The Rattrap NCERT Solutions Class 12 English

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4 “The Rattrap” provide detailed, precise, and easy-to-understand answers to all textbook questions. This complete study guide covers Think as You Read, Understanding the Text, Talking About the Text, Working with Words, Noticing Form, Thinking About Language, and Project/Group Tasks. Be sure to read The Rattrap Summary to grasp the story’s complete plot and answer these questions more effectively!

The Rattrap Class 12 Question Answers

Think as you read (page 34)

Q.1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Ans. He got the idea from his own trade of making and selling rattraps. While thinking about his rattraps, it struck him that the whole world, with its lands, seas, cities and villages, was just a big rattrap. It offers riches, joys, shelter, food and clothing as bait, exactly as a rattrap offers cheese and pork. Whoever is tempted to touch the bait is trapped, and everything comes to an end for him.

Q.2. Why was he amused by this idea?
Ans. The world had never been kind to him, so it gave him “unwonted joy” (unusual pleasure) to think ill of it. It became a cherished pastime during his dreary walks to think of people who had been caught in the snare and of others who were still circling around the bait. It made his sad, monotonous life seem entertaining.

Q.3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans. No. He was used to sour faces and refusals, so he did not expect any kindness. The old crofter surprised him by giving him shelter, porridge, tobacco, and a game of cards.

Q.4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Ans. The crofter was an old man living alone, without wife or child. He was lonely and was happy to have someone to talk to. His friendliness came from his need for company.

Q.5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?
Ans. The peddler seemed doubtful when the crofter boasted that his cow had earned him thirty kronor in a month. To prove that he was telling the truth, and out of pride in his cow, the crofter took down the pouch and showed the money. He trusted his guest completely.

Q.6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Ans. No. He betrayed the crofter’s trust. Half an hour after leaving, he returned, smashed the window pane, put in his hand and stole the thirty kronor.

Think as you read (page 37)

Q.1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Ans. After stealing the money, he left the highway and went into a big forest to avoid being caught. The paths twisted so strangely that he kept walking around in the same place and could not find a way out. It was getting dark, and the forest closed in on him like “an impenetrable prison”. He recalled his thoughts about the world as a rattrap and felt that he had been fooled by the bait (the thirty kronor) and caught.

Q.2. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Ans. The ironmaster mistook him for Nils Olof, an old regimental comrade whom he had known. He felt sorry to see his old friend in such a miserable condition. He also wanted company, since his wife was dead, his sons were abroad, and only he and his daughter were at home for Christmas.

Q.3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Ans. He was afraid. He had the stolen thirty kronor with him, and going to the manor house would be like “throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den”. He only wanted to sleep in the forge and sneak away quietly.

Think as you read (page 41)

Q.1. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Ans. Edla spoke to him in a very friendly and sympathetic manner. She noticed that he was afraid, and she assured him that he would be free to leave as easily as he came. Her kindness gave him confidence in her. Her coming in person to invite him also touched him.

Q.2. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Ans. She noticed that he was frightened, and she suspected that “either he has stolen something or else he has escaped from jail”. She still treated him kindly.

Q.3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Ans. The next morning, when the peddler came to the dining room bathed, shaved and well dressed. In broad daylight the ironmaster could see clearly that he was not his old comrade Nils Olof, and it was impossible to mistake him for an old acquaintance.

Q.4. 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. He said it was not his fault. He had never pretended to be anything but a poor trader, and he had pleaded to be allowed to stay in the forge. He said no harm had been done, and at worst he could put on his rags and go away. He also said that the world was a big rattrap, and if the ironmaster had him arrested, a day might come when the ironmaster too would be tempted by “a big piece of pork” and get caught.

Q.5. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Ans. She felt pity for him. She thought that he walked the whole year, was chased away everywhere, and was always afraid of arrest. She wanted him to enjoy one day of peace and Christmas cheer. She also felt that, since they had invited him and promised him Christmas cheer, it was wrong to chase away a human being.

