The Rattrap

By Selma Legerlof

NCERT SOLUTIONS

Think as you read

Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?

Ans1. The peddler had been thinking of his rattrap when suddenly he was struck by the idea
that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap. It existed only to set baits for people. It
offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing in the same manner as rattrap
offered cheese and pork. As soon as someone let himself be trapped to touch the bait it closed
in on him and then everything came to an end.

Q2. Why was he amused by this idea?

Ans2. The world had never treated the peddler kindly which made him full of bitterness and
malice against it. So,he was amused by the idea of the world being a l rattrap that refers to
everyone who is the reason for the suffering of others.

Q3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality received from the crofter?
Ans3. The crofter served. porridge for supper and tobacco for his pipe. He also played Mjolis:
game of cards with him till bed time. This hospitality was unexpected as people usually made
sour faces when peddler asks for shelter. Therefore he was surprised by the kindness and
warmth with which the crofter received him.

Q4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Ans4. The crofter’s life was full of loneliness and monotony. Since he had no wife or child. His
temperament made him so talkative and friendly. So, the company of even a stranger was a
source of joy which he expressed. Secondly, he was quite generous with his confidences.

Q5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?

Ans. The crofter was excited about having earn 30 kroner in a month by supplying his cow’s
milk. The peddler seemed to doubt it. So, in order to ensure and assure his guests, he showed
those thirty kronor to the peddler.

Q6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Ans6. Driven by wan, hunger and starvation the peddler had led a life without principles, rather
than respecting the confidence reposed on him by the crofter. He didn't lose the opportunity and
smashed the window pane, took the money and hung the leather bag back in its place and left.

Q7. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Ans7. The peddler realised that he must not walk on the public highway with the stolen money
in his pocket. Being nervous he lost his way in the maze and this made him think that by giving
into temptation he had indeed fallen into a rattrap.

Q8. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Ans8. In the uncertain reflection from the furnace the ironmaster mistook the peddler as his old
regimental comrade, Captain Vin Stahle. His condition was miserable. So being an old
acquaintance he wanted to help him. Therefore, he invited him home to spend Christmas eve
with them.

Q9. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?

Ans9. Due to the misconception, the invitation by the ironmaster did not please the peddler
since he had the stolen money in his pocket going to the ironmaster’s residence would be like
wishfully entering a lion's den. Thus, he declined the invitation.

Q10. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson's invitation?

Ans10. Edla had a better power of persuasion. She looked at the peddler quite
compassionately. She noticed that peddler was afraid to accept the invitation. Therefore, when
she ensured him that he would be free to leave as per his wish, whenever he wants. The
peddler was assured by her friendly manner and accepted the invitation.

Q11. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?

Ans11. When Edla observed that the peddler was feeling afraid and hesitated at being invited by
the manners, she had doubts that the tramp had either stolen something or escaped from jail.
She also has doubt in him being her father's old comrade as nothing in him could depict that he
had even been an educated person.

Q12. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?

Ans 12. Next day when the peddler was properly bathed, clean shaved and smartly dressed, he
turned up for breakfast. In that broad daylight the ironmaster has realised that he mistook the
peddler as his old comrade and ask him to leave at once.

Q13. What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person the
ironmaster had thought he was?
Ans. The Ironmaster came to know about the peddler the next morning that he was not his old
acquaintance. The peddler explained in his defence that he never pretended to be the one who
he is not, the presented himself to be the poor trader who only wanted to spend the night in the
forge and leave the next morning.

Q14. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?.

Ans) Edla was a kind lady, she empathised with the poor peddler and understood how difficult
his life had been. She was able to understand his loneliness and poverty, she welcomed him
even though she knew who he was. Moreover it was christmas eve and she wanted to extend
Christmas cheer and goodwill to him.

Q15. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?

Ans. Edla was happy to see the gift left by the peddler because it was the symbol of positive
changes in peddler. He left the stolen thirty kronor and a letter addressed to her. The peddler
wanted to be nice in return as she had been so nice to him all day long. He did not want her to
be embarrassed at the Christmas season by a thief.

Q16. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain Von Stahle?

Ans. The peddler was a vagabond. When he was invited by the ironmaster, he behaved like a
real captain. In this role he raised himself above the petty temptation. The kindness and
hospitality shown by Edla had transformed him completely. Since he was treated as Captain by
the manor, he signed himself as Captain Von Stahle.

