THE RATTRAP BY SELMA LAGERLOF

UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT

The Rattrap Peddler

 peddler sells rattraps made of wires
 material begged from stores and big farms
 resorts to begging and even petty stealing to survive
 life is quite sad and monotonous
His Strange Philosophy
 often meditates about his rattraps
 strange idea strikes him
 thinks the world as a rattrap
 lands, clothes, food, joys and riches are like bait
 people trapped as rats
A Night at a Crofter's Cottage
 reaches a crofter's house one cold evening
 asks for a night's shelter
 owner welcomes him
 gives food to eat and tobacco to smoke
 crofter quite generous and trustful
 tells the peddler about his cow yielding good quantity of milk
 shows thirty kronor received from selling milk
 peddler leaves next morning
 crofter too locks cottage, goes away
Stealing the Crofter's Money
 peddler returns after some time
 tempted to steal money
 smashes the pane and steals crofter's thirty kronor
Forest to Ironworks
 not safe to walk along highway
 decides to go through the woods
 loses path, moves in circles and feels extremely tired
 forest seems like a rattrap
 lies down to die
 hears thumping sound of hammer's strokes
 follows sound, reaches Ironworks, and goes in
 warm and cozy inside
Ironmaster's Invitation
 ironwork's owner arrives after some time
 mistakes the peddler's as one an old regimental comrade
 invites the peddler his home for Christmas
 peddler alarmed, at he invitation
Edla's Invitation along with Assurance
 ironmaster's daughter Edla arrives to persuade peddler
 guesses the man might have stolen something or had escaped from the jail
 speaks gently to him
 assures him freedom to leave at will
 peddler trusts and agrees to go with her
Ironmaster's Changed Opinion
 ironmaster happy to haw old regimental comrade
 servant gives peddler haircut, shave and bath
 peddler appears wearing iron master's tine suits
 ironmaster feels he had made mistake
 threatens to hand him over to the sheriff
Peddler's Defence
 peddler defends himself saying he never pretended
 brought against his will
 ready to put on his rags and leave
 tells the ironmaster his philosophy - the world being a rattrap
Edla Intervenes
 Edla against her father's attitude
 considers it was unfair to turn away the man whom they had invited
 wants to have the joy of entertaining a homeless wanderer on Christmas Eve
 persuades father to let the peddler stay in their house for the festival
Christmas Gifts and Delights
 peddler served with festival food
 also given Christmas presents
 her father's suit also a Christmas gift for him
 assured of being welcomed again next Christmas Eve too
Peddler's Departure
 ironmaster and Edla visit church next morning
 learn about peddler being a thief who robbed the crofter
 ironmaster sure the peddler must have run away with their silver cutlery
 Edla sad and dejected
 on reaching home they learn peddler had gone
 left a Christmas present for Edla
His Gift & Note
 the present-a tiny rattrap wrapped in newspaper
 crofter's money and letter for Edla too
 his gratitude for her kindness
 request to return money to crofter
 letter signed as Captain Von Stahle
PREVIOUS YEARS BOARD EXAM QUESTIONS

