The writer has highlighted a universal theme in this story. It is that we can arouse the goodness in the life of a man by love, understanding, sympathy, and respect. Once upon a time there was a man who went around selling self-made small rattraps of wire. His condition was too miserable to beg and do petty thefts. He was in rags, with sunken cheeks and hungry eyes.

One day an ideal flashed into his mind. He thought that the whole world around him was a big rattrap. It offered riches, joys, food, shelter and clothing like a bait offering cheese and pork in a rattrap for the rats. Those who were tempted to touch the bait, it closed on them bringing an end to everything.

One dark evening while staying at a crofter's cottage, he was given food and lodging. But the next morning the tramp stole his thirty kronor. He kept on walking all day long on the same path in the forest. On hearing the sound of hammer strokes, he reached the ironmill and lay near the furnace.

The ironmaster mistook him to be his old acquaintance and invited him for Christmas cheer but he refused. He sent his daughter Edla who persuaded him to their house. After having him well dressed, the ironmaster found that he mistook him Captain “Nils Olof.” So he ordered him to get out at once. The young girl interceded for him and said she wanted him to stay as they promised him Christmas cheer. He was treated like a real captain with food. In their absence when they were at church he left. At the Church they learnt the rattrap seller had robbed the old crofter. So they became worried.

When they returned the valet told that the stranger had taken nothing with him and left behind a Christmas gift for Miss Willmansson. She found a small rattrap thirty kroner and a letter in it. The letter stated that she had took him as if he were a captain, so he would be nice to her as a captain. It had given him power to cleanse himself.

63 Jor Bagh

New Delhi

26 July 200...

Dear Lalitha,

You will be surprised to know that I have recently succeeded in awakening the essential human virtue of goodness in a poor peddler selling small rattraps. One dark evening my father mistook him as a captain from his regiment. The stranger was in rags, with sunken cheeks, hunger gleaming eyes and a long beard. Many rattraps hung on his chest. My father persuaded him to stay with them in the manor house on the Christmas Eve. But he refused. At my father's request. I had to go to pursuade him. He develops faith in me. Still he looked frightened as if he had stolen something or had escaped from jail. Not to speak of his being a captain once, he even did not look an educated man. Later when he was well dressed on wearing my father's lovely suit, my father realised his mistake of taking him a regimental comrade. But I treated him nice and made him comfortable at home. My father was admant for his presence but I pleaded for his stay. I extended him the invitation for the next Christmas Eve. While leaving he left a Christmas present and thanked for saving him from falling into the world’s rattrap. Rest when meet in the near future.

Yours truly

Edla Willmansson.

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V. Imp.

Edla is the modest, kind, considerate and a noble kind of girl. She has more persuasive power than her father. When the peddler refuses the ironmaster's request for the Christmas, he sends his daughter. She introduces herself and requests to come for the Christmass. She feels sorry for his hard time. She assures the captain that he will be allowed to leave them just as freely as he comes. Her manners, attitude and openness create confidence in the peddler. He accompanies her because she has better insight of human understanding.

At the manor house the young girl pleads for the stranger saying, “I think he ought to stay with us today.” She closes the door and takes the stranger by the hand to the dining table. She further says “Wherever he turns, he is chased away. I should like to have him a day of peace with us just once in the whole year.” We should not chase him away whom we have asked to come and have a Christmas cheer.”

Her deep kindness and sympathy have a magic effect on the peddler. It awakens essential goodness in the stranger. So he rises above the evils of greed and cheating because of a young girl. He thanks her for saving him from falling into the world's rattrap.

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M. Imp.

The Rattrap man happens to get refuge for a night shelter at the Ramsjo Iron works. By chance the owner mistakes him as an old acquaintance and inuites to spend for the Christmas eve but the Rattrap declines his offer. The ironmaster sends his daughter Edla to bring and persuade the mar at their house. Haring milk of human kindness flowing in her body, she finds the peddler in a very miserable condition through her kind, considerate and persuasive power, she gets success in taking the peddler alongwith her. She promises to him to leave as and when he desires. Being a perfect host, she takes every care to make her guest feel comfortable at home. She is a practical and fine observer of people. She immediately tells her father that the peddler seems to be both an uneducated and thief. But the father points out that the stranger will be fine after properly dressed.

When the truth is known, the ironmaster becomes ugly and threatens to call the shrieft. He orders to peddler to leave away at once. But Edla intercedes for the vagabond and lets her father concede for his proper stay till the Christmas Eve. She is against chasing away a person whom they have invited for a promised “Christman Cheer”. Her persuasive powers make the stranger surrender to her wish. She is happy when the peddler leaves for her with a Christmas present and a thirsty kroner note. In his letter to Edla, he thanks for being so, nice to him. He finally thanks her saving him from falling into the “world’s rattrap”. It is thus, the love and understanding brings out a basic human goodness in the peddler.

The rattrap peddler was a tall man who had his own, imagination and meditation. Instead of flowing some goodness in him, he had the human weakness of petty thievery and begging to keep his body and soul together. He wore rags and hunger gleamed in his eyes. He went round selling self-made small rattrape of wire. Devoid of any sheltering place, he could spend his night wherever he desired. Mostly he came across sour faces and was a victim of his cruel circumstances. He could of knock at the door any person for his night shelter.

He philosophises his existence and inside the world as a big rattap. According to him all the riches, joys, food, clothing and shelter are just baits. Anyone who touches the bait, the rattrap closes on him. Then everything comes to an end. He stole away the thirty knonor of the crofter though the later offered him supper, bed and shelter. With that money he reached the Ramsjo Ironworks and the ironmaster mistook him as his old acquaintance. With the persuasion of Edla, the ironmaster's daughter, the peddler accepted the invitation for the Christmas cheer. When the ironmaster realised his mistake about the peddler he ordered him to go. Edla intrceded and took the peddler at the breakfast table. Her sympathy, noble attitude, open heartedness, hospitality and kindness had a significant impact on the peddler. While leaving he left behind a Christmas present for Edla, thirty kronor for crofter and a letter stating that her nobleness had given him a chance to cleanse himself.

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V. Imp.