After stealing the money, the peddler tried to escape through the forest but soon got lost. Left in despair, he recollected his own thoughts on the world being a giant rattrap. A sudden realization came to him that he had finally got himself caught in the rattrap because he allowed himself to be tempted by the bait, the thirty kronor bills. Similarly, on his way to the iron master's home, he felt himself caught in the trap. He was again haunted by such thoughts when the iron master, on realizing the truth about the peddler, threatened to get him arrested. The rattrap seller expressed himself strongly realizing that the worldly bait had, once more, tempted and trapped him.