Understanding the Text

Question 1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the
crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
Answer: The peddler was a man who walked around selling small wire rat traps. He was living
the lonely and monotonous life of a vagabond. He knocked on the door of the crofter’s cottage,
which
turned out to be an old man without a wife or children. He showed him kindness and hospitality,
which the peddler had not anticipated. However, the peddler took his thirty-kroner. As a result,
He betrayed the crofter’s trust in him.
The ironmaster, remembering Captain Von Stahle as an old acquaintance, extended kindness to
him and invited him to spend Christmas Eve with him. But the peddler reasoned that if he said
he was the one in the mind of the ironmaster, he would be rewarded with more [Link]
Willmansson, in a very compassionate and friendly manner, asked the peddler to come to her
house. He then decided to accept the invitation. However, while riding to the manor’s house, he
felt very guilty about whatever he had done. As a result, he resolved to correct his error. He
accomplished this by leaving Edla a gift containing the thirty kroner he had stolen from the
crofter’s house. He had written in the note that he would return the crofter’s money.

Question 2. What are the instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is
different from that of his daughter in many ways?
Answer: The ironmaster is rash, whereas his daughter is logical, kind, and considerate. In a
hazy
light, he misidentifies the stranger like an old regimental comrade. He invites him to his home
and takes care of his feeding, clothing, and other needs. When he sees him in broad daylight,
he
accuses him of being dishonest, demands an explanation, and threatens to summon the sheriff.
His daughter is more perceptive. She notices the stranger’s fear and suspects him of being a
thief
or a fugitive prisoner. Despite this, she treats him with gentleness, kindness, and friendliness.
Even though she is aware of the mistake in identity, she treats him with respect.

Question 3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to
others’
behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
Answer: The first example is the crofter’s hospitality to the peddler. The rattrap peddler,
expecting to be denied permission to spend the night in the cottage, is surprised by the crofter’s
friendliness. The peddler was also taken aback by the ironmaster’s unexpected invitation, which
shocked him the next day when he realized his error in recognizing the peddler. Edla’s
agreement
to seek the peddler’s presence for Christmas is another unexpected reaction for both the
peddler
and the ironmaster. The peddler, on the other hand, has an unexpected reaction when he
leaves
the package and the letter for Edla, expressing gratitude for the girl’s hospitality and respect for
her.
Question 4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer: Edla Williamson was friendly with the peddler. She was courteous and considerate to
her. When her father was about to kick him out of the house, she prayed for him. Even after
learning the truth about the peddler, she continued to entertain him. She greeted him with a
Christmas gift and invited him to spend the following Christmas with them. Her love and
compassion caused the peddler to communicate with his inner soul, and he changed his ways.

Question 5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Answer: Thinking about his rattraps, the peddler concluded that the entire world was nothing
more than a giant rattrap. Its sole purpose was to lure people in. It offered riches and joys,
shelter
and food, heat, and clothing, just as the rattrap decided to offer cheese and pork, and as soon
as
one allowed oneself to be tempted by the bait, it closed in, ending everything. The peddler
became disoriented in the forest after stealing the crofter’s money. Then he considered the
world
and the rattrap once more. It was now encircling him. He had been duped by temptation and
had
been caught. The forest’s undergrowth encircled him like a prison from which he could never
escape. The peddler also told the ironmaster that the entire world was a giant rattrap. All of the
good things that were offered were nothing more than cheese rind and bits of pork, all of which
were designed to entice people into trouble. None of them escaped from one person’s jail into
the trap one day and the other the next. The rattrap metaphor highlights the human predicament
when, in the end, the peddler left the rattrap as a Christmas present and wrote in his letter to
Elda that this present was from a rat that would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he
had not been treated respectfully and kindly as a captain.

Question 6. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How does this
serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?
Answer: The peddler does not come across as a humorous person, but there is a subtle sense
of
humor in the way he sees the world as a giant rattrap. He is ecstatic about this thought because
it allows him to think ‘ill’ of the world that isn’t kind to him. It is clear that whenever he is caught
off guard, in the web of deception spun by his cunning mind, he hides behind the thought that
the world is a rattrap and he is merely prey. As a result, he lightens the mood and theme of the
story and endears us to him.