SDC SUPER NOTES

CLASS 12- ENGLISH CHAPTER | THE RATTRAP

 Once, there was a poor man who made rat traps by hand. He struggled to make a
living, so he sometimes had to steal and beg for food. This made him look unkempt
and hungry all the time.

 One day, this man had a realization. He thought that life was like a big rat trap, and
the things that tempted people into this trap were money, happiness, and comfort.

 While selling rat traps, he met an old man who was a farmer. He asked the old man
for a place to stay, not expecting a positive response. Surprisingly, the old man
offered him shelter, food, and even some of his tobacco. They spent time together,
and the old man shared that he used to work on a farm but was now dependent on
his cow for a living.

 The next morning, the poor man stole the money the old man had shown him and ran
away. As he fled, he got lost in the forest, which made him realize that he, too, had
fallen into the rat trap he had described.

 He stumbled upon an ironworks and asked if he could stay there. The blacksmith
allowed him to stay for the night. Later, the owner of the ironworks mistook him for an
old friend and invited him to his home. The poor man played along, hoping to get
money.

 The owner's daughter convinced the poor man to come to their house. While on the
way, he regretted stealing the money from the old man and falling deeper into the rat
trap.

 The next day, the owner realized the poor man was not his old friend, but his
daughter insisted on letting him stay for Christmas Eve. The poor man didn't do much
that day except eat and sleep. On Christmas Eve, they gave him new clothes and
offered him a place to stay next Christmas Eve.

 While they were at church on Christmas Day, they heard a story about a rat trap
peddler who had stolen from an old man. The daughter worried she had helped a
thief, and the owner feared theft at home.

 When they returned, the poor man was gone, and nothing was stolen. Instead, they
found a letter and a gift from him. In the letter, he explained that because they treated
him well, he felt he had to act like a captain. He returned the stolen money and left a
rat trap as a gift, referring to himself as the rat who had avoided the world's rat trap
thanks to their kindness.