As Rip Van Winkle made his way home, he discovered, to his astonishment, that the landscape around him had changed. As he approached his village, he was even more dumbfounded. He found that he could not recognise anyone in the village ! Not only did the people look different, they were also dressed in a different fashion. Everyone was staring at his chin. As Rip Van Winkle looked down at his own chin, he realised, to his surprise, that he had grown a very long beard.