barrick, un ich hob now kæ druppa doh for se ob halta!

_Swaggrino._ [_Without L. H._] Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!

_Rip._ Rip Van Winkle! Sell is mich, yaw, besure is ’s mich.

[_Music.--SWAGGRINO, the grotesque dwarf, enters L. H., bending beneath the weight of a large cask which he bears on his shoulder. He pauses, examines RIP, then invites him to assist him in placing the cask on the ground, which RIP complies with._

_Rip._ Hole mich der dihenker wann des awer now net ’n coryose tzwæ bainich creddoor is--wass is ’s, anyhow?

_Music.--SWAGGRINO pointing to the cask, entreats RIP’S assistance, in bearing it up the mountain._

_Rip._ Hetsht garn os ich der helf? Ferwass husht mer sell net grawd uf amohl g’sawt? Well, well, ich will ’m don helfa, for so’n load we sell is tzu feel for so’n klanes olts menly we des doh.

[_Music.--DWARF assists in placing cask on RIP’S shoulder--a loud laugh is heard--RIP is alarmed, but DWARF signs him to proceed and be of good courage--leads way up rocks R.--another peal of laughter, and RIP hastily follows him._