Have you read any books by Washington Irving？Now I will tell you a story written by him. The name of the story isRip Van Winkle, and it is also the name of the hero in this story. There are three characters in this story, Rip Van Winkle and his wife, Dame Van Winkle and their dog, Woof. Dame Van Winkle is a sharp-tongued (说话尖酸的、刻薄的) woman. Both Rip Van Winkle and the dog are terrified of her, even of her voice.
There is a scene that can describe how Rip Van Winkle and his dog feel in front of Dame Van Winkle:
Rip had just one way of replying to his wife's talk: he only put his head back on his shoulders, looked up toward heaven, and said nothing. . . True, in the woods, Woof was as brave as an honorable dog should be， but as soon as Woof entered the house, his head bent low, his tail lay on the ground or curled between his legs. He went around the house with a guilty look, watching Dame Van Winkle out of the corner of his eyes, ready to run from the room at the slightest sign of her displeasure.
This was the time when England ruled America. One day, Rip Van Winkle went into the mountain with his dog for an escape of his wife. He drank something given by some strangers and fell asleep. That was 20 years! His wife died and America got freedom from England, and I think that's what the story wants to tell us: both the poor man's independence and nation's independence.
Why does Irving's story attract people? Because he wrote so vividly（生动地）. That sets me thinking: How he observed things so carefully? If you read through this story, you can't help smiling or laughing from time to time!
