The Rattrap Important Questions CBSE Class

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The Rattrap Important Questions Short Answer Type Questions (2 Marks)

Question 1.
Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? (All India 2009)
Answer:
Edla Willmansson had been rather nice to the peddler and had treated him with the
honour that was due to a Captain. The peddler, through this mistaken identity, got an
opportunity to raise himself and get above the petty temptations of the world. So he
signed himself as Captain von Stahle.

Question 2.
Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap? (All India 2009)
Answer:
The peddler considered the whole world as a big rattrap, its sole purpose being to set
baits for people. The joys and riches of this world are nothing but tempting baits and
anyone who is tempted by them was captured by the rattrap which completely closed in
on him.

Question 3.
Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? (All India 2010)
Answer:
Edla was happy to see the gift left by the peddler as he had respected her faith in him.
Edla had retained him in her house even after knowing his real identity and he, in turn,
had shown her that the guest she had honoured was as honourable as the Captain. The
latent goodness of his heart had been awakened and he had been able to overcome the
bait of the rattrap.

Question 4.
Which act of the crofter surprised the peddler? Why? (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The peddler was always shunned away wherever he went. No one treated him with
kindness and so he had lost all hope of being shown any kind of warmth. But when he
approached the crofter’s roadside cottage he was surprised by the latter’s warm
welcome and generous hospitality.

Question 5.
How was the peddler treated at the crofter’s cottage? (Comptt. All India 2010)
Answer:
At the crofter’s cottage the peddler was welcomed warmly and received generous
hospitality. The crofter was an old and lonely man and the prospect of getting the
peddler’s company overjoyed him. So he poured all his warmth and friendly courtesy on
the peddler.

Question 6.
Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler? (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
The crofter was lonely. He lived alone in his cottage without a wife, a child or any
companion. Since he suffered from acute loneliness he was extremely happy when he
got the peddler’s company. That is why he was so talkative and friendly with the
peddler.

Question 7.
Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the cottage? (All India
2011)
Answer:
At the crofter’s cottage the peddler was welcomed warmly and received generous
hospitality. The crofter was an old and lonely man and the prospect of getting the
peddler’s company overjoyed him. So he poured all his warmth and friendly courtesy on
the peddler.

Question 8.
What made the peddler finally change his ways? (All India 2011)
Answer:
The peddler was touched by Edla’s kind treatment. She treated him like a Captain in
spite of knowing his real identity. This awakened the latent goodness of his heart
because he wanted to show Edla he was worthy of the honour she had given him. So
he finally changed his ways.

Question 9.
Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did he
feel? (All India 2011)
Answer:
The peddler discards the public highway and keeps to the woods after leaving the
crofter’s cottage because he wants to avoid being caught with the thirty kronors that he
had stolen from the crofter’s house. He walks through mazes of forest paths but lands
nowhere. When he realizes he has been trapped he feels extremely tired and sinks to
the ground in despair.

Question 10.
Did the stranger agree to go to the ironmaster’s house? Why or why not? (Comptt. Delhi
2011)
Answer:
Initially the stranger declined the ironmaster’s invitation. He had the stolen thirty kronors
on him and thought it was like going into the lion’s den. But then he accepted the
ironmaster’s invitation because Edla’s sympathy and compassion allayed his fears and
her friendly manner made him to have confidence in her.

Question 11.
Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster? (Delhi 2012)
Answer:
The peddler declined the ironmaster’s invitation because he had the stolen thirty
kronors on him. He feared that he would be caught there for stealing the crofter’s
money. For the peddler going to the manor house of the ironmaster would be like
throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.

Question 12.
Why was the crofter so friendly and talkative with the peddler? (Delhi 2012)
Answer:
The crofter was lonely. He lived alone in his cottage without a wife, a child or any
companion. Since he suffered from acute loneliness he was extremely happy when he
got the peddler’s company. That is why he was so talkative and friendly with the
peddler:

Question 13.
Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills?
Why did he visit the mills at night? (All India 2012)
Answer:
The ironmaster was the owner of the Ramsjo iron mills. He was very particular about
the quality of his products. So he made nightly rounds of inspection to his mill to inspect
the quality control.

Question 14.
How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the furnace? (All
India 2012)
Answer:
When the iron master saw the stranger lying close to the furnace he walked up to him
and looked him over carefully. Mistaking him for an old acquaintance, a comrade from
his regiment, he got very excited and invited him to come to his cottage.

