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1. THE RATTRAP
INTRODUCTION
The
Rattrap was written by Swedish writer Selma Lagerlof. The story is
interesting. I reads like a fairy tale. There are interesting incidents
and dialogues. The rattrap seller is a homeless tramp. He stays for a
night in the cottage of a crofter. The lonely crofter entertains his
guest like a trusted friend. He tells him all. But in the morning the
peddler comes back, smashes a window pane and steals the crofter’s
money.
Later
there is a turn in his fortune. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old
comrade. The peddler is the ironmaster’s guest for about two days. But
he once again leaves to pursue his usual professing of selling rattraps,
begging and thievery.
There
is a twist at the end of the story. The ironmaster mistakes him for an
old comrade. The peddler is the iron master’s guest for about two days.
But he once again leaves to pursue his usual profession of selling
rattraps, begging and thievery.
There
is a philosophical angle too to the story. The lonely tramp is a
philosopher too. Not only does he make rattraps to sell, he thinks that
the world too is a rattrap. As rats are lured by pork and cheese to
enter the trap, so are men lured by lands, food, shelter, clothing, and
so on. There are baits. Those who touch them are trapped. He knew a few
persons who were already trapped and others who were trying to bite the
bait and get trapped.
SUMMARY
THE RATTRAP PEDDLER
A
rattrap peddler went around selling small rattraps. His clothes were in
rags. His cheeks were hollow. He had the look of a starved man. He made
wire traps. He begged the material from stores and big farms. Sometimes
he resorted to begging and a little stealing to survive. The world had
never been kind to him. He had no home, no shelter.
THE WORLD IS A RATTRAP
The
peddler led a lonely life. He was given to meditation. One day while he
was thinking about his rattraps an idea struck him. He thought that the
world itself was a rattrap. Like pork and cheese serve as baits in rat
traps, the world offered lands, clothes, food, joys and riches to trap
people. As soon as anybody touched them, the trap closed on them. He was
amused to think of some people who were already trapped, and some
others who were trying to reach the bait.
A NIGHT IN A CROFTER’S COTTAGE
It
was a cold evening in December. He was a gray cottage on the roadside.
He knocked at the door and asked for a night’s shelter. The owner of the
cottage was a lonely old crofter. He wanted someone to talk to. He
welcomed the peddler. He gave the peddler hot porridge to eat, and
tobacco to smoke. Then they played cards. The crofter was generous as
well as trustful. He told the peddler that he had a cow and sold her
milk to a creamery. He also told him that he received thirty kronor as
payment the previous month. Then he took down a pouch and showed him the
money. Then he put the money back in the pouch, a hung it on a nail in
the window frame. Next morning the peddler left. The crofter locked his
cottage, and went away.
THE PEDDLER IS CAUGHT IN A RATTRAP
The
peddler came back to the cottage. He had been tempted to steal the
money that hung like a bait in the window frame. He smashed the pane and
stole the money. Now he thought it was not safe to walk along the
public highway. So he went into the woods. There he walked and walked
but could not get out. He moved in circles. He was tired. He looked upon
the forest as a rattrap in which he was caught. He thought his end was
near. He lay down to die.
A SOUND OF HOPE
After
a while he heard regular thumping of a hammer’s strokes. He knew the
sound was coming from Ramsjo Ironworks. He stood up and walked in the
direction of the sound. He opened the gate of the works and went into
the forge. The blacksmith and his apprentice were sitting there waiting
for the pig-iron to be ready to put on the anvil.
IRONMASTER INVITES HIM
The
blacksmith hardly took any notice of his presence. It was not unusual
for a vagabond to come in for shelter and warmth. The owner of the Works
was very particular about the quality of the iron he produced. On one
of his visits he comes into the forge while the peddler lay in front of
the furnace. The ironmaster looked intently at the peddler’s face. He
felt sure that the peddler was one of his old regimental comrades,
Captain von Stable who had fallen on evil days. He invited the peddler
to go home with him for Christmas. But the peddler was alarmed. He
though it was risky for him to accept the offer. He firmly declined it.
The ironmaster went home.
THE PEDDLER ACCEPTS THE INVITATION
The
ironmaster sent his daughter Edla to persuade the peddler to come home.
She came in a carriage with a large fur coat. She could see that the
peddler was unwilling to accept the invitation because he was afraid.
Perhaps, she thought, he had stolen something or had escaped from jail.
She spoke gently to him. She assured him that he would be free to leave
when he pleased. They wanted his company only over Christmas eve. The
peddler felt confidence in her. He agreed to go with her. On the way he
was sorry to have stolen the crofter’s money that had put him in a trap.
