commerce: rattrap

THE Rat trap

Selma Lager Lof

She is a Swedish writer.
The story is like a fairy tale and has interesting incidents and dialogues
The Trap trap seller is a homeless. He stay for a night in the cottage of a crofter.
The lonely crofter entertains his gust 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 iron master guest for about two days.
But he once again leaves to pursue his usual profession of selling rat traps, begging and thievery.
At the end –there is a twist, the iron master mistook him for his old comrade captain Vom Stahle, then he thinks he was mistaken, but finally the man signs himself as captain Von Stahle.
There is a philosophical angle too to the story.
The lonely tramp is a philosopher too.
Not only does he make rattrap to sell, he thinks that the world too is a rattrap.
As rats are loved 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 then are trapped.
He knew a few people who were already trapped à and others who were trying to bite the bait and get trapped.
The rat trap peddler
The rattrap peddler went around small rattraps.
His cloths were in rags à his cheeks were hallow. He had the look of a starved man.
He made wire traps.
He begged the material from stores and big terms.
Sometimes he restored to begging and a little stealing to survive.
The world has never been kind to him à he had no home, no shelter.
The world is a rat trap
The peddler led a lonely life. He was given to meditation.
One day while thinking about his rattraps à an idea struck him.
He thought 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 ensured 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 saw a gray cottage on the roadside à he knocked on the door and asked for night 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 rotors as payment the previous month à he showed him the money.
Then he put the money back in the pouch and 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.
He thought not safe to walk along the public highway. So he want into the woods.
There he walked and walked but could no get out. He moved in circle. He was tired.
He looked upon the forest as a raptrap in which he was caught.
He thought his end was near à 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 the Ramjo Iron works.
He stood up and walked in the direction of the sound.
He opened the gate of the work 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.
Iron master invites him
The blacksmith hardly took any notice of his presence.
It was not unusual for a vaga bond 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 came into the forge à? While the peddler lay in front of the furnace.
The iron master looked intently at the peddler’s face.
He felt sure that he peddler was one of his old regimental comrades, Captain Von Stahle à who had fallen on evil days.
He invited the peddler to go home with him for Christmas.
But the peddler was alarmed. He thought it risky to accept the offer.
He decided it à the iron master went home.
The peddler accepts the invitation:
The iron master sent his daughter Edla to persuade the peddler to come home.
She came in a carriage with a large for coat.
She saw the peddler unwilling to accept the invitation because he was afraid.
She thinks, perhaps à he had stolen something or had escaped from.
She spoke gently to him à 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.
Iron master thinks he was made a mistake
The iron master was happy to have his old regimental comrade under his roof.
He panned to feed him well and give him some respectable work.
The servant cut the peddler wearing one of the iron master’s fine suits
But when the iron master looked at him in day light, he felt he had made a mistake à the peddler was not captain Von Stahle.
He thought that the man had deceived him. He even thought of handling him to the sheriffs.
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 iron master’s house.
Even then he was willing to put on his rags and leave.
He told the iron master that the world was a rat trap and he might one day be tempted by a big bait and get caught in the trap.
The iron master 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 the joy of entertaining a homeless wonder on Christmas eve.
She stopped the peddler and her father gave in.
Peddler in given presents
Edla served food to the peddler.
He was given Christmas presents à which he thankfully received.
Edla told him that the father’s suit he was wearing was also Christmas present.
She assured him that he would be welcomed again à if he liked to spend the next Christmas eve with them.
The peddler leaves
Next morning the iron master and his daughter went5 to church.
There they learned that the peddler was a thief à he had robbed the crofter.
The iron master was sure that the peddler must have made away with their silver.
Edla was dejected.
But when they reached home à they leaved that the peddler had left.
But he had not taken anything à infact 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 à addressed to Edla.
He thanked her for her kindness. He wanted to repay her kindness.
He had left the crofter’s money and had requested her to return it to the crofter.
He said he had 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 Stahle.

Summary 1( rattrap)

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.