Question 15.
Why didn’t the stranger tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof? (All India)
Answer:
When the ironmaster mistakes the stranger for Captain Nils Olof, an old regimental
comrade, the stranger decides not to correct him as hopes to get a couple of kronors
from the ironmaster. So he does not want to undeceive him all at once.

Question 16.
Why was the crofter happy when the peddler knocked on his door? (Comptt. All India
2013)
Answer:
The crofter was very lonely. He lived alone in his cottage without a wife, a child or any
companion. Since he was suffering from acute loneliness he felt very happy when the
peddler knocked on his door. He treated the peddler in the most kind and hospitable
manner.

Question 17.
How was the crofter ‘generous with his confidences’ when he spoke to the peddler?
(Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
The crofter was generous not just with his porridge and tobacco but also with his
confidences with the peddler. He informed the peddler that he had been a crofter but
now his cow supported him. She would give milk for the creamery every day, and last
month he had even received thirty kronors as payment.

Question 18.
What did the peddler do to keep his body and soul together? (Comptt. All India 2013)
Answer:
The peddler made and sold rattraps but his business was not really profitable so he had
to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep his body and soul together.

Question 19.
Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a rattrap? (Delhi
2014)
Answer:
The world had never been kind to the peddler so it gave him unwanted joy to think ill of
it by considering it as a rattrap. It became his cherished pastime to think of people he
knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare and of others who were
still circling around the bait in the rattrap.

Question 20.
Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away? (All India 2014)
Answer:
Edla pleaded with her father not to send the vagabond away as it was Christmas eve
and she wanted to keep the spirit of Christmas alive. She wanted to provide the
vagabond with a day of comfort and solace. She justified that they had invited him
against his will and since he was lonely she wanted to do something special for him on
Christmas eve.

Question 21.
In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler? (Comptt. Delhi
2014)
Answer:
According to the peddler the whole world with its lands, seas, cities and villages was
nothing but a big rattrap. It only existed to set baits for people. If offered riches and joys,
shelter, food and clothing as the rattrap offered cheese and pork and as soon as
anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed on him and then everything
came to an end.

Question 22.
Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How was he treated by the
owner of the cottage? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Answer:
The peddler knocked on the cottage by the roadside to ask shelter for the night. The
owner, who was an old man, without a wife or child, greeted him warmly, served him
supper and played cards with him as he was happy to get someone to talk to in his
loneliness.

Question 23.
What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the crofter had been
robbed by the peddler? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer:
When the ironmaster heard that the crofter had been robbed by a man who went around
selling rat-traps, he sarcastically remarked to his daughter that she had let a fine man
into the house and was wondering as to how many silver spoons were left in their
cupboard by that time.

Question 24.
What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla
Willmansson? (Comptt. All India 2014)
Answer:
The package that the peddler left as a Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson contained a
small rattrap which had a letter he had written in large, jagged characters and in it also
lay three wrinkled ten kronor notes.

Question 25.
How was the peddler received by the crofter? (Comptt. Delhi 2015)
Answer:
The crofter was a lonely person who received the peddler warmly, gave him supper and
tobacco to fill his pipe and played a game of cards with him. He was very friendly with
the peddler. He shared the details of his life with him and showed him the thirty kronor
notes he had received as payment.

Question 26.
What brought about a change in the life of the peddler? (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer:
Edla’s warmth, sympathy and compassion brought about a change in the life of the
peddler. He is touched by the kind treatment Edla gives him despite knowing his real
identity. The latent goodness of his heart is awakened and he actually behaves like a
true Captain.

Question 27.
At the crofter’s home, why did the peddler feel very happy? (Comptt. All India 2015)
Answer:
The peddler was received very warmly and received generous hospitality at the crofter’s
home. The crofter, an old and lonely man, served him porridge, treated him kindly and
the two smoked and played cards. This made the peddler feel very happy.

Question 28.
Why was the peddler amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap? (Delhi 2016)
Answer:
The world had never been very kind to the peddler. So it gave him unwanted joy to think
of the world with its lands and seas, cities and villages as nothing but a big rattrap that
sets baits for people in the form of riches, joys and other necessities, and as soon as
one got tempted, it closed in on him.

Question 29 Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
(All India 2016)
Answer:
The ironmaster mistook the peddler to be an old acquaintance Nils Olof, his old
regimental comrade, so he spoke kindly to the peddler and invited him to his house. He
and his daughter Edla did not have any company for Christmas so he wanted the
peddler to join them for Christmas dinner.

Question 30.
Why did Edla invite the peddler? (Comptt. Delhi 2016)
Answer:
Edla invited the peddler because she wanted to celebrate Christmas in the true spirit of
the festival by having a guest over for Christmas supper. Moreover, she wanted to give
the peddler a day of peace.