IRONMASTER THINKS HE HAS MADE A MISTAKE
The
ironmaster was happy to have his old regimental comrade under his roof.
He planned to feed him well and give him some respectable work. The
servant cut the peddler’s hair, shaved him ad bathed him. The peddler
appeared wearing one of the ironmaster’s fine suits. But when the
ironmaster looked at him in daylight, he felt that he had made a
mistake. The peddler was not captain von Stable. He thought that the man
had deceived him. He even thought of handling him to the sheriff.
THE PEDDLER DEFENDS HIMSELF
The
peddler said that he had not pretended to be what he was not. He had
not been willing to go to the ironmaster’s house. Even then he was
willing to put on his rags and leave. He also told the ironmaster that
the world was a rattrap, and he himself might one day be tempted by a
big bait and get caught in the trap. The ironmaster told him to leave at
once.
EDLA STOPS THE PEDDLER
Edla
did not like her father’s asking the poor peddler to leave. She thought
it was unfair to turn away the man whom they had invited. She wanted to
have the joy of entertaining a homeless wanderer on Christmas Eve. She
stopped the peddler and her father gave it.
PEDDLER IS GIVEN PRESENTS
Edla
served food to the peddler. He was given Christmas presents which he
thankfully received. Edla told him that her father’s suit that the
peddler was wearing was also a Christmas present. She assured him that
he would be welcomed again if he liked to spend the next Christmas Eve
with them.
THE PEDDLER LEAVES
Next
morning the ironmaster and his daughter went to church. There they
learned that the peddler was a thief. He had robbed the crofter. The
ironmaster was sure that the peddler must have made away with their
silver. Edla was dejected. But when they reached home they learned that
the peddler had left. But he had taken away nothing. On the other hand
he had left a Christmas present for Edla.
THE SURPRISE
Edla
opened the present. It was a tiny rattrap. Edla was happy to see that
the peddler had left the crofter’s money behind. There was a letter
also. It was addressed to Edla. He thanked her for her kindness. He
wanted to repay her kindness. So he had left the crofter’s money and had
requested her to return it to the crofter. He said he had been raised
to captain. That was why he could come out of the rattrap in which he
had been caught. He signed the letter Captain von Stable.
……………………chechk……….
1. THE RATTRAP
INTRODUCTION
The
Rattrap was written by Swedish writer Selma Lagerlof. The story is
interesting. It reads like a fairy tale. There are interesting incidents
and dialogues. The rattrap seller is a homeless tramp. He stays for a
night in the cottage of a crofter. The lonely crofter entertains his
guest like a trusted friend. He tells him all. But in the morning the
peddler comes back, smashes a window pane and steals the crofter’s
money.
Later
there is a turn in his fortune. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old
comrade. The peddler is the ironmaster’s guest for about two days. But
he once again leaves to pursue his usual professing of selling rattraps,
begging and thievery.
There
is a twist at the end of the story. The ironmaster mistakes him for an
old comrade. The peddler is the iron master’s guest for about two days.
But he once again leaves to pursue his usual profession of selling
rattraps, begging and thievery.
There
is a philosophical angle too to the story. The lonely tramp is a
philosopher too. Not only does he make rattraps to sell, he thinks that
the world too is a rattrap. As rats are lured by pork and cheese to
enter the trap, so are men lured by lands, food, shelter, clothing, and
so on. There are baits. Those who touch them are trapped. He knew a few
persons who were already trapped and others who were trying to bite the
bait and get trapped.
SUMMARY
THE RATTRAP PEDDLER
A
rattrap peddler went around selling small rattraps. His clothes were in
rags. His cheeks were hollow. He had the look of a starved man. He made
wire traps. He begged the material from stores and big farms. Sometimes
he resorted to begging and a little stealing to survive. The world had
never been kind to him. He had no home, no shelter.
THE WORLD IS A RATTRAP
The
peddler led a lonely life. He was given to meditation. One day while he
was thinking about his rattraps an idea struck him. He thought that the
world itself was a rattrap. Like pork and cheese serve as baits in rat
traps, the world offered lands, clothes, food, joys and riches to trap
people. As soon as anybody touched them, the trap closed on them. He was
amused to think of some people who were already trapped, and some
others who were trying to reach the bait.
A NIGHT IN A CROFTER’S COTTAGE
It
was a cold evening in December. He was a gray cottage on the roadside.
