Class 12 English- The Rattrap Questions and Answers

 Class 12 English-  The Rattrap Questions and Answers

Short Answer Type Questions 

Q.- 1. Who was the rattrap seller? How did he make rattraps?
Ans- The rattrap seller was a poor man. He had no home or job. He made rattraps from wire. He got the wire by begging or stealing. Then, he sold the rattraps to people to earn money for food.

Q.-2. What idea about the whole world did strike in his mind once?
Ans-He thought the whole world is a big rattrap. It offers people food, joy, and shelter as bait. When people try to take them, they get caught in life’s trap, just like rats in rattraps.

Q.-3. Who gave him shelter for the night and why?
Ans-A crofter gave him shelter. The crofter was lonely and wanted someone to talk to. He treated the rattrap man kindly, gave him food, and talked to him like a friend.

Q.-4. Why did the rattrap seller return to crofter’s cottage?
Ans-He returned to the crofter’s cottage to steal money. He knew where the crofter had kept the money. Greed made him go back and take it while the crofter was away.

Q.-5. What happened with the rattrap seller into the woods?
Ans-After stealing the money, he ran into the forest. But he lost his way. He got trapped in the woods, just like a rat in a rattrap. He felt scared and tired.

Q.-6. What did the peddler hear into the forest? What did he do then?
Ans-He heard the sound of a hammer from the Ramsjö Ironworks. He followed the sound, hoping to find shelter and warmth. He walked towards it in the cold night.

Q.-7. What was Ramsjö ironworks? What was happening inside it?
Ramsjö ironworks was a factory. It made iron from raw materials. Inside, workers were melting iron and shaping it. The furnace was hot, and it worked even at night.

Q.-8. How did the ironmaster react seeing the vagabond (rattrap seller) inside his forge?
Ans-The ironmaster thought he was an old friend from the army. He invited him to his home. He wanted to help his friend and give him good clothes and food.

Q.-9. Why was the vagabond not ready to go with the ironmaster to his house?
Ans-He feared being caught for stealing. He thought the ironmaster might report him. So, he refused to go and said he was fine staying in the forge.

Q.-10. What did the ironmaster do to bring vagabond to his house?
Ans-The ironmaster sent his daughter, Edla, to convince him. She spoke kindly and gently. Her warmth and respect changed his mind, and he agreed to go.

Q.-11. What did the ironmaster and his daughter decide to do with the guest?
Ans-They decided to treat him kindly as a guest. They gave him food, clean clothes, and let him rest. Edla wanted him to enjoy Christmas like a real guest.

Q.-12. What mistake had the ironmaster done? What did he want after identifying the vagabond in broad daylight?
Ans-He mistook the peddler for his old friend. In daylight, he saw the truth. He felt angry and wanted to call the police, but Edla stopped him.

Q.-13. Why did Edla Willmansson want to give hospitality to the vagabond, the stranger?
Ans-Edla was kind and gentle. She felt sorry for the poor man. She wanted to treat him with respect and give him happiness, at least for Christmas day.

Q.-14. How did the rattrap seller pass his time in ironmaster’s home?
Ans-He bathed, wore fine clothes, ate good food, and rested. He felt peace and comfort. It was the first time he was treated like a real human being.

Q.-15. What information did the ironmaster and his daughter receive at the Church?
Ans-They learned that their guest was a thief. He had stolen money from the crofter. The news shocked them, but Edla still hoped he would change.

Q.-16. What Christmas present did Edla receive from the peddler? Why did she give a little cry of joy?

Ans-Edla got a small rattrap as a gift with a letter and money inside. The letter thanked her for kindness. She gave a little cry of joy because it touched her heart and showed the man’s change.

Q.-17. Why did peddler consider the world as a rattrap?

Ans-The peddler thought the world was like a rattrap. It offered riches and joys as bait. Once people got caught in greed, they were trapped forever, just like rats in a rattrap. It was his way to explain life.

Q.-18. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into rattrap?

Ans-When the peddler stole money from the old man, he felt trapped. He lost his way in the forest and couldn’t escape. He realized that he had been caught by the bait of money, just like a rat.

Q.-19. Why did the man selling rattraps resort to begging and petty thievery?

Ans-The peddler was very poor and had no job. No one helped him. He made rattraps but earned nothing. So, to survive, he begged and sometimes stole small things. It was his only way to live.

Q.-20. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?