Q.l. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Ans. One day the peddler was thinking; of his rattraps. Suddenly he was struck by all idea that the whole
world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages was nothing but a big rattrap. It offered riches and
joys, shelter and food as baits in the same manner as the rattrap offered cheese and pork . As soon as
someone touches the bait, he finds himself in the trap.
[Link] was he amused by this idea?
Ans. The peddler was amused by the idea that the whole world around him was nothing but a big rattrap.
The riches, happiness, shelter, clothing; food etc, were like baits to trap the people in. When he thought of
his dull and sad life he was satisfied that he was not the one who was caught in the vicious circle of
rattrap. Many like him were still circling around the bait. This idea amused him a lot.
Q.3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans. No, the peddler had never expected the hospitality that he received from the crofter. He had always
experienced sour faces whenever he knocked the door and requested for the night shelter. But the
crofter was not like them. He was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He immediately put
the porridge on fire and gave the peddler supper. Then he gave him a big slice of tobacco to smoke.
Finally, he also entertained him by playing a game of cards with him.
Q.4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Ans, The crofter was an old man without wife and children. He was living a monotonous and dull life in
solitude. He welcomed his guest very warmly. He offered him rood and shelter. Naturally, he was happy to
get someone to talk to in his loneliness. So he was talkative and friendly with the peddler.
Question.1. In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler? (Compartment
2014)
OR Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap? (All India 2009)
Answer. The peddler was a very poor man who earned his living by selling rattraps he made himself
from the materials he got by begging. His mind, thus, was always preoccupied with rattraps. One day, he
suddenly thought of the whole world was a big rattrap. He felt that the shelter, food, clothes, riches and
joys that the world provided were all baits set to entrap man just as a rattrap offered cheese or meat to
entrap rats. As soon as one was trapped, everything came to an end.

Question.2. Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a rattrap? (Delhi
2014; Modified)
Answer. The world had never been kind to the poor peddler. Wherever he went, he was greeted with
sour faces and was turned or chased away. Therefore, he derived pleasure from thinking ill of the world
in this way. Moreover, he perhaps envied those whose lot was better than his, and was rather amused to
think that some day they too would be tempted by the bait and be caught in the Tattrap.

Question.3. Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How was he treated by the
Owner Of the cottage? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The peddler knocked on the cottage by the roadside to seek shelter for the night. The owner of
the cottage was a crofter who lived there alone. He regarded the peddler as welcome company and
treated him quite hospitably. He not only put him up for the night, but also offered him food and played
cards with him.

Question.4. Why did Edla plead with her father not to sen’d the vagabond away?(All India 2014;
Modified)
or Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him? (NCERT)
Answer. Edla had always thought the peddler to be a poor, homeless tramp. Therefore, she didn’t feel
cheated when his true identity was revealed. Instead, she felt very bad for him and his miserable
condition, and pleaded on his behalf. She and her father had promised him Christmas cheer, and she felt
that it would be wrong to send him away.

Question.5. What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the crofter had been
robbed by the peddler? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. It was at the church th$t the ironmaster and his daughter heard that the crofter had been
robbed by a peddler, who, no doubt, was the one they had sheltered at the manor house. The ironmaster
at once concluded that the peddler would probably have stolen all his silverware in their absence, and
run away.

Question.6. What was the content of the letter written by the peddler to Edla? (Foreign 2014)
Answer. The peddler had written that since Edla had treated him like a captain, he wanted to be nice to
her in return. He did not want her to be embarrassed at Christmas by a thief. He had requested that the
crofter’s money that he had stolen be returned. He further wrote that the rattrap was a Christmas present
from a rat who would have been caught in the world’s rattrap, if he had not been raised to the status of
captain, which motivated him to reform himself.

Question.7. What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as Christmas gift for Edla
Willmansson? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson comprised a small
rattrap with three wrinkled ten kronor notes in it, which the peddler had robbed from the crofter. It also
contained a brief letter for Edla explaining the peddler’s conduct.

Question.8. Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster? (Delhi 2012)
[Link] ironmaster has mistaken the peddler for an old regimental comrade and invited him home.
The peddler declined the invitation because he was carrying the money he had stolen from the crofter. He
knew that if the ironmaster discovered his identity, he would hand him over to the police. Therefore, for
him, going to the manor house was like walking into a lion’s den.

Question.9. Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills? Why did he visit the mills at night? (All India
2012)
[Link] owner of the Ramsjo iron mills was an ex-army man and an ambitious and prominent
ironmaster. He was very particular about the quality of his products, and visited the mills even at night to
make sure that good iron was shipped out from his mills.

