MISCHIEVOUS IMAGINATIONS 8S 



same thing again, and then they get into real 

 trouble. 



The other kind of trap which is sold in your 

 shops is meant to catch the unwary rat by the leg. 

 It is a nasty savage thing, with iron teeth, and any 

 accident in which it plays a part is liable to be 

 painful, as I will prove to you in another chapter. 

 But here, again, no sensible rat has any right to be 

 taken in, either literally or in the other way, which 

 is called 'metaphorically,' though I ought not to 

 make myself out to be too much of a fool. There 

 is generally the bait to give you warning of danger 

 ahead, and even when that is wanting (and it is 

 then that these traps are dangerous), there is always 

 the smell of man and of iron. And here, again, 

 I feel sure that a good many rats are caught with 

 their eyes open, so to speak, because they will 

 fancy themselves too clever, and try to steal the 

 bait without releasing the spring. It is wonderful 

 how many people go wrong in this world from a 

 desire to make a display of their cleverness. Un- 

 less these traps are very cunningly set, the spring 

 is too stiff, and it is not very difficult to pull the 

 bait away without anything happening ; but if you 

 do happen to make a mistake, it is a far simpler 

 way of going behind the scenes than many others, 



6—2 



