# I explained — Short Fiction > Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Selma Lagerlöf. ## What happens Petter Nord, a shop boy, finds a fifty-crown note and hides it, torn between revenge against Halfvorson and dreams of wealth. After attending a ball and experiencing joy, he resolves to return the note, but Halfvorson discovers it under his pillow, accuses him of theft, and Petter flees. ## Themes in this chapter ### Deception and Truth Petter hides the note and is falsely accused of theft, highlighting the tension between appearance and reality. ### Class and Poverty Petter's humble position and dreams of wealth contrast with the ball's elegance and Halfvorson's tales of poor boys who became rich. ### Suffering and Redemption Petter's anguish over the note and his eventual resolve to return it, followed by his flight in shame. ## Character check-ins ### Petter Nord Finds and hides a fifty-crown note, struggles with temptation, attends a ball, and is falsely accused of theft. ### Halfvorson Stone-deaf shopkeeper who tells Petter stories of wealth, discovers the note, and accuses Petter of theft. ### Edith Halfvorson's niece who witnesses the accusation and shows sympathy for Petter. ## Key lines > He believed that it had got caught in a piece of cloth, and without anyone’s seeing him he had pushed it under a roll of striped cotton which was out of fashion and was never taken down from the shelf. He thought the note was stuck in some fabric and hid it under an old roll of cotton that nobody ever touched. _Petter's initial act of hiding the fifty-crown note._ > The boy was cherishing great anger in his heart against Halfvorson. The latter had destroyed a whole family of mice for him, and now he meant to be revenged. Petter was furious at Halfvorson for killing his pet mice and wanted to get back at him. _Motivation for hiding the note as revenge._ > Halfvorson was stone deaf, but that was no obstacle to conversation, for he read by the lips everything that was said. Halfvorson was completely deaf but could understand speech by reading lips. _Halfvorson's deafness and method of communication._ > “What is most needed to become rich,” said Halfvorson, “is the foundation. But it cannot be earned. Take note that they all have found it in the street or discovered it between the lining and cloth of a coat which they had bought at a pawnbroker’s sale; or that it had been won at cards, or had been given to them in alms by a beautiful and charitable lady.” Halfvorson explained that the key to wealth is a lucky find or gift, not something earned through work. _Halfvorson's philosophy on the foundation of wealth._ > “Mark my words,” said Halfvorson, “that, after the foundation, two things are necessary for those who wish to reach the heights. Work, untiring work, Petter Nord, is one; and the other is renunciation.” Halfvorson insisted that after the initial lucky break, success requires hard work and giving up pleasures. _Halfvorson's advice on achieving wealth._ > He was always in love with some pretty girl, but hitherto with only one at a time. But when he now saw all those beautiful ladies together, it was no longer a single fire, which laid waste his sixteen-year-old heart; it was a whole conflagration. Petter usually fell for one girl at a time, but at the ball, seeing many beautiful women made him fall in love with all of them at once. _Petter's overwhelming romantic feelings at the ball._ > Suddenly Petter Nord was out on the floor. All his fine manners dropped off him. He was no longer at the town-hall ball; he was at home in the barn at the midsummer dance. Petter suddenly started dancing wildly, forgetting his manners and imagining he was back at a country dance. _Petter's spontaneous and joyful dancing at the ball._ > “You see that I was right,” said Halfvorson. “You see that it was well worth while for me to drag you up to bear witness against him! You see that he is a thief!” Halfvorson declared that he had been correct and that Petter was a thief, having brought witnesses to prove it. _Halfvorson's accusation of Petter._ > “I know, of course, that it sounds terrible,” said Halfvorson, “but it cannot be helped.” He was gay, in very high spirits. Halfvorson acknowledged the harshness of his actions but was cheerful and pleased with himself. _Halfvorson's reaction after catching Petter._ > “He will be glad,” answered the housekeeper. “He put the money there for the boy, I think. I guess that he wanted to be rid of him.” The housekeeper suggested Halfvorson had planted the money to get rid of Petter, and would be happy he fled. _The housekeeper's suspicion about Halfvorson's motive._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_50_se/chapters/i - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_50_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_50_se/chapters