[Link] did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace?
(All India 2012)
Answer. When the ironmaster saw a stranger in rags lying close to the furnace, he went near him and
removed his slouch hat to get a better view of his face. Due to dim light in the forge and the peddler’s
dirty appearance, he mistook him to be Nils Olof, an old acquaintance of his regiment. He was delighted to
see him and invited him home for Christmas.
[Link] did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof? (All India
2012)
Answer. The stranger did not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof because he thought that if the
gentleman believed that he was an old friend or acquaintance of his, then he might take pity on him and
help him with some money.

[Link] was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler? (Delhi 2012)
Answer. The old crofter was lonfly and leading a dreary existence as he had no wife or children. He was
happy to get someone to talk to and share his thoughts with, even though it was a tramp. So he welcomed
the peddler who was quite a patient listener, and extended his hospitality to him.

[Link] was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the cottage?
(All India 2011)
Answer. The peddler had never been treated kindly by the world. He was meted out cold treatment
wherever he went. He was pleasantly surprised when the crofter greeted him with warmth and
hospitality. Ordinarily, he always met ‘sour faces’ when he knocked for shelter and food, and was usually
turned away.

[Link] did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did
he feel?(All India 2011)
Answer. After stealing the money from the crofter’s, the peddler was cautious to. avoid the public,
highway lest he be identified and caught. He got into the woods but finally realised that it was a big and
confusing forest. The end of the forest was nowhere in sight and he felt lost. That’s when he recalled his
thoughts about the world being a rattrap and he realised that he had indeed become a victim of a rattrap.

[Link] made the peddler finally change his ways? (All India 2010)
Answer. The peddler believed in giving back to the world what he received from it. He was always
treated with contempt and hostility and so he never did anything good. However, Edla’s kind and caring
behaviour finally changed him. She had treated him with love and respect befitting a captain, even after
realising that he was a poor vagabond. The trust that Edla showed in him made him change his ways and
he decided to live with dignity and respect.

[Link] was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? (All India 2010)
Answer. Edla felt very dejected when she came to know about the theft of the crofter’s money by the
peddler, but the gift left behind, which consisted of a small rattrap and three wrinkled ten kronor notes,
restored her faith in him. She felt happy because her trust in him had been justified. Her kindness had
finally changed the peddler and brought out his essential goodness.

Question.17.”Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.” Which two reasons
forced her to behave in that manner? (Foreign 2010)
Answer. Edla had shown kindness to the peddler even after knowing that he was not a captain. This
[Link] reason why she felt all the more dejected when she came to know that the peddler whom she had
sheltered was actually a thief, who had recently robbed a crofter. Secondly, she also felt bad because the
peddler had disproved the faith which she had shown in him.
Question.18. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? (All India 2009)
Answer. The peddler owed his transformation to the kind treatment meted out to him by Edla. In spite of
knowing the truth about him, she had honoured and treated him like a captain. She had awakened the
latent goodness in his heart. He wanted to repay Edla for her kindness. His signing himself as Captain von
Stahle shows that he wanted to retain the dignity and respect accorded to him.

