VON B. Ah, no; but I'm sure, Rip, if Gretchen were to fall into the water now, you would risk your life to save her. RIP. Would I? Well, I am not so sure about dat myself. When we was first got married? Oh, ya; I know I would have done it den, but I don'd know how it would be now. But it would be a good deal more my duty now as it was den. Don'd you know, Derrick, when a man gits married a long time--mit his wife, he gits a good deal attached mit her, und it would be a good deal more my duty now as it was den. But I don'd know, Derrick. I am afraid if Gretchen should fall in de water now und should say, "Rip, Rip! help me oud"--I should say, "Mrs. Van Winkle, I will just go home and tink about it." Oh, no, Derrick; if Gretchen fall in de water now she's got to swim, I told you dat--ha, ha, ha, ha! Hullo! dat's her a-comin' now; I guess it's bedder I go oud! [_Exit_ RIP. ACT II, SCENE I CHARACTERS: Rip Van Winkle; Gretchen, his wife; Meenie, their little daughter. SCENE: The dimly lighted kitchen of Rip's cottage. Shortly after his conversation with Von Beekman, Rip's wife catches him carousing and dancing upon the village green. She drives him away in no very gentle fashion, and he runs away from her only to carouse the more. Returning home after nightfall in a decidedly muddled condition, he puts his head through the open window at the rear, not observing his irate wife, who stands in ambush behind the clothes-bars with her ever-ready broomstick, to give him a warm reception, but seeing only his little daughter Meenie, of whom he is very fond, and who also loves him very tenderly. RIP. Meenie! Meenie, my darlin'! MEENIE. Hush-sh-h. [_Shaking finger, to indicate the presence of her mother._] RIP. Eh! what's de matter? I don'd see not'ing, my darlin'. MEENIE. 'Sh-sh-sh! RIP. Eh! what? Say, Meenie, is de ole wild cat home? [GRETCHEN _catches him quickly by the hair_.] Oh, oh! say, is dat you, Gretchen? Say, dere, my darlin', my angel, don'd do dat. Let go my head, won'd you? Well, den, hold on to it so long what you like. [GRETCHEN _releases him_.] Dere, now, look at dat, see what you done--you gone pull out a whole handful of hair. What you want to do a ting like dat for? You must want a bald-headed husband, don'd you? GRETCHEN. Who was that you called a wild cat? RIP. Who was dat I called a wild cat? Well, now, let me see, who was dat I called a wild cat? Dat must 'a' been de same time I come in de winder dere, wasn't it? Yes, I know, it was de same time. Well, now, let me see. _[Suddenly.]_ It was de dog Schneider dat I call it. GRETCHEN. The dog Schneider? That's a likely story.