Think as you read (page 42)

Q.1. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Ans. In the small rattrap she found the three ten-kronor notes and a letter. She was happy because her kindness had changed him. The peddler had not robbed the house, and he had returned the stolen money. This proved that her faith in the goodness of a human being was right.

Q.2. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Ans. The ironmaster and Edla had treated him as a “captain” and shown him respect and kindness. In return, he wanted to behave like a real captain, honest and honourable. Also, for the first time in his life, he had been treated with dignity, and it awakened his self-respect. Signing as the captain showed that he now felt worthy of such a title and that he was grateful.

Understanding the text

Q.1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
Ans. He sees them as “bait” in the world’s rattrap. To him, the crofter’s food and company, the ironmaster’s invitation and Edla’s friendliness are baits to lure him into trouble. He believes that the world offers kindness only to trap people. That is why he feels, on the way to the manor house, that he is “sitting in the trap and will never get out of it”. Only later, when Edla’s kindness is genuine and expects nothing in return, does he change his view.

Q.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?

Q.3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
Ans.

• The peddler expected sour faces but was surprised by the crofter’s hospitality.
• The crofter trusted a total stranger so much that he showed him his money.
• The peddler, a thief, was treated kindly by the ironmaster, who mistook him for an old friend.
• The peddler did not correct the mistake, because he hoped to get a few kronor.
• When the ironmaster found the truth, he laughed at the peddler’s rattrap speech instead of calling the sheriff.
• Edla surprised her father by closing the door and asking the peddler to stay, even after she knew he was a vagabond (and a suspected thief).
• The peddler stared at Edla “in boundless amazement” when she gave him the suit as a Christmas present and invited him next year.
• The ironmaster expected his silver spoons to be stolen, but the peddler returned the stolen money and left a gift.

Q.4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Ans. Edla’s kindness and understanding changed him. She treated him as a human being, not as a vagabond or thief, even after she knew the truth. She expected nothing in return and gave him peace, a Christmas meal, a suit and an invitation to return next Christmas. The respect she showed awakened his conscience and self-respect. It also changed his idea that the world is only a trap. He returned the money and signed himself “Captain von Stahle” in gratitude.

Q.5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Ans. The rattrap is a metaphor for the world. Just as a rat is tempted by cheese and pork and gets caught, human beings are tempted by material comforts such as wealth, food, shelter and pleasure, and they get trapped by greed. The peddler himself is caught when he steals the crofter’s money and gets lost in the forest. This shows that man easily falls into the trap of material benefit, and that once trapped, he feels helpless and lonely. But the story also shows a way out: the peddler escapes through goodness, sympathy and human love, not through cleverness. The metaphor thus shows both the weakness of man and the possibility of redemption.

Q.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?
Ans. His humour is seen in his rattrap philosophy and in his letter. He thinks of the world as a rattrap and enjoys picturing people who have been caught by the bait. He cleverly tells the ironmaster that the ironmaster too may be caught in the trap if he wants “a big piece of pork”. In the letter, he calls himself “a rat who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain”. This light humour makes a serious theme (poverty, greed, loneliness and redemption) entertaining. It shows that despite his hard life, he has not lost his wit. We feel for him and like him, and we do not see him only as a thief.

Talking about the text

(Group discussion topics, so here are points you can use.)

Discuss the following in groups of four. Each group can deal with one topic. Present the views of your group to the whole class.
1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
3. Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.

1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
Ans. Why: The story begins by showing his poverty: he is in rags, with sunken cheeks and hunger in his eyes. His life is sad and monotonous. The world has never been kind to him. He is lonely, homeless, always chased away and afraid of arrest. His thinking about the rattrap is almost comic and makes him likeable.
Justified? Yes, largely. He is a victim of poverty and neglect. His theft is a result of hunger and desperation, and he is not a hardened criminal. He shows a conscience at the end by returning the money. Though stealing from the poor crofter was wrong, the story shows that his better self comes out when he receives love and trust.