Q.19. What type of hospitality did the peddler enjoy at the manor's house?
Ans. The ironmaster and his daughter tried their best to make the peddler feel comfortable at their
home. The ironmaster ordered his valet to dress well and shave him. He was ordered to give a
good bath too. So he was dressed with the clothes of the iron master. He was served with Christmas
dish and porridge.
Q.20. How did Edla Wilmansson intervene for the vagabond?
Ans. Edla did not like her father's asking the poor peddler to leave. She thought it was unfair to
turn away the man whom they had invited. She wanted to have the joy of entertaining a homeless
wanderer on Christmas Eve. She somehow persuaded her father to let the peddler stay in their house
for the festival
Q,21. How did ironmaster and Edla react on hearing the news at the church?
Ans. Next morning the ironmaster and his daughter went to church. There they learned that the
peddler was a thief. He had robbed the [Link] ironmaster was sure that the peddler must have
run away with their silver cutlery. Edla too was sad and dejected.
Q.22. What present did the peddler leave for Edla? What did he write in his letter to her?
Ans, The valet told Edla that the peddler left a little package for her. She fopund a small rattrap in the
package. In side the package there were three wrinkled tell kronor notes and a letter. In his letter, he
thanked her for being so nice to him as if he was really a captain. He did not want her to be troubled with
a thief on Christmas. He requested her to return the money to the old crofter. He wrote that the rattrap
was a Christmas present to her.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Question.1. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? What course did he adopt and how
did he react to the new situation? What does his reaction reveal? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. The crofter had treated the peddler with hospitality, and had even reposed his trust in the poor
vagabond. Still the peddler robbed him and was quite pleased with his smartness. However, the fear of
getting caught haunted him. So, he avoided the public highway and turned into the woods. It was a big
and confusing forest, and due to the approaching darkness, the peddler lost his way. He got exhausted
moving around the same place, and was filled with despair. He began to feel that the forest was like a big
rattrap and the thirty kronor he had stolen were like a bait set to tempt him.
His reaction reveals that he was feeling guilty for having stolen the crofter’s money. His , heart was filled
with remorse and self-loathing for his act of weakness. However, his thoughts are perhaps also a way of
justifying his crime.

Question.2. The story, The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical. Do you agree with this
statement? Why/Why not? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and philosophical. The fast-paced narrative
in the third person, generous use of dialogue by the author and different characters belonging to different
mindsets and locales make the story interesting and entertaining. Besides, the author has managed to
keep up the suspense till the end.
The incidents in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our attention. The peddler’s
incessant refusals to the ironmaster to accompany him, but his accepting Edla’s invitation in one go, the
ironmaster’s realization of his mistake, and Edla’s sympathy and generosity, all make the story quite
gripping. While all the above events make the story interesting, there is also an element of philosophy in
the story.
Somewhere, the peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One feels caught up like a rat in the
entrappings of the world. Some people fall into this trap never to come out of it again. The story teaches
us that, as human beings, we are not above temptations.

Question.3. The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Explain.(Delhi 2010)
Answer. All. the characters in the story suffer from loneliness and are dreary souls. First of all, the tramp
appears to lead a sad, monotonous existence, left to his own musings. He is always greeted by sour faces
and cold words.
The old crofter’s fate has been somewhat kinder to him. Bereft of his wife and children, he lives all alone
in a cottage by the roadside, and is rather happy to have visitors around.
We also have the ironmaster and his daughter, Edla, who have no company for Christmas. The
ironmaster’s wife is dead and his sons are settled abroad.
He, with his daughter, is happy to play hosts for his friend. Thus, all of them have a strong desire for
bonding and comradeship. The crofter is happy to be friends with the peddler, although only for a night.
It is the bonding with the ironmaster’s daughter that transforms the peddler. The love, understanding
and dignity that he gets from the girl makes him leave his dishonest ways and redeem himself.
Question.4. Give examples from the story, The Rattrap’ to show how the ironmaster is different
from his daughter. (Delhi 2009)
or
Compare and contrast the character of the ironmaster with that of his daughter.(Delhi 2008)
Answer. The character of the ironmaster was very different from that of his daughter. He was an
ambitious and arrogant man. When he saw the peddler, he mistook him for his old regimental comrade,
and invited him home, but this was more out of his sense of pride than out of sympathy or generosity.
When the ironmaster realised that he had been mistaken, he called the peddler dishonest and threatened
to call the Sheriff. When he learnt that the peddler was a thief, he was ‘ worried about his own silverware.
On the other hand, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, was a kind and compassionate lady who was really
sympathetic and considerate towards the peddler right from the beginning. She treated him with respect
and dignity even after knowing that he was not a captain. It was her generous attitude which finally
changed the peddler, bringing out the essential goodness of his nature.

Prepared by: Vinay Dubey