The Rattrap Seller Chapter 4 Class 12th
THE RATTRAP — EXAM-READY ANSWERS
Short Answers: लगभग 40 words | Long Answers: लगभग 80 words
(B) SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Who was the rattrap seller? How did he make rattraps?
The rattrap seller was a poor vagabond who went from place to place selling rattraps. He made them from pieces of wire. He earned very little from their sale and often had to beg or steal to survive.
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2. Which idea about the whole world struck in the peddler's mind?
The peddler once thought that the whole world was a big rattrap. It offered various baits such as riches, food, shelter and comfort. When a person was tempted by these baits, he got caught in the trap and lost his freedom.
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3. Who gave the peddler shelter for the night and why?
A poor crofter gave the peddler shelter for the night. The crofter lived alone and was happy to get someone to talk to. Therefore, he welcomed the stranger, offered him food and shelter, and treated him kindly.
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4. Why did the rattrap seller return to the crofter's cottage?
The rattrap seller returned to the crofter's cottage because he was tempted by the thirty kronor kept there. He had seen the money earlier. His poverty and greed overcame his conscience, so he came back and stole the money.
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5. What happened with the rattrap seller in the woods?
After stealing the crofter's money, the peddler entered the forest to avoid being caught. He lost his way among the trees and wandered helplessly. The forest seemed like a great maze, and he realized that he had fallen into the world's rattrap.
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6. Which sounds did the peddler hear in the forest? What did he do then?
While wandering through the forest, the peddler heard the sound of hammer strokes from Ramsjö Ironworks. He followed the sound and reached the forge. As he was cold and tired, he entered the forge to seek warmth and shelter.
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7. What was Ramsjö Ironworks? What was happening inside it?
Ramsjö Ironworks was an old forge where iron was produced. On that cold night, the workers were busy heating and hammering the iron. The fire inside the forge gave warmth and light, attracting the tired and cold peddler.
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8. How did the ironmaster react on seeing the vagabond inside his forge?
The ironmaster mistook the vagabond for Captain von Stahle, an old military acquaintance. He was surprised to see him at the forge and spoke kindly to him. He invited the supposed captain to his home to spend Christmas.
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9. Why was the vagabond not ready to go with the ironmaster?
The vagabond was afraid to go with the ironmaster because he feared that his real identity would be discovered. He also had the thirty kronor stolen from the crofter. He thought that going to the ironmaster's house might lead to trouble.
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10. What did the ironmaster do to bring the vagabond to his house?
When the peddler refused to accompany him, the ironmaster sent his valet to bring him to the house. The peddler finally agreed because he needed food, warmth and shelter. He also thought that the ironmaster could provide him comfort.
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11. What did the ironmaster and his daughter decide to do with the guest?
The ironmaster and his daughter decided to let the peddler stay with them for Christmas. Edla felt sympathy for the poor stranger and wanted him to enjoy one peaceful day. They therefore treated him as an honoured guest.
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12. Which mistake had the ironmaster made? What did he want after identifying the vagabond?
The ironmaster had mistaken the peddler for Captain von Stahle, an old acquaintance. After seeing him clearly in daylight, he realized his mistake. He became angry and wanted the peddler to leave his house immediately.
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13. Why did Edla want to give hospitality to the vagabond?
Edla felt sympathy for the poor and frightened peddler. She noticed that he was uncomfortable and afraid. She wanted to give him a peaceful Christmas and believed that even a poor stranger deserved kindness, food, shelter and respect.
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14. How did the rattrap seller pass his time in the ironmaster's home?
The peddler spent his time comfortably at the ironmaster's house. He ate good food, slept well and enjoyed the Christmas celebrations. He was given a bath, a shave and clean clothes. He felt happy because he was treated respectfully.
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15. Which information did the ironmaster and his daughter receive at the Church?
At the church, the ironmaster and Edla learned that the man staying with them was a thief and rattrap seller. He had stolen thirty kronor from a poor crofter. They became worried about what he might steal from their house.
