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It’s our 100th podcast! And we’re celebrating 22 years of performing. So we thought it was appropriate to bring you the story of “Rip van Winkle”, since he spent 20 years sleeping – which is exactly the opposite of what we and our audiences have been doing.

Long before science fiction writers got their hands on the concept of suspended animation, there was Rip van Winkle, created in 1818 by American author Washington Irving. Actually, created isn’t quite the right word. Irving, who was known to borrow the themes for his classic tales from folktales, did likewise here. His yarn about a man sleeping for a long period of time and then awakening to find the world drastically changed is similar to stories to be found in Germany, China, Japan, Israel and Ireland among other places.

Happy Listening! Dennis (Rip, Villager), Kimberly (Mrs. Van Winkle, Judith, Villager), Zephyr (Narrator, Stranger, Villager)

• New CD! American Tales of U.S.