Question

NCERT Solutions Class 12, English, Flamingo, Prose, Chapter- 4, The Rattrap

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Answer 1

NCERT Solutions Class 12, English, Flamingo, Prose, Chapter- 4, The Rattrap

Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.

• keep body and soul together
• hunger gleamed in his eyes
• plods along the road
• unwonted joy
• impenetrable prison
• nodded a haughty consent
• eased his way
• fallen into a line of thought
• things have gone downhill

Solution:

keep body and soul together: to manage to keep alive; to survive

hunger gleamed in his eyes: feeling so hungry that the expression shows on one’s face

plods along the road: moving along the road slowly but deliberately, to walk with a heavy feet

unwonted joy: unusual pleasure or happiness

impenetrable prison: impassable confinement

nodded a haughty consent: indifferent agreement

eased his way: moved himself slowly and carefully

fallen into a line of thought: agreement of thoughts

things have gone downhill: to decline or grow worse and worse

Think As you Read

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

Solution:

The peddler got the idea of the world being a rattrap when he was spontaneously thinking of his rattraps. The peddler made his living by selling small rattraps of wire. He thought that the whole world about him was nothing but a big rattrap.

2. Why was he amused by this idea?

Solution:

The peddler was a vagabond whose life was sad and monotonous. Of course, the world had never been very kind to him. .That is why he was amused by this idea of thinking ill of the world-as a rattrap.

3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?

Solution:

No, the peddler did not expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter. This was because usually he was greeted by ‘sour’ and unfriendly faces whenever he knocked on doors and requested for shelter.

4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?

Solution:

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 food and shelter. Naturally, he was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. So he was talkative and friendly with the peddler.

5. Why did he show the thirty kroner to the peddler?

Solution:

The crofter was very proud of his cow that gave him enough milk to support him. He told peddler that he had got thirty kronor last month as payment by supplying the milk to creamery. The peddler seemed doubtful about it. So, in order to assure his guest he showed thirty kronor to the peddler.

6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?

Solution:

No, the peddler did not respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. The rattrap peddler robbed the crofter of his thirty kronors by breaking violently the window pane of his cottage.

Think As you Read

1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?

Solution:

After stealing the crofter’s money, the rattrap peddler did not think it proper to walk on the public highway. So he turned off the road, into the forost. But he got entrapped in a big and confusing forest. He tried to walk in a definite direction, but the paths twisted back and forth in a strange manner.

He walked and walked without coming to the end of the forest. Finally, he realised that he had only been walking around the same part of the forest. Then he recalled his thoughts about the world and the rattrap. Now his own turn had come. The rattrap peddler thus thought that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap from which he might not be able to escape.

2. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?

Solution:

In the uncertain reflection from furnace, the ironmaster mistook the peddler as his old regimental comrade, Captain Von Stahle. His condition was very miserable. So being an old acquaintance he wanted to help him. He also wanted his company on Christmas Eve. So the ironmaster spoke kindly to the peddler and invited him home.

3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?

Solution:

The peddler knew that the ironmaster had mistaken him as his old regiment comrade. The invitation by the ironmaster did not please the peddler since the he had the stolen money in his pocket. He thought that it would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He was feeling guilty and frightened. So he declined the invitation.

Answer 2

Think As you Read

1. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?

Solution:

The peddler accepted Edla Willmansson’s invitation, who was the daughter of the ironmaster. In a very compassionate and friendly manner, Edla Willmansson had won the confidence of the peddler. She told the peddler that he would be allowed to leave just as freely as he would come to their house. She requested him to stay with them only oyer Christmas Eve. Because her genuine and friendly request, the peddler accepted her invitation.

2. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?

Solution:

Edla had doubts about the peddler that either he had stolen something or else he had escaped from jail.

3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?

Solution:

The ironmaster realised his mistake the next day when the peddler turned up at breakfast. The valet had bathed the peddler, cut his hair, shaved him and given him clothes. The ironmaster realised that he had been deceived in recognising the person because of the reflection of the furnace, the previous night.