The Rattrap Important Questions Long Answer Type Questions (5 MARKS)

Question 31.Describe how the story, ‘The Rattrap’ shows that basic human goodness
can be brought out by understanding and love. (Delhi 2006)
Answer:
The theme of the story ‘The Rattrap’ is that most human beings are prone to fall into the
trap of material gains. However, love and understanding can transform a person and
bring out his essential human goodness. The peddler had been treated very cruelly by
the world. So even though the old crofter was kind and hospitable to him, he betrayed
his trust and stole thirty kronors from him. He was not impressed by the ironmaster’s
invitation also. But Edla Willmansson’s compassion and understanding brought about a
transformation in his nature. Her human qualities helped in raising him to be a
gentleman. He was easily able to overcome petty temptations. The peddler who always
considered the whole world to be a rattrap finally felt released from this rattrap due to
the sympathetic, kind, loving and generous treatment of Edla Willmansson that was able
to bring out his basic human goodness.

Question 32. Give examples from the story, “The Rattrap” to show how the iron master
is different from his daughter. (Delhi 2006)
Answer:
The character of Edla Willmansson and that of the iron master are in stark contrast to
each other. Despite being young, the daughter displays a better sense of maturity than
her father who acts impulsively and behaves casually. He jumps to conclusions without
thinking. First he mistakes the peddler to be an old regimental comrade and without
confirming his identity he instantly invites him to the manor house and again on realising
his mistake he refers the matter to the sheriff thoughtlessly. Edla, on the other hand,
displays a keen sense of observation. She rightly judges that her guest is a tramp and
has a sympathetic attitude towards him. She persuades her father to allow the guest to
stay, leads him courteously to the dining table and makes him eat despite her father’s
protest. It is because of her compassion and generosity that the peddler undergoes a
change of heart and redeems himself from dishonesty. He leaves behind thirty kronors
to be given back to the old crofter and a Christmas present for Edla.

Question 33.
The story ‘The Rattrap’ focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Explain. (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The main focus of the story ‘The Rattrap’ is on human loneliness. All the characters,
whether it is the peddler, the crofter, the ironmaster or his daughter, suffer from
loneliness. The peddler is a lonely man who has always been shunned by society’s cold
and unkind words. When he knocks at the door of the old crofter’s cottage he does not
expect hospitality but the crofter welcomes him as he is too happy to get someone to
talk to after being alone for so long. By serving the peddler the crofter is in fact serving
himself. He serves the peddler with supper, gives him tobacco and plays ‘mjolis’ with
him. He is a very good host. The ironmaster and his daughter too miss company and
this makes them all the more lonely on the occasion of Christmas. So the ironmaster,
who mistakes the peddler for his old regimental comrade, invites him to his manor
house for Christmas. The ironmaster’s daughter, Edla, extends this invitation again and
tells the peddler he can leave any time after Christmas. Thus the need to bond is the
main focus of the story ‘The Rattrap’.

Question 34.
Describe how the story, ‘The Rattrap’ shows that basic human goodness can be
brought out by understanding and love. (Comptt. All India 2011)
Answer:
The theme of the story ‘The Rattrap’ is that most human beings are prone to fall into the
trap of material gains. However, love and understanding can transform a person and
bring out his essential human goodness. The peddler had been treated very cruelly by
the world. So even though the old crofter was kind and hospitable to him, he betrayed
his trust and stole thirty kronors from him. He was not impressed by the iron-master’s
invitation also. But Edla Willmansson’s compassion and understanding brought about a
transformation in his nature. Her human qualities helped in raising him to be a
gentleman. He was easily able to overcome petty temptations. The peddler who always
considered the whole world to be a rattrap finally felt released from this rattrap due to
the sympathetic, kind, loving and generous treatment of Edla Willmansson that was able
to bring out his basic human goodness.

Question 35.
How are the attitudes of the ironmaster and his daughter different? Support your answer
from the text. (Delhi 2011)
Answer:
The character of Edla Willmansson and that of the iron master are in stark contrast to
each other. Despite being young, the daughter displays a better sense of maturity than
her father who acts impulsively and behaves . casually. He jumps to conclusions without
thinking. First he mistakes the peddler to be an old regimental comrade and without
confirming his identity he instantly invites him to the manor house and again on realising
his mistake he refers the matter to the sheriff thoughtlessly. Edla, on the other hand,
displays a keen sense of observation. She rightly judges that her guest is a tramp and
has a sympathetic attitude towards him. She persuades her father to allow the guest to
stay, leads him courteously to the dining table and makes him eat despite her father’s
protest. It is because of her compassion and generosity that the peddler undergoes a
change of heart and redeems himself from dishonesty. He leaves behind thirty kronors
to be given back to the old crofter and a Christmas present for Edla.

