The peddler believed that the whole world is a rattrap. How did he himself get caught in the same?

The rattrap peddler came up with a theory that the whole world is a rattrap and that all the luxuries are merely baits. It gave him great pleasure to think of the world this way. One night, he took shelter in the house of an old and lonely crofter who was very generous. He gave the peddler a meal, talked to him and even showed him the thirty kronors, he had earned because of his cow. Tempted by the money, the peddler stole the money from the crofter and headed towards a forest. The dense forest was like a maze and he soon got lost, realising that the money was a bait and now he himself was trapped in a rattrap. The peddler soon found refuge at an iron mill, where he was mistaken by the ironmaster for an old friend. Even though, he refused to come to the ironmaster’s house, for fear of being caught, he was ultimately persuaded by Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter.

The peddler once again regretted being caught, in a trap and wished he hadn’t stolen the money. By not trying to clear his identity, in hope of some more money, he was further trapped when his identity was uncovered the next day; he was still allowed to stay because of Edla’s intervention. Her kindness and faith in him ultimately allowed him to free himself from the trap in which he had been caught