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?

Solution:

The ironmaster came to know the reality about the peddler the next morning. The peddler in his defence explained that he never pretended to be what he was not. He showed himself as a poor trader. He only desired to sleep in the forge for the night. He had declined the ironmaster’s invitation again and again.

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

Solution:

The peddler’s true identity came to light the next morning. But Edla served the peddler not as her father’s old comrade. Even after knowing the reality about the peddler she wanted him to stay with them on Christmas Eve and enjoy a day of peace. In her view it was not proper to chase away a person whom they had invited on Christmas.

Think As you Read

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

Solution:

Edla was happy to see the gift left by the peddler because the peddler did not prove himself to be a thief and had not taken anything with him at all. He had left behind a little package which Elda was to be kind enough to accept as a Christmas present. He had also kept thirty kronor he had stolen from the crofter’s house.

2. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?

Solution:

I think the peddler signed himself as Captain Von Stahle because they were nice to him as if he was a real captain or who would have caught in this world’s rattrap “if he had not been raised to captain”.

Understanding the text

1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?

Solution:

The different ways in which the peddler repaid the three people corresponds to the way he interpreted the kindness of the three people. The peddler realised that for the crofter it was his craving for company that led him to offer his hospitality. The ironmaster’s hospitality apparently is limited to his acquaintances. It was only the daughter who genuinely offered warmth and goodness to the peddler. He was touched by Edla’s kindness and it made him want to act differently. He repaid her good treatment with a gesture of true gratitude.

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?

Solution:

There are various instances in the story that show that the character of the ironmaster is different from his daughter in many ways. The ironmaster, mistaking the peddler as an old acquaintance, insists on inviting him to his house to spend Christmas evening. The peddler time and again declined his invitation.

Then the ironmaster sent his daughter hoping that she would have better powers of persuasion than him. With her ; compassionate and friendly behaviour, she was able to win the confidence of the peddler, whoagreed to go to her home.

But when the valet had bathed the peddler, cut his hair and shaved him and he was dressed in a good-looking suit, the ironmaster realised that he was not his old regimental comrade. The ironmaster threatened to call the sheriff and asked him to get out of his house immediately.

But his daughter said that he ought to stay with them today. She was more sympathic to “the poor hungry wretch” than her father. She thought that he should enjoy a day of peace with them just one in the whole year. She asked him to keep his father’s suit as a-Christmas gift. Thus her behaviour changed the peddler who left with her the money stolen by him.

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

Solution:

The story “The Rattrap’ has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. One dark evening while walking along the road, the peddler saw a light gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked on the door to ask for shelter for the night. Usually under such circumstances he would meet “the sour faces”. But unexpectedly the owner of the house, the crofter, an old man without wife or child, welcomed him cheerfully. He showered his best hospitality by serving food, playing cards with him and taking care of him in all the possible manner.

Thereafter, the peddler was entrapped in the forest and when he thought that he might not find a way out of the forest, he sought shelter at the Ramsjo ironworks. There unexpectedly the ironmaster came and insisted him to spend the Christmas evening at his home.

The ironmaster mistook him as an old regimental comrade. When the peddler declined his offer, quite unexpectedly Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter came there and pursuaded him to go to their house. There the ironmaster realising that he had mistaken the stranger’s identity and asked him to leave his house immediately. But again unexpectedly Edla in a compassionate manner convinced her father to let him stay for the Christmas in the house.

Answer 3

4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?

Solution:

The peddler besides selling small rattraps of wire was a petty thief also. He stole thirty kronors from the house of the crofter, who was kind enough to allow him to stay in his house for a night and showered his best possible hospitality on him. But it was the compassionate, kind, generous and friendly behaviour of Edla Willmansson, the ironmaster’s daughter, which finally changed him.

