“…He was observed at first to vary on some points, every time he told it, which was dboutless owing to his having so recently awaked. it at last settled down precisely to the tale i have related and not a man, wman, or child in the neighborhood but knew it by heart…”
Ok, I understand He was observed at first to vary on some points means people stared at him a lot before they could be sure he was telling the truth. And then I’m completely lost…
Hi,
Let’s start from every time he told it
which was clearly because he had just woken up. It (the story) finally became eactly the tale (story) as I have told it. And there wasn’t a single person in the neighbourhood who didn’t know it (the story) by heart (word for word)
Hope this helps
alan
Yes, it did.
I could never figure out “not a man, wman, or child in the neighborhood but knew it by heart.” means “they all knew” on my own. Thank you so much.
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I don’t think that that part is quite right, CG. People noticed that Rip Van Winkle did not tell the story consistently in the beginning (because he was still sleepy, Irving wryly comments).
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Oh, great, that means I didn’t get anything at all… 
Hi cooliegirly,
Never mind!
Alan
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Well, you must have gotten a lot of the earlier part of the story, CG-- where Rip goes into the mountains, and meets the Dutchmen bowling, and falls asleep, then wakes up to his rusty old gun, etc…
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Yes, illustration helps.