But one day this man had fallen into a line of thought, which really seemed to him entertaining. He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world
about him - the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages was nothing but a big rattrap. It had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys,
shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end.

The world had, of course, never been very kind to him, so it gave him unwonted joy to think ill of it in this way. It became a cherished pastime of his, during many dreary ploddings,
to think of people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare, and of others who were still circling around the bait.