The ironmaster had invited him to his house thinking that he was an old regimental comrade. When he realised that the peddler was not his old acquatance, but a stranger, he asked him to leave his house immediately. But Edla showing sympathy and pity on him, pursuaded her father to’ allow him spend the Christmas with them. Thus her behaviour aroused his conscience. and he gave her gift of a rattrap and requested her to return the thirty kronors of the crofter, which he had stolen.

5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?

Solution:

In the story The Rattrap’, the peddler goes around selling small rattraps of wine. Thinking of his rattraps, he was struck by the idea that the whole world around him with its lands and seas, its cities and villages-was nothing but a big rattrap. He thought that the world had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people.

The world offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end. This is how the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament. The more we are allured by the worldly things, the more we are entrapped by them. And then there is no way out.

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?

Solution:

The peddler was endowed with a great sense of humour. He compares the world about him with a rattrap, which sets baits for the people. As the world had never been kind to him, so it gave him “unwai d joy” to think ill of it in this way. It was his pastime to think Of the people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare, and of others who were still circling around the bait. It shows his sense of humour. As he walked alongwith the stolen money of crofter, he felt “quite pleased with his smartness”.

When he was entrapped in the forest he recalled about the world and the rattrap. He thought that “his own turn had come”, which also shows his sense of humour. He thought that he had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught. When the blacksmith “nodded a haughty constent” without, uttering a single word, he did not mind.- He thought that he had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep.

He did not reveal his real identity to the ironmaster because he thought that thinking him as an old acquaintance, the ironmaster might perhaps “throw him a couple of kronor”. While riding up to the manor house he thought that he was sitting in the trap and will never get out of it. When the ironmaster realised that he was not his old acquaintance and threatened to call the sheriff, he told him that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap and the ironmaster began to laugh. His letter written to Edla also shows his sense of humour. His sense of humour serves in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story. It also endears him to us as it evoked our sympathy with him.

Talking about the text

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?

Solution:

Though the rattrap peddler indulged in begging as well as petty thievery to keep body and soul together, yet from the beginning of the story he attracts our sympathy. His clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes. He was a vagabond whose life was sad and monotonous. His idea of comparing the world with a big rattrap in which human beings are entrapped looks so appealing to us. He evokes our sympathy also because the world has never been very kind to him.

The way he has to seek shelter at various places and has to meet usually “sour faces” also evokes the reader’s sympathy towards him. Perhaps that is why he wins the sympathy of the old crofter and Edla and to some extent of the ironmaster. Edla felt that she should do something for “the poor hungry wretch”, who walks and walks throughout the year. Wherever he turns, he is l chased away. That is why our sympathy is with the peddler. I think despite detesting him [ as a petty thief, our overall sympathy with the peddler is justified.

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

Solution:

The story ‘The Rattrap’ also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. The rattrap peddler himself leads a sad, monotonous and lonely life. The old crofter also lives in his cottage all alone without wife and children. He welcomes the peddler, a total stranger to him with all enthusiasm and happiness so that he can talk to somebody in his loneliness. He got out an old pack of cards and played ‘mjolis’, a game of cards, with his guest until bedtime.

The ironmaster is also leading more or less a lonely life. His wife had died and his sons abroad. He lives with his daughter. Mistaking the peddler as an old acquaintance, he insists that he must go with him to his home. The ironmaster tells the peddler that he and his daughter were feeling bad because they did not have any company for Christmas.

He asks the peddler to come along with him to help them make the Christmas food disappear a little faster. When the peddler declined his offer, he sends his daughter to him and she is successful in taking him to their home. She also requests him to stay with them over Christmas Eve. Even after the peddler’s true identity had been revealed, Edla makes her father agree to the stranger’s staying with them for Christmas. He does this so that he can enjoy a day of peace with them there – just one in the whole year. Thus the story rightly focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond others.

Answer 4

3. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.