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16. What Christmas present did Edla receive from the peddler? Why did she give a little cry of joy?
Edla received a small rattrap containing the thirty kronor stolen from the crofter. She also received a letter from the peddler. She gave a little cry of joy because he had returned the stolen money and reformed himself.
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17. Why did peddler consider the world as a rattrap?
The peddler considered the world a rattrap because it offered tempting baits such as money, food, shelter and comfort. People were attracted by these things just as rats were attracted by bait. Once tempted, they became trapped in the world.
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18. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into rattrap?
After stealing the thirty kronor, the peddler entered the forest and lost his way. He wandered helplessly through the woods and could not find the road. Then he realized that his greed had trapped him just like a rat in a rattrap.
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19. Why did the man selling rattraps resort to begging and petty thievery?
The rattrap seller was extremely poor and had no regular employment. He earned very little by selling rattraps made from wire. He often lacked food and shelter. Therefore, poverty and helplessness forced him to beg and commit petty theft.
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20. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
The ironmaster mistook the peddler for Captain von Stahle, whom he believed to be an old acquaintance. Therefore, he spoke kindly to him and invited him home for Christmas. He wanted to offer him food, warmth and companionship.
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21. What did the young girl find in the package?
When Edla opened the package, she found a small rattrap containing three ten-kronor notes, making thirty kronor in all. She also found a letter from the peddler. The money was the same amount he had stolen from the crofter.
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(C) LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Who was the protagonist of “The Rattrap”? What was his condition? Explain his philosophical thought.
The protagonist was a poor rattrap seller who wandered from place to place. He made rattraps from wire and earned very little. Poverty forced him to beg and steal for survival. He developed the strange idea that the whole world was a big rattrap. According to him, the world offered people tempting baits like money, food and comfort. Once people were tempted by these baits, they became trapped. Ironically, he himself was caught by the bait of thirty kronor.
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2. Whose cottage did the peddler find along the road? How was he treated by the owner?
The peddler found the cottage of a poor crofter beside the road. The crofter lived alone and was happy to have someone to talk to. He welcomed the peddler warmly and gave him food, shelter and tobacco. He also played cards with him. He showed great trust by telling him about the thirty kronor he had earned from selling milk. The peddler, however, repaid the crofter's kindness dishonestly by returning later and stealing his money.
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3. What happened when the peddler stole the money from the crofter's house?
The peddler returned to the crofter's cottage and stole the thirty kronor. He then avoided the main road because he feared being caught. He entered the forest and wandered through it. Soon he lost his way and became completely helpless. The forest seemed endless, and he felt trapped. He realized that he had been caught in the rattrap of the world because of his greed. His own desire for money had become the bait that trapped him.
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4. Why did the ironmaster come to the forge that night?
The ironmaster came to the forge at night to inspect his work and make sure that everything was going properly. There he noticed the peddler sitting near the furnace. Because of the dim light, he mistook the stranger for Captain von Stahle, an old military acquaintance. He spoke kindly to him and invited him home for Christmas. When the peddler refused, the ironmaster sent his valet to bring him to the house.
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5. Who entered the forge with a valet? What did that person do with the stranger?
The ironmaster entered the forge with his valet. He saw the stranger sitting near the furnace and mistook him for Captain von Stahle, an old acquaintance. He invited him to his home for Christmas. The peddler refused at first because he feared that his real identity and stolen money would be discovered. Later, the ironmaster sent the valet to bring him. The peddler finally accepted the invitation for food, warmth and shelter.
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6. What happened with the stranger at the ironmaster's house? How was he treated by Edla?
At the ironmaster's house, the peddler was given good food, a warm bed and clean clothes. Edla treated him kindly and respectfully. Later, the ironmaster discovered that he was not Captain von Stahle and became angry. He wanted him to leave. However, Edla requested that he be allowed to stay for Christmas. Her kindness and hospitality touched the peddler deeply and helped him change his dishonest ways.
