Chapter 12

_Half dark.—A front wood.—The report of a gun is heard; shortly after_, RIP _enters, with his fowling piece._

RIP.

[Whip-poor-Will! egad, I think they’ll whip poor Rip.](109)—[ _Takes aim at bird; it flashes in the pan._]—Another miss! Oh, curse the misses and the missusses! hang me if I can get a single shot at the sky-flyers. [Wish](110) I had one of de German guns which Knickerbocker talks so much about—one dat fires round(111) corners: la! how I’d bring dem down! bring dem down! were I to wing as many daily as would fill a dearborn, Dame wouldn’t be satisfied—not that she’s avaricious—but den she must have something or somebody to snarl at, and I’m the unlucky dog at whom she always lets fly. Now, she got at me mit de broomstick so soon as I got back again; if I go home again, she will break my back. Tunner wasser! how sleepy I am—I can’t go home, she will break my back—so I will sleep in de mountain to-night, and to-morrow I turn over a new leaf and drink no more liquor.(112)

VOICE.

[_Outside:_] Rip Van Winkle.

_A dead pause ensues.—Suddenly a noise like the rolling of cannonballs is heard—then a discordant shout of laughter._—RIP _wakes and sits up astonished._

RIP.

What [the deuce](113) is that? [my wife] at mine elbow? Oh, no, nothing of the kind: I must have been dreaming; so I’ll contrive to nap, since I’m far enough from her din. [_Reclines and sleeps._(114)

VOICE

[_Outside._] Rip Van Winkle. [_The laugh being repeated_, RIP _again awakes._(115)

RIP.

I can’t be mistaken dis time. Plague on’t, I’ve got among the spirits of the mountains, metinks, and haven’t a drop of spirits left to keep them off.

SWAGGRINO.

(116)[_Without._] Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle.

RIP.

Rip Van Winkle! that’s me to a certainty.

_Music._—[SWAGGRINO, _the grotesque dwarf, enters_],(117) _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.

Hang me, if he hasn’t brought my heart up into my mouth: what an outlandish being, [a sea snake,](118) by dunder!

_Music._—[SWAGGRINO,](119) _pointing to the cask, [entreats_] RIP’S _assistance in bearing it up the mountains._

RIP.

Want me to help you up mit it? Why not say so at first, my old codger? What a queer old chap, to be sure; but I can’t let him toil up the mountain with such a heavy load as dat, no, no, and so, old [broad](120) chops, I’ll help you.

_Music_.—[DWARF](121) _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. Another peal of laughter, and_ RIP _hastily follows him._

*Footnotes*

109 Not in K.

110 “I vishes” in K. No attempt is being made to indicate small differences ofdialect.

111 “der” inserted in K.

112 In K., stage direction, “[_Lies down._]”.

113 “der debil” in K.; also “mein frau.”

114 In K., the stage directions are: [_Lies down to sleep._

115 In K., the speech takes this form: VOICE. [_Without._] Rip Van Winkle!

116 No name in K., only “VOICE.”

117 In K., read. “_One of the_ SPECTRE CREW _enters._”

118 Not in K.

119 “_The_ IMP” in K.; also “asks.”

120 “pale” in K.

121 “IMP” in K.