NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English (Flamingo) The Rattrap: Selma Lageröf (NCERT 2026–27)
Complete solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 4 – “The Rattrap” by Selma Lageröf: an original summary, theme and message, hard-word meanings, and every textbook exercise – Think as you read, Understanding the text, Talking about the text, Working with words, Noticing form and Thinking about language – answered fully in exam-ready CBSE style. We keep the questions exactly as printed in the NCERT book, with extra questions, MCQs and Assertion–Reason for thorough revision.
Class: 12Subject: EnglishBook: Flamingo (Prose)Type: Short Story (Chapter 4)Author: Selma LageröfSession: 2026–27
Selma Lageröf (1858–1940) was a celebrated Swedish writer and the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (1909). Her stories, translated into many languages, are marked by a deep humanism and a recurring belief that the essential goodness in every person can be awakened through understanding and love. “The Rattrap” is set amidst the iron-ore mines of Sweden, which figure largely in that country’s history and legends, and the tale is narrated somewhat in the manner of a fairy tale – simple, warm and quietly philosophical.
Summary
A poor, homeless man wanders the countryside selling small wire rattraps that he makes himself from begged materials. Since the trade is barely profitable, he survives by begging and petty thieving, and his hard life has made him bitter. To amuse himself he develops a curious philosophy: the whole world, he decides, is one big rattrap. Its riches, joys, food and shelter are nothing but bait; the moment a person reaches for the bait, the trap snaps shut and everything ends.
One night an old, lonely crofter gives him warm hospitality – supper, tobacco, a game of cards, and even shows him thirty kronor he has earned from his cow. The next morning the peddler returns, smashes a window and steals the money. Fleeing through a forest, he loses his way and realises that he himself has now been caught in a rattrap, lured by the bait of the crofter’s money.
Stumbling towards the sound of hammer strokes, he reaches the Ramsöj Ironworks. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old regimental comrade, Nils Olof, and, despite the peddler’s refusal, sends his kind daughter Edla to bring him home for Christmas. Edla treats the stranger with warmth and dignity even after the mistake is discovered and the truth about the theft is learned at church. Moved by her trust and compassion, the peddler leaves behind a Christmas gift: a rattrap containing the stolen thirty kronor and a letter asking that the money be returned to the crofter. Edla’s kindness has redeemed him, raising the “rat” to the dignity of a captain.
Theme & message
The central theme is the redeeming power of love, kindness and understanding. The extended metaphor of the rattrap shows how human beings are tempted by the “baits” of the material world – money, comfort, status – and get caught in moral and spiritual traps. Yet Lageröf insists that essential goodness lies dormant in every person and can be awakened: Edla’s unconditional compassion transforms a thieving vagabond into a man capable of honour and gratitude. The story also reflects on human loneliness, the need to bond with others, and the difference between cold judgement (the ironmaster) and warm empathy (Edla).
Word meanings
Word / Expression
Meaning
rattrap
a device for catching rats; (here) a metaphor for worldly temptation
vagabond
a wanderer with no home or steady work
keep body and soul together
to manage to stay alive on very little
plods along
walks slowly and heavily, with effort
impenetrable prison
a prison impossible to get out of or break through
eased his way
moved gently/carefully into a position
things have gone downhill
life/fortunes have become worse
hunger gleamed in his eyes
hunger showed clearly (shone) in his eyes
unwonted joy
unusual or unaccustomed joy
nodded a haughty consent
agreed with a proud, superior manner
fallen into a line of thought
started thinking along a particular track
crofter
a person who rents or owns a small farm
incredulous
unwilling or unable to believe something
haughty
arrogant, proud
ragamuffin
a person in ragged, dirty clothes
dissimulate
to hide one’s true feelings or intentions
forebodings
feelings that something bad will happen
compassionately
with sympathy and pity for another’s suffering
interceded
spoke up on behalf of another to help them
reposed (confidence)
placed (trust) in someone
Think as you read
Set 1 (page 33)
1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
ANSWERThe idea grew out of his own trade. As he plodded along thinking about the rattraps he made and sold, it suddenly struck him that the whole world – with its lands and seas, cities and villages – was nothing but a big rattrap. Its riches, joys, shelter, food and clothing were merely bait to tempt people, just as a rattrap offers cheese and pork.
2. Why was he amused by this idea?
ANSWERThe world had never been kind to him, so it gave him a strange, unaccustomed joy to think ill of it. Imagining wealthy, comfortable people as fools who had let themselves be caught in the world’s snare – while others still circled the bait – became a cherished pastime that brightened his dreary wanderings.
3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
ANSWERNo. Normally he met sour faces and was turned away or grudgingly tolerated. He was therefore surprised when the lonely old crofter welcomed him warmly, gave him supper and tobacco, played cards with him and shared his confidences – treating him almost like a friend rather than a beggar.
4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
ANSWERThe crofter was an old man living alone, without wife or child. He was lonely and starved of company, so the arrival of a stranger was a welcome chance to talk. His friendliness sprang from his loneliness and his need for human companionship.
5. Why did he show the thirty kroner to the peddler?
ANSWERThe peddler seemed to doubt the crofter’s claim that his cow earned him good money. To prove it and to satisfy his guest’s disbelief, the proud old man took down the leather pouch and showed the three wrinkled ten-kronor bills he had received from the creamery, nodding knowingly before putting them back.
6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
ANSWERNo. He betrayed the old man’s trust. The very next morning he returned, smashed a windowpane, stole the thirty kronor and hung the empty pouch carefully back in its place before slipping away – repaying generosity with theft.
