The Rattrap

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Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was a Swedish writer. Her stories have been translated into many languages and run through a universal theme - a belief that the essential goodness in a human being can be a…

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The central metaphor is that the whole world is like a big rattrap. It offers riches, joys, shelter, food, heat, and clothing as bait to trap people, just like a rattrap offers cheese and pork to catc…

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The peddler made small rat traps of wire during odd moments, using materials he got by begging at stores or big farms. Since this business was not profitable, he had to resort to begging and petty thi…

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The world had never been kind to him, so it gave him 'unwonted joy' to think ill of it. It became his cherished pastime to think of people who had been caught in the dangerous snare and others who wer…

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The crofter was an old man without wife or child who was happy to get someone to talk to. He was generous - he gave the peddler supper, tobacco, played cards with him, and even showed him his earnings…

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The peddler stole thirty kronor from the crofter. He returned half an hour after leaving, smashed a window pane, reached in to get the leather pouch containing three ten-kronor bills, took the money, …

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After stealing the money, he had to leave the public highway and enter the forest to avoid detection. He got lost in the big, confusing forest and realized he had been walking in circles. The forest b…

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Ramsjö Ironworks was a large plant with smelter, rolling mill, and forge. It was rich in iron ore and significant in Sweden's history. In summer, loaded barges went down the canal, and in winter, road…