Walpurga love each other, Teresa, Harro's wife, tries to intervene on their behalf before her husband. Just appointed as manager of a theatre, he promises to express a more lenient view of the matter. He reveals to Jette that Sidonie's baby is dead, as well as the news that police officers have discovered that she never went with the boy to her husband's sister, having been seen by the park near the river. Paul is tired of living in a rat-infested house and decides to bring the baby over to his sister, but Jette reveals that the child is not his. Sidonie's daughter, Selma, arrives and informs them that the police have concluded that she brought down Pauline's baby from Harro's loft to her. Piece by piece, Paul discovers the truth about his wife's scheming. In a fit of rage and despair, Jette takes hold of the baby, but is prevented from leaving with him. She blindly rushes out and before anyone can prevent it, she kills herself in the middle of the street. Film adaptations Five German films based on the Hauptmann play, all entitled "Die Ratten": A 1921 film The Rats, directed by Hanns Kobe with Eugen Klöpfer, Blandine Ebinger, Gertrude W. Hoffmann, and Lucie Höflich. A 1955 film Die Ratten, directed by Robert Siodmak, with Maria Schell, Curd Jürgens, and Heidemarie Hatheyer. A 1959 TV film, directed by John Olden, with Ingrid Andree, Walter Richter, Peter Mosbacher, and Elisabeth Flickenschildt A 1969 TV film , directed by Peter Beauvais, with Sabine Sinjen, Inge Meysel, Reinhard Kolldehoff, and Uwe Friedrichsen A 1977 TV film, directed by Rudolf Noelte, with Cordula Trantow, Günter Lamprecht, and Gottfried John. References External links English translation of The Rats Plays by Gerhart Hauptmann 1911 plays