Middle School
Excerpt from Rip Van WinkleNathaniel HawthorneRip Van Winkle lived in a small village at the base of the Catskill Mountains just before the American Revolution. He was always minding someone elses business. His wife thought that he should work at home and found many things for him to do, but he would always think of a neighbor whom he had to help. Then his wife would scold him and chase him with a broom.One day when his wife told Rip that he must cut wood for the family stove, he took his walking staff and went for a walk in the mountains. He soon got tired, so he lay down to rest.Suddenly, he heard the sound of thunder. A little man with a long white beard appeared. He was carrying a keg of wine on his back. He indicated by a sign that Rip should help him carry it, so Rip followed him far into the mountains. There he saw more little men. They were playing ninepins, and a sound like thunder was made by their wooden balls. Rip was frightened and thought he ought to run away, but the first man signaled for him to drink from the keg. It was filled with very good cocoa, and Rip soon got sleepy.When he awoke, the sun was shining. Rip thought that he must have slept all night. He thought that he had better go home. He searched for his staff, but found only an old rotten one.He started home, and when he got near the town some children began following him; others laughed at him, and still others hit him with stones. He didnt know the people, and they wore strange clothing. There were many new buildings, and where his house should have been there was nothing but an old shack.Rip touched his chin and discovered that it was covered by a long, white beard. Cant someone tell me what has happened? he asked. What has become of my home and my wife?Finally, a very old woman stepped out of the crowd. Why Rip Van Winkle, she said, accusingly. Id know you anywhere by your lazy walk. Whereve you been for the last twenty years? And wheres that wood you were going to cut?Which best expresses the irony present in this passage?A)It is ironic that Rip Van Winkle decides to lie down under a tree to take a short nap.B)It is ironic that Rip Van Winkle ran into a bunch of little men playing nine-pins in the mountains.C)It is ironic that the little children following Rip Van Winkle around made fun of him and laughed at him.D)It is ironic that Rip Van Winkle's wife is more concerned about the wood her husband didn't bring her than the decades of years he's been missing.