'Rip Van Winkle' is a classic short story by American author Washington Irving (author of 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'). It was first published in 1819. The story has been adapted for film, and theatre, and is an American classic.
It is the story of Dutch-American villager named Rip Van Winkle. A family man, a husband, an avid fisherman. One day, after meeting a group of mysterious Dutchman, Rip drinks alcohol and falls asleep in the Catskill mountains. When he awakes, the world is a very different place. His faithful dog is gone. He's missed the American Revolution. His family has grown up, and the town is a changed place.