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7. Which information did the ironmaster and his daughter get at the Church?
At the church, the ironmaster and Edla learned that the peddler staying at their house was a thief and rattrap seller. He had stolen thirty kronor from the crofter. Edla became worried and feared that he might have stolen something from their home. She felt anxious about their kindness towards him. However, when they returned home, they discovered that the peddler had left without stealing anything. Instead, he had returned the crofter's money.
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8. Describe the events that follow when the peddler's real identity is revealed, leading to his reformation.
When the ironmaster discovered that the peddler was not Captain von Stahle, he became angry and wanted him to leave. Edla, however, allowed him to stay for Christmas and treated him with kindness even after learning his real identity. Her compassion touched his heart. He decided to become honest and prove himself worthy of her trust. Before leaving, he returned the thirty kronor stolen from the crofter and left a rattrap and a letter for Edla.
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9. Give the character-sketch of the peddler in “The Rattrap”.
The peddler was poor, lonely, clever and pessimistic. He earned his living by selling rattraps but often had to beg and steal because his income was insufficient. He developed the philosophical idea that the world was a rattrap. Though dishonest at first, he was not completely evil. Edla's kindness awakened his goodness and self-respect. He returned the stolen money and left a rattrap as a gift. Thus, he changed from a dishonest vagabond into an honest person.
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10. In what way does the character of the ironmaster differ from that of his daughter?
The ironmaster was practical, proud and impulsive. He treated the peddler kindly because he mistakenly believed him to be Captain von Stahle. When he discovered the truth, he became angry and wanted him to leave. Edla, on the other hand, was kind, sympathetic and understanding. Even after knowing the peddler's real identity, she allowed him to stay for Christmas. Her unconditional kindness and respect transformed the peddler and brought out his goodness.
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11. What gift did the peddler give to Edla and why did he sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
The peddler gave Edla a small rattrap containing the thirty kronor he had stolen from the crofter. He also left a letter expressing his gratitude. He signed himself as “Captain von Stahle” because Edla had treated him as a respectable person, not as a thief or vagabond. Her kindness helped him regain his dignity and self-respect. By using the captain's name, he showed that he had finally become worthy of the honour she had given him.
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12. Why had the man who sold rattraps resorted to begging and thievery?
The rattrap seller was extremely poor and had no regular job or stable income. He made rattraps from wire and sold them, but the earnings were too small to meet his basic needs. He wandered from place to place without proper food or shelter. As a result, poverty and helplessness forced him to beg and steal. His miserable condition also made him develop a negative philosophy that the whole world was like a rattrap.
THE RATTRAP — FINAL ALL-IN-ONE MASTER ANSWER
The peddler was a poor, lonely vagabond who made wire rattraps. To survive, he resorted to both begging and petty thievery. He viewed the world as a giant rattrap that offered riches, joys, shelter, and food as bait to entrap people. One evening, a lonely crofter gave him food, shelter, and tobacco, and even showed him his thirty kronor. Tempted by the money, the peddler stole it the next day but lost his way in a dense forest, realizing he had fallen into the world's rattrap. Hearing hammer strokes, he reached the Ramsjö Ironworks. The ironmaster mistook him for his old acquaintance, Captain von Stahle, and invited him home, but the peddler refused out of fear. The ironmaster then sent his daughter, Edla, who spoke compassionately and persuaded him to spend Christmas Eve with them. At their home, after being bathed, shaved, and well-dressed, the ironmaster discovered the mistake in daylight and asked him to leave. However, Edla insisted on letting him stay. The next day at church, they learnt that the peddler had robbed the old crofter. Upon returning home, they found that he had left a package for Edla containing a small rattrap, the stolen thirty kronor, and a letter. He requested Edla to return the money to the crofter. He signed the letter as "Captain von Stahle," proving that Edla's unconditional kindness and respect had transformed him and elevated his self-esteem.
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