He knocked at the door and asked for a night’s shelter. The owner of the
cottage was a lonely old crofter. He wanted someone to talk to. He
welcomed the peddler. He gave the peddler hot porridge to eat, and
tobacco to smoke. Then they played cards. The crofter was generous as
well as trustful. He told the peddler that he had a cow and sold her
milk to a creamery. He also told him that he received thirty kronor as
payment the previous month. Then he took down a pouch and showed him the
money. Then he put the money back in the pouch, a hung it on a nail in
the window frame. Next morning the peddler left. The crofter locked his
cottage, and went away.
THE PEDDLER IS CAUGHT IN A RATTRAP
The
peddler came back to the cottage. He had been tempted to steal the
money that hung like a bait in the window frame. He smashed the pane and
stole the money. Now he thought it was not safe to walk along the
public highway. So he went into the woods. There he walked and walked
but could not get out. He moved in circles. He was tired. He looked upon
the forest as a rattrap in which he was caught. He thought his end was
near. He lay down to die.
A SOUND OF HOPE
After
a while he heard regular thumpings of a hammer’s strokes. He knew the
sound was coming from Ramsjo Ironworks. He stood up and walked in the
direction of the sound. He opened the gate of the works and went into
the forge. The blacksmith and his apprentice were sitting there waiting
for the pig-iron to be ready to put on the anvil.
IRONMASTER INVITES HIM
The
blacksmith hardly took any notice of his presence. It was not unusual
for a vagabond to come in for shelter and warmth. The owner of the Works
was very particular about the quality of the iron he produced. On one
of his visits he comes into the forge while the peddler lay in front of
the furnace. The ironmaster looked intently at the peddler’s face. He
felt sure that the peddler was one of his old regimental comrades,
Captain von Stable who had fallen on evil days. He invited the peddler
to go home with him for Christmas. But the peddler was alarmed. He
though it was risky for him to accept the offer. He firmly declined it.
The ironmaster went home.
THE PEDDLER ACCEPTS THE INVITATION
The
ironmaster sent his daughter Edla to persuade the peddler to come home.
She came in a carriage with a large fur coat. She could see that the
peddler was unwilling to accept the invitation because he was afraid.
Perhaps, she thought, he had stolen something or had escaped from jail.
She spoke gently to him. She assured him that he would be free to leave
when he pleased. They wanted his company only over Christmas eve. The
peddler felt confidence in her. He agreed to go with her. On the way he
was sorry to have stolen the crofter’s money that had put him in a trap.
IRONMASTER THINKS HE HAS MADE A MISTAKE
The
ironmaster was happy to have his old regimental comrade under his roof.
He planned to feed him well and give him some respectable work. The
servant cut the peddler’s hair, shaved him ad bathed him. The peddler
appeared wearing one of the ironmaster’s fine suits. But when the
ironmaster looked at him in daylight, he felt that he had made a
mistake. The peddler was not captain von Stable. He thought that the man
had deceived him. He even thought of handling him to the sheriff.
THE PEDDLER DEFENDS HIMSELF
The
peddler said that he had not pretended to be what he was not. He had
not been willing to go to the ironmaster’s house. Even then he was
willing to put on his rags and leave. He also told the ironmaster that
the world was a rattrap, and he himself might one day be tempted by a
big bait and get caught in the trap. The ironmaster told him to leave at
once.
EDLA STOPS THE PEDDLER
Edla
did not like her father’s asking the poor peddler to leave. She thought
it was unfair to turn away the man whom they had invited. She wanted to
have the joy of entertaining a homeless wanderer on Christmas Eve. She
stopped the peddler and her gather gave it.
PEDDLER IS GIVEN PRESENTS
Edla
served food to the peddler. He was given Christmas presents which he
thankfully received. Edla told him that her father’s suit that the
peddler was wearing was also a Christmas present. She assured him that
he would be welcomed again if he liked to spend the next Christmas Eve
with them.
THE PEDDLER LEAVES
Next
morning the ironmaster and his daughter went to church. There they
learned that the peddler was a thief. He had robbed the crofter. The
ironmaster was sure that the peddler must have made away with their
silver. Edla was dejected. But when they reached home they learned that
the peddler had left. But he had taken away nothing. On the other hand
he had left a Christmas present for Edla.
THE SURPRISE
Edla
opened the present. It was a tiny rattrap. Edla was happy to see that
the peddler had left the crofter’s money behind. There was a letter
also. It was addressed to Edla. He thanked her for her kindness. He
wanted to repay her kindness. So he had left the crofter’s money and had
requested her to return it to the crofter. He said he had been raised
to captain. That was why he could come out of the rattrap in which he
had been caught. He signed the letter Captain von Stable.
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