Solution:

‘The Rattrap’ is a very interesting and entertaining story about a rattrap peddler. He went round selling small rattraps of wire, which he himself made. He got the material for it by begging in the stores or at big farms. But the story is not only entertaining, but it gives us a philosophical idea also. The idea is that the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages is nothing but a big rattrap. The world set baits for people.

The world offers riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, the world closed in on him. And then there is no escape. Thus the story conveys a very noble and philosophical idea that all the worldly things which fascinate us are just like the bait of the rattrap, which entraps us. The way Edla Willmansson treats the peddler we can draw a lesson that the essential goodness in a human being can be awakened through understanding and love.

Working with words

1. The man selling rattraps is referred to by many terms such as “peddler, stranger” etc. Pick out all such references to him. What does each of these labels indicate of the context or the attitude of the people around him.

Solution:

	Labels	Contexts
1	Peddler	As he peddles or sells the rattraps
2	Vagabond	Used to describe his nomadic lifestyle
3	Stranger	Used to refer to the peddler when he was at the crofter’s place, possibly to emphasise the fact that the crofter was compassionate to an unknown man
4	Guest	He is treated with compassion, especially at the ironmaster’s house where he was invited to spend the Christmas
5	Intruder	When the peddler trespasses and enters the iron mill
6	Tramp	When the peddler asks for lodgings at the iron mill; also when the ironmaster, mistaking him for his old regimental comrade plans of helping him drop his tramp ways and begin a new vocation
7	Ragamuffin	When the ironmaster first notices him wrapped in rags and in the state to utter destitution
8	Old regimental comrade	The ironmaster mistakes him for his old friend when he first meets the peddler at his iron mill
9	Poor hungry wretch	Used only once when the author mentions the fact that Edla was excited about the prospect of getting a chance to help an unfortunate fellow on Christmas
10	Rat	The peddler calls himself a rat and thanks Edla for helping him escape the rattrap with her kindness and compassion

2. You came across the words, plod, trudge, stagger in the story. These words indicate movement accompanied by weariness. Find five other such words with a similar meaning.

Solution:

Other words are lurch, stumble, slog, hike, clump, traipse and stomp.

Noticing Form

1. He made them himself at odd moments.
2. He raised himself.
3. He had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught.
4. … a day may come when you yourself may want to get a big piece of pork.

Notice the way in which these reflexive pronouns have been used (pronoun + self)

In 1 and 4 the reflexive pronouns “himself” and “yourself” are used to convey emphasis.
In 2 and 3 the reflexive pronoun is used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence.
Pick out other examples of the use of reflexive pronouns from the story and notice how they are used.

Solution:

Examples	Usage
“…would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den”	used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence
“...except my oldest daughter and myself”	used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence
“...he laughed to himself.”	used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence
“...better powers of persuasion than he himself”	used to convey emphasis
“stretched himself out on the floor”	used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence
“He could not bring himself to oppose her.”	used to convey emphasis

Thinking about the Language

1. Notice the words in bold in the following sentence.

“The fire boy shovelled charcoal into the maw of the furnace with a great deal of clatter”. This is a phrase that is used in the specific context of an iron plant.
Pick out other such phrases and words from the story that are peculiar to the terminology of ironworks.

Solution:

Other such phrases could be as follows:
1. ‘a hard regular thumping’
2. ‘hammer strokes’
3. ‘a large plant with smelter, rolling mill and forge’
4. ‘pig iron’
5. ‘coal dust’
6. ‘put on the anvil’

2. Mjolis is a card game of Sweden.

Name a few indoor games played in your region. ‘Chopar’ could be an example.

Solution:

Some indoor games are chess, ludo, table tennis, playing cards, billiards, etc.

3. A crofter is a person who rents or owns a small farm especially in Scotland. Think of other uncommon terms for ‘a small farmer’ including those in your language.

Solution:

Some other terms are peasant, plower, cultivator, krishak, kisan etc