The Rattrap | Summary |CBSE
Human Being can be awakened through understanding and love.
The Rattrap Peddle thought that whole world is like a rattrap. In a rattrap, the rat is caught when is attracted to the bait and tries to eat it. In the same way, the world sets baits for people. These baits are riches, joys, shelter, food and clothing. When a person tempted towards these baits, he is caught like a rat.
The Rattrap peddler notice a little grey cottage by roadside. He knocked at the door, an old man welcomed him. He was a crofter without wife and children. The old man fed the peddler and played a game of cards with him until bedtime. The old man told him that he had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironwork.
Now he earned his living by selling his cow’s milk. The old man show thirty kronor( currency) which he kept in leather pouch hung on nail in the window fame. The peddler stole the money.Initially he was happy to get the money but soon the rattrap began to work. He feared detection and avoided the highway. He walked through the forest and lost his way there.
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Deep Water | Summary
The rattrap seller reached Ramsjo Ironwork and asked permission to stay there for night. When iron master came for nightly inspection, he mistook peddler for an old acquaintance, Nils Olof. The Peddler realized that the Ironmaster was making a mistake but he preferred to stay quiet. But he did not like to go into his house as he feared that he might be exposed and identified.
Ironmaster sent his daughter, Edla Williamson to persuade his old friend to stay with them. At last, the peddler agreed and went with them. The next day was Christmas. Iron master realised that he had been mistaken and that man was not his old friend. He thundered at him and threatened to call Sheriff. But Edla wanted the peddler to stay with them and enjoy a day of peace. In evening, he thanked everybody.
The next morning Ironmaster and Edla went to church for Christmas Service. At Church, they came to know that one of old crofter had been robbed by a rattrap peddler. This made Edla sad. Her father was afraid that he might have stolen all their silver spoons in their absence. But, when they arrived home; the valet told them that peddler had not taken anything with him rather he had left a little package for girl. Edla found a small rattrap in the package. Inside the package , there were three wrinkled ten kronor notes and a letter. In the letter, he thanked her for being so nice to him as if he was really a captain. He did not want her to be troubled with a thief on Christmas and requested her to return money to old crofter. He wrote that rattrap was a Christmas present to her.
‘Hate the sin, not the sinner’, is the message conveyed by the story. Convicts are not born, they are made up by society. Little help, support can help them to turn into new leaf. Essential goodness can be awakened in a man through love, understanding and compassion.
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