The Rattrap Class 12 Questions and Answers NCERT
The Rattrap by Selma Lagerlöf shows how kindness can reform a person. A poor peddler who believes the world is a “rattrap” steals money but later returns it after receiving unexpected warmth and respect from Edla Willmansson. The story celebrates humanity, dignity, and second chances.
Think As You Read – Set 1
Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea that the world is a rattrap?
Answer (Rewritten): While making and selling rattraps, he suddenly felt that life tempts people with comforts and riches just like a trap tempts a rat with bait. The moment a person reaches out for such “bait”, the trap snaps shut.
Q2. Why did this idea amuse him?
Answer (Rewritten): His own life was hard and lonely. Thinking that others also get trapped by greed gave him a bitter kind of comfort. It became a private joke he carried while walking from place to place.
Q3. Did he expect the crofter’s warm welcome?
Answer (Rewritten): No. People usually turned him away. So, the crofter’s porridge, tobacco, card game, and friendly talk surprised him.
Q4. Why was the crofter so friendly and talkative?
Answer (Rewritten): He lived alone and craved company. The peddler’s arrival gave him someone to talk to, so he opened up and behaved warmly.
Q5. Why did the crofter show his thirty kronor?
Answer (Rewritten): To prove that his cow actually earned him money from the creamery. He sensed the peddler doubted him, so he produced the notes as proof.
Q6. Did the peddler honour the crofter’s trust?
Answer (Rewritten): No. Tempted by the money, he broke the window after the crofter left, took the notes, put the pouch back, and slipped away.
Think As You Read – Set 2
Q1. What made the peddler feel he had fallen into a rattrap?
Answer (Rewritten): Afraid of being caught with stolen notes, he hid in the forest and lost his way. Going round and round in the woods felt exactly like being trapped by his own greed.
Q2. Why did the ironmaster invite him home?
Answer (Rewritten): In the furnace’s dim light the ironmaster mistook him for his old regimental friend, Captain von Stahle, and warmly asked him home for Christmas.
Q3. Why did the peddler refuse at first?
Answer (Rewritten): He knew the ironmaster had mistaken his identity and he carried stolen money. Going to the manor felt like walking into danger, so he declined.
Think As You Read – Set 3
Q1. Why did the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Answer (Rewritten): Edla spoke gently and promised he could leave whenever he wished. Her empathy and reassurance calmed him, so he agreed to come.
Q2. What doubts did Edla have?
Answer (Rewritten): When he flinched and seemed terrified, she suspected he might be a thief or an escaped prisoner, though she still treated him kindly.
Q3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Answer (Rewritten): In clear daylight the cleaned and dressed guest looked nothing like his old friend. The ironmaster immediately knew he had been mistaken.
Q4. How did the peddler defend his silence about identity?
Answer (Rewritten): He insisted he never claimed to be the ironmaster’s friend. He’d asked only for a place to rest and was ready to put his rags back on and leave.
Q5. Why did Edla still keep him as a guest?
Answer (Rewritten): She believed in keeping their Christmas promise. She wanted the stranger to experience one peaceful, respectful day, regardless of his past.
Understanding the Text
Q1. How does the peddler interpret everyone’s kindness?
Answer (Rewritten): He views the crofter’s trust as an easy chance to steal, mistrusts the ironmaster’s invitation, but is transformed by Edla’s unconditional respect. Her warmth awakens his conscience.
Q2. How are the ironmaster and Edla different?
Answer (Rewritten): The ironmaster is impulsive and judgmental; Edla is patient, observant, and compassionate. He wants quick answers; she offers dignity and time—this reforms the peddler.
Q3. List some surprising reactions in the story.
Answer (Rewritten): The crofter’s unusual hospitality; the ironmaster mistaking a stranger for a friend; Edla continuing to host the peddler after learning the truth; the peddler returning the stolen money with a grateful note.
Q4. What finally changes the peddler?
Answer (Rewritten): Edla’s steady kindness—food, clothes, respect, and freedom to choose—makes him want to become worthy of her trust, so he returns the money.
Q5. How does the rattrap metaphor highlight human life?
Answer (Rewritten): Worldly temptations act like bait. If we lunge blindly, we get trapped in guilt and fear, just as the peddler did. Only moral courage and kindness help us step out.
Q6. How does the peddler’s subtle humour help?
Answer (Rewritten): His wry jokes—calling the world a “rattrap,” signing as “Captain von Stahle”—lighten the serious message and make us warm to him, even as we see his flaws.
Talking About the Text – Model Points
Sympathy for the peddler – is it justified?
Model Points: He is poor, lonely, and mistreated; yet he steals. The story doesn’t excuse his act but shows that empathy (Edla) can bring real change. Sympathy is justified when it guides someone back to honesty.
Loneliness and bonding:
Model Points: The crofter, ironmaster, and peddler all suffer loneliness. Their choices—opening doors, inviting home, offering dignity—show how human connection can heal and reform.
Kindness that changes worldview:
Model Points: Like the Bishop in “The Bishop’s Candlesticks,” Edla’s mercy reforms the peddler. Real change begins when someone feels seen, safe, and respected.
Entertaining yet philosophical:
Model Points: The mistaken identity, the “rattrap” metaphor, and the Christmas setting keep it engaging while exploring moral choices and redemption.
Working with Words / Noticing Form – Key Notes
Labels for the peddler (context): vagabond, stranger, tramp, ragamuffin, intruder. These show society’s quick judgments and his low social standing.
Fatigue-movement words: plod, trudge, stagger, clomp, lumber, lurch, reel, stumble. Useful for descriptive answers.
Reflexive pronouns (use): As emphasis (“I’ll do it myself”) or reference to the same subject (“He washed himself”). Spot them in lines like: “He laughed to himself,” “my daughter and myself,” “better than he himself.”
Value-Based Answers (Concise)
Honesty vs. Temptation: Easy gain tempts, but peace comes from clean choices. The peddler learns that stolen money buys only fear.
Character matters: Wealth or status cannot replace integrity. Edla’s character—consistent kindness—creates the story’s miracle.
Loneliness and empathy: Being heard and respected can pull someone out of a moral dead-end. Compassion restores dignity—and invites change.
Forgive to reform: Edla’s forgiveness allows the peddler to forgive himself and start again.