2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Ans.

• The crofter is lonely and talks eagerly to a stranger, sharing his food, tobacco and secrets.
• The ironmaster is lonely too, as his wife is dead and his sons are abroad. That is why he gladly invites an “old comrade” for Christmas.
• The peddler is the loneliest of all, as he has no home and is welcome nowhere.
• Edla wants to give him a day of peace.
  The story shows that everyone, rich or poor, needs company, understanding and love.

3. Have you known/heard of an episode where a good deed or an act of kindness has changed a person’s view of the world?
Ans. Sample:

I read the story of Angulimala, a feared dacoit who changed after meeting the Buddha, who treated him with calm compassion instead of fear. Closer to life, a boy in our locality used to steal and was ill-treated by everyone. One day a shopkeeper gave him work and food instead of calling the police. The boy slowly became honest and later opened a small shop of his own. A single act of trust changed his outlook on life.

(You may use any real incident from your life or from your reading.)

4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.
Ans. Entertaining: The fairy-tale style (“Once upon a time…”), the comic misunderstanding of Captain von Stahle, the peddler’s witty speeches, the surprises and the letter at the end.
Philosophical: It reflects on the nature of the world as a trap of material temptation, the loneliness of man, and the power of love and kindness to awaken goodness in even the worst of us.

Working with words

1. The man selling rattraps is referred to by many terms. Pick out all such references. What does each indicate?

2. Find five other words indicating movement accompanied by weariness.
Limp, drag (one’s feet), shuffle, wade, traipse, lumber, hobble, totter, slog, trek.
(Any five are enough: limp, shuffle, hobble, totter, trudge.)

Noticing form

Pick out other examples of the use of reflexive pronouns from the story:

1. “The ironmaster… did not want to undeceive him all at once… he thought himself…” (The text has: “he had let himself be fooled by a bait.”)
2. “He eased his way…” In the text: “the tall ragamuffin who had eased his way so close to the furnace”. (No reflexive here, so use the sentences below.)

Correct examples from the story:

• “The man was evidently used to sleeping with one eye open. He jumped up abruptly…” (no reflexive)
• “You may show yourself there.” In the text: “I have such a fine home that you cannot show yourself there.” (yourself is the object that refers back to the subject “you”.)
• “He threw himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.” In the text: “To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.” (himself refers to the same person as the doer.)
• “He felt quite pleased with his smartness.” (no reflexive)
• “She hung her head…” (no reflexive)
• “The old man made himself…” is not in the text.

So the clear examples to use are:

1. “…cannot show yourself there”: reflexive used as the object, referring back to the subject.
2. “…like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den”: object referring back to the subject.
3. “…he had let himself be fooled” (already given in the book).
4. “The tramp… would make himself …” is not in the story, so avoid it.

Rule to remember: A reflexive pronoun is used (a) as an object when the doer and receiver of the action are the same person, and (b) for emphasis, as in “He made them himself.”

Thinking about language

1. Pick out other phrases and words peculiar to the terminology of ironworks:
smelter, rolling mill, forge, furnace, pig iron, anvil, bellows, charcoal, charcoal crates, scows (barges), master smith, blacksmith, fire boy, ironmaster, iron bar, “stir the glowing mass”, hammer strokes.

2. Name a few indoor games played in your region.
Chopar (Pachisi), Ludo, Carrom, Chess, Snakes and Ladders, Ashtapada, Antakshari, Ganjifa (playing cards), Kabaddi (outdoor, so not applicable), Teen Patti, Rummy, Bagh-Chal, Pallanguzhi (Tamil Nadu), Mancala-type games.
(Choose games from your own region.)

3. Uncommon terms for “a small farmer”, including those in your language:

• English: smallholder, peasant, yeoman, sharecropper, tenant farmer.
• Hindi: kisan, kashtkar, jotedar, bataidar, chhota zamindar.
• Other regional terms: ryot (South India), bargadar (Bengal), raiyat, marginal farmer.