Summary of 'The Rattrap' by Selma Lagerlöf

The story follows a poor vagabond (peddler) who makes and sells small wire rattraps to survive. Because life has been extremely cruel to him, he develops a cynical philosophy to amuse himself: The entire world is nothing but a giant rattrap. The riches, joys, food, and shelter of the world are just 'baits' (like cheese for a rat). The moment a person reaches out to take the bait, the trap closes on them, and everything comes to an end.

One dark evening, the peddler takes shelter at the cottage of a lonely old crofter. The old man treats him with immense hospitality, feeds him, and even shows him the 30 kronor (money) he recently earned. The next morning, the peddler betrays this trust. He sneaks back, smashes the window, and steals the 30 kronor. To avoid the police, he runs into a dense, confusing forest. He gets hopelessly lost. Exhausted and facing death, he realizes that the 30 kronor was the 'bait', and he has finally let himself be caught in the world's rattrap.

He stumbles upon the Ramsjö Ironworks for shelter. The wealthy Ironmaster visits and mistakes the dirty peddler for his old army friend, Captain von Stahle. The Ironmaster insists the peddler come home for Christmas, but the peddler refuses, terrified of being exposed as a thief.

The Ironmaster sends his gentle daughter, Edla Willmansson, to persuade the peddler. Through her kind, empathetic, and highly persuasive manner, she convinces him to come. The next morning, the peddler is washed and dressed in fine clothes. The Ironmaster immediately realizes his mistake and angrily threatens to call the police. However, Edla intercedes. She argues that they promised the poor man Christmas cheer, and it would be cruel to throw him out on Christmas Eve. She treats him with the respect of a real Captain.

On Christmas morning, Edla and her father go to church and hear that a rattrap peddler has robbed an old crofter. Terrified, they rush home, expecting their house to be robbed of its silver. Instead, they find the peddler has left quietly. He did not steal anything. He left a Christmas present for Edla: a small rattrap containing the stolen 30 kronor and a letter. In the letter, he asks her to return the money to the old man. He writes that he was a 'rat' who would have been caught in the world's trap, but her treating him like a real, respectable Captain gave him the power to clear his conscience.