Question 36.
Describe the peddler’s interaction with the ironmaster’s daughter. To what extent was
he influenced by her? (Comptt. Delhi 2011)
Answer:
The peddler first meets Edla Wilmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter when, on her
fathers insistence, she comes to invite him to their manor house for Christmas. He was
so touched by the sincerity in her voice that he could not refuse her invitation. Later, she
comes to know of the peddler’s real identity but it does not change her warmth,
friendliness and hospitality towards him. She continues to treat him like a Captain and
the peddler quite spontaneously, starts behaving like a real Captain. He leaves a rattrap
as a Christmas gift for Edla and encloses a letter of thanks and a note of confession in
it. He leaves behind the stolen money to be restored to its rightful owner, the crofter,
thus redeeming himself from his dishonest ways. Edla Wilmansson’s sympathy,
compassion and understanding give the peddler an opportunity to redeem and reform
himself.
Question 37.
Describe the crofter’s interaction with the peddler. How did the latter get tempted?
(Comptt. Delhi 2011)
Answer:
When the peddler knocked on the door of the crofter’s cottage he was greeted by the
lonely old man who was just too happy to get someone to talk to. He served the peddler
with extreme hospitality and even played cards with him. He also shared his
confidences with the peddler telling him that he had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks
during his days of prosperity and now his cow supported him. Last month he had
received thirty kronors in payment for the cow milk he had sold. He even showed the
peddler the leather pouch on the window where he had kept the thirty kronors thus
tempting the peddler. The next day the peddler after leaving the crofter’s cottage came
back there again, smashed the window pane, stuck in his hand and got hold of the
pouch that contained the thirty kronors. Then hanging the leather pouch back very
carefully, he went away.

Question 38.
‘The Rattrap’ highlights the impact of compassion and understanding on the hidden
goodness in human beings. Substantiate with evidence from the story. (Comptt. All
India 2011)
Answer:
The theme of the story ‘The Rattrap’ is that most human beings are prone to fall into the
trap of material gains. However, love and understanding can transform a person and
bring out his essential human goodness. The peddler had been treated very cruelly by
the world. So even though the old crofter was kind and hospitable to him, he betrayed
his trust and stole thirty kronors from him. He was not impressed by the ironmaster’s
invitation also. But Edla Willmansson’s compassion and understanding brought about a
transformation in his nature. Her human qualities helped in raising him to be a
gentleman. He was easily able to overcome petty temptations. The peddler who always
considered the whole world to be a rattrap finally felt released from this rattrap due to
the sympathetic, kind, loving and generous treatment of Edla Willmansson that was able
to bring out his basic human goodness.

Question 39.
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:
After robbing the crofter the peddler felt quite pleased with his smartness. He
immediately realised that he could not dare to continue with his journey on the public
highway so he turned off the road, into the woods. During the first few hours his
decision caused him no difficulty but later it became worse for he had gotten into a big
and confusing forest. He continued to walk and when he came to the end of the forest
he realized that he had been walking around in the same part of the forest. Then he
recalled his thoughts about the world and the rattrap and knew his own turn had come.
He had let himself be fooled by a bait of thirty kronors and had been caught. His
reaction reveals his gloom and despair as he realized the forest had closed in open
upon him like an impenetrable prison from which he thought he could never escape. It
also reveals that he was basically a good person at heart and was repentant of his folly.

Question 40.
There is a saying, ‘Kindness pays, rudeness never’. In the story, ‘The Rattrap’ Edla’s
attitude towards men and matters is different from her fathers attitude. How are the
values of concern and compassion brought out in the story, ‘The Rattrap’? (All India
2013)
Answer:
Edla Willmansson displays qualities of compassion and understanding that transform
the peddler and brings out his essential human goodness. Her human qualities help in
raising him to the level of a gentleman and he is able to overcome petty temptations.
The peddler, who always considered the whole world to be a rattrap, was finally able to
release himself from this rattrap due to the sympathetic, kind and generous treatment of
Edla and thus redeems himself from his dishonest ways. Despite knowing his real
identity Edla continues to treat him like a Captain and the peddler quite spontaneously
starts behaving like a real captain. Edla’s compassion and the peddler’s reformation
arouses our optimism and belief in the essential goodness of man and other human
values.