Curated set · answers marked
What is the main event that drives the plot of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle?
Rationale
After meeting a group of strange men in the Catskill Mountains and drinking their liquor, Rip Van Winkle falls into a deep sleep lasting twenty years. When he wakes up, everything around him — his village, his family, and his country (now in a post-Revolutionary era) — has changed dramatically.
What happens to Rip Van Winkle after he drinks the mysterious liquor offered to him by the strange men in the Catskill Mountains?
Rationale
After drinking the liquor, Rip Van Winkle falls into a magical sleep and wakes up 20 years later. When he returns to his village, he finds that his wife has passed away, his children are grown, and America has achieved independence from Britain.
What happens to Rip Van Winkle after he drinks from the mysterious flagon given to him by the strange men in the Catskill Mountains?
Rationale
After drinking the liquor from the ghostly crew of Hendrick Hudson, Rip Van Winkle falls into a magical sleep in the Catskill Mountains. When he finally wakes up, he realizes that twenty years have gone by—his wife has died, his children are now adults, and America has become an independent nation.