Ans-The ironmaster thought the peddler was an old army friend. He wanted to help him on Christmas. So, he spoke kindly and invited him home to give food, shelter, and warmth out of goodwill.

Q.-21. What did the young girl find in the package when she opened it, in the lesson ‘The Rattrap’?

Ans-The girl found a rattrap, money, and a letter. The letter thanked her for treating him like a real man. The gift showed that the peddler had changed and wanted to be good because of her kindness.

Long Answer Type Question

Q.-1. Who was the protagonist of the chapter 'The Rattrap'? What was his condition and how was he struggling for survival? Describe explaining his philosophical thought about the whole world.

Ans-The protagonist was a poor peddler. He sold rattraps but had no home or money. He lived a lonely life and often begged or stole to survive. He believed the world was like a big rattrap. It offered people food, joy, and shelter as bait. But once someone took the bait, they were trapped forever. This thought gave meaning to his hard life. He saw the world as a place full of temptation and struggles.

Q.-2. Whose cottage did the peddler find along the road? How was he treated by the owner of the house and why?

Ans-The peddler found the cottage of a kind old crofter. The crofter lived alone and felt happy to have company. He welcomed the peddler warmly. He gave him food, shelter, and even shared his tobacco. He also showed the peddler the money he had saved. The crofter treated him kindly because he was lonely and wanted someone to talk to. He trusted the peddler like a guest and gave him friendly company for the night.

Q.-3. What happened when the peddler stole the money from crofter’s house? What difficulty did he face after it and how did he escape?

Ans-The next morning, the peddler stole the crofter’s money and ran into the forest. But soon he got lost in the big, dark woods. He walked in circles and felt trapped. He thought he had fallen into the world’s rattrap. He felt scared and helpless. Then he saw the forge of the ironmaster and went there for shelter. It helped him escape the forest and find warmth. The forge became his way out of trouble.

Q.-4. Why did the ironmaster come to the forge that night? What did he observe there and what did he decide then? How did he fulfil his desire?

Ans-The ironmaster came to the forge at night for his routine visit. He saw the peddler in the firelight and mistook him for an old friend. He wanted to help him and take him home for Christmas. But the peddler refused. Then the ironmaster’s daughter came and spoke kindly. She invited him again. The peddler finally agreed. The ironmaster’s desire to bring home his old friend for Christmas was fulfilled, though he was mistaken.

Q.-5. Who entered inside the forge with a valet? What did that person do with the stranger? What was stranger’s reaction at that?

Ans-The ironmaster’s daughter, Edla, entered the forge with a valet. She came to invite the peddler home for Christmas. She spoke politely and showed care. She treated him with respect and kindness. The peddler felt surprised and confused. He was not used to such good behavior. He tried to refuse but later agreed. Her kind nature touched his heart. It made him think deeply and later change into a better man.

Q.- 6. What happened with the stranger at ironmaster’s house? How was he treated by Edla Willmansson?
Ans-The ironmaster mistook the stranger for an old friend and invited him home. When he learned the truth, he got angry and wanted him to leave. But Edla was kind. She let him stay for Christmas. She treated him with respect and care. Her kindness made the peddler feel like a real human. He was thankful to Edla for her warm heart. She changed his thinking and life.

Q.-. 7 What information did the ironmaster and his daughter get at the Church? What was Edla’s condition and how did she get relaxed after reaching home?
Ans-At the church, the ironmaster and Edla learned the man was a thief who had stolen from a crofter. Edla felt sad and shocked. But when they returned home, they found the peddler had left a gift and a letter. He thanked Edla for her kindness and returned the stolen money. This made Edla happy. She felt peace in her heart. She was proud that her kindness changed him.

Q.- 8 Describe the events that follow when the rattrap peddler’s real identity is revealed, leading to his reformation.
Ans-When the ironmaster found out the peddler’s real identity, he asked him to leave. But Edla asked him to stay for Christmas. She treated him kindly. Her goodness touched the peddler’s heart. He decided to change. He left behind a letter and the stolen money. In the letter, he thanked Edla and promised to live an honest life. Her love and respect helped reform the man. He became a better person.

Q.-9. Give a character sketch of the peddler in the story ‘The Rattrap’.
Ans-The peddler was a poor man. He sold rattraps made of wire. He was lonely and sad. Sometimes he stole to survive. He believed the world was like a rattrap. But he had a kind heart. When Edla showed him kindness, he changed. He became honest and left the stolen money. He thanked Edla for her care. His character shows that love and respect can change anyone. He was not bad, just unlucky.