Before long Rip Van Winkle had climbed high up on the hillside. How quiet it was there! Rip lay down on a grassy bank and rested there till late in the afternoon.

As the sun was setting, Rip rose to go. 'Come, Wolf,' he said to his dog. 'Let us go home now. Perhaps Dame Van Winkle's temper has cooled by this time, though I fear that she may have something to say to us for staying away so long.'
They were beginning to walk down the hill when a voice cried out, 'Rip Van Winkle!'

Rip looked all round. At first he saw nothing but a crow, then he spied, a long way off, a strange little man with a keg upon his shoulders.
‘Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!' the voice called out again.
Rip walked across the hillside until he came near the man. 'Did you call, sir?' He asked in wonder.

The man did not reply; instead, he made a sign, as if to say, 'pray, carry this heavy keg up the hill for me.’

Now Rip, though he was idle in his own home and did not care for hard work, was always ready to help other people. So he took the keg upon his shoulder and both men began to trudge up the hill.

After a little while, they came to a hollow among the hills. There Rip saw a crowd of men. They were playing a game of nine-pins and the balls, as they rolled along, made a noise like thunder.

Strange men they were, too. One had a large head, a broad face and small eyes. Another had a face which seemed to be all nose. The leader was a fat old fellow with a sunburnt face. He wore a laced jacket, a broad belt, a sword, a high hat with a feather in it, red stockings and high heeled shoes.

As soon as the players saw the keg, they stopped their game. The little man who had come with Rip opened the keg, and from it he poured out a drink for each of the others. He made a sign to Rip to hand out the cups.

The men drank eagerly, for their game had made them thirsty, then back they went to their game of nine-pins. Rip was thirsty too, but they did not think of giving him a drink. So, when no one was looking, Rip took one sip from the keg.
‘A good drink, to be sure,’ he whispered to himself; then took a little more, then a little more. Before long, Rip began to feel quite drowsy; then he fell asleep.