Set 2 (page 37)
1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
ANSWERAfter the theft he left the highway and entered a large, confusing forest. The paths twisted endlessly and he kept walking in circles, unable to escape. As darkness fell he felt trapped, and he suddenly recalled his own theory – he realised he had been lured by the bait of the stolen money and was now caught, like a rat, in the world’s rattrap.
2. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
ANSWERThe ironmaster mistook the ragged stranger, in the dim furnace light, for his old regimental comrade, Captain Nils Olof. Believing he had run into a fallen friend, he spoke warmly, regretted his comrade’s misfortune and insisted on taking him home, especially as he wanted company for Christmas.
3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
ANSWERThe peddler was carrying the stolen thirty kronor and feared being exposed. Going up to the manor house, where he might be recognised as an impostor or a thief, would be like walking voluntarily into the lion’s den. He preferred to sleep in the forge and slip away unnoticed.
Set 3 (page 41)
1. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
ANSWEREdla spoke to him gently and compassionately. Even though she sensed his fear, she promised that he would be free to leave whenever he wished and only asked him to spend Christmas Eve with them. Her kind, friendly manner made the peddler feel a sense of trust and confidence in her, and so he agreed to come.
2. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
ANSWERWhen she lifted his hat and saw him jump up in fright, Edla suspected that he was not really her father’s old acquaintance. She thought to herself that he had either stolen something or escaped from jail, which is why he looked so frightened – yet she still chose to treat him kindly.
3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
ANSWERThe next morning, when the stranger appeared bathed, shaved and well dressed in the ironmaster’s own clothes, the ironmaster saw him clearly in broad daylight. He realised at once that the man was not his old comrade Nils Olof and angrily demanded an explanation.
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?
ANSWERThe peddler said it was not his fault – he had never claimed to be anything but a poor trader and had in fact pleaded only to be allowed to sleep in the forge. He pointed out that no harm had been done and offered to put on his rags and leave at once.
5. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
ANSWEREdla felt that they had invited him and promised him Christmas cheer, so it would be wrong to chase away a human being to whom they had given hope. She pitied his lonely, hunted life – always chased away and afraid of arrest – and wished him to enjoy at least one day of peace in the whole year. Her compassion outweighed her father’s anger.
(Closing questions, page 41)
1. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
ANSWERAfter learning at church that the stranger was a thief, Edla feared he had robbed them too. Instead she found that he had taken nothing and had left a Christmas gift – a rattrap containing the stolen thirty kronor and a grateful letter. She was happy because it proved that her kindness and trust had not been misplaced; it had awakened the goodness in him and helped him reform.
2. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
ANSWEREdla had treated him all day with the dignity of a captain, so in return he wished to behave like a real captain – an honourable man. By signing the letter “Captain von Stahle”, he showed that her faith had raised him out of his thieving ways and given him the “power to clear himself”, escaping the world’s rattrap.
Understanding the text
1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
ANSWERAt first the peddler views all kindness through the lens of his cynical rattrap philosophy – as bait designed to trap him. He repays the crofter’s hospitality with theft. The ironmaster’s warm invitation he distrusts as a snare and refuses, fearing exposure. But Edla’s daughterly compassion is different: her selfless, dignified kindness does not seem like bait at all. It puzzles and finally moves him, breaking down his suspicion and awakening his conscience, so that he interprets her hospitality as genuine love rather than a trap.
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?
ANSWERThe ironmaster acts on impulse and appearances – he invites the stranger only because he mistakes him for an old comrade, and turns hostile the moment he learns the truth, even threatening the sheriff. His kindness is conditional and self-interested. Edla, by contrast, is observant, gentle and genuinely compassionate. She senses the man may be a thief yet still treats him with warmth and dignity, and insists he stay even after the mistake is exposed, because she pities his lonely, hunted life. Her humanity is unconditional, while her father’s is shallow and changeable.
3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
ANSWERSeveral reactions surprise us:• The lonely crofter unexpectedly welcomes the beggar warmly and even shows him his money.• The peddler repays this kindness by robbing his trusting host.• The ironmaster mistakes a ragged tramp for an old comrade and invites him home.• Edla insists on entertaining the stranger even after discovering he is a thief.• Most surprising of all, the peddler returns the stolen money and leaves a thankful gift, signing himself a captain – a complete reversal of his earlier dishonesty.
4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
ANSWERIt was Edla’s unconditional kindness and trust that changed him. She treated him with respect and affection even after suspecting and then knowing the truth about him, giving him a day of peace and a Christmas gift. This selfless compassion awakened the dormant goodness in his heart, made him ashamed of his theft, and inspired him to return the money and live up to the honour she had shown him.
5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
ANSWERThe rattrap symbolises the temptations of the material world. Just as a rat is lured by cheese into a trap, human beings are tempted by riches, comfort, food and status, and in chasing these baits they often fall into moral and spiritual traps. The peddler himself is caught when he steals the crofter’s money. The metaphor thus highlights the universal human predicament – our vulnerability to greed – while also suggesting that love and kindness can free us from the trap.
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?
ANSWERThe peddler’s wry humour runs throughout the tale. His whole rattrap philosophy is an amusing, ironic way of mocking a world that has been unkind to him. When caught, he laughs at himself for falling into his own trap. His warning to the ironmaster – that one day he too may want a piece of pork and get caught – is gently witty. And his final letter, signed “Captain von Stahle” from “a rat who would have been caught”, is full of charm. This humour softens the serious moral theme and makes the flawed peddler likeable and human rather than merely a criminal.
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. Sample responses are given below.
1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
ANSWERWe sympathise with the peddler because of his desperate poverty – ragged clothes, sunken cheeks and hunger in his eyes – and his lonely, joyless wandering. The world has been harsh and unkind to him, which partly explains his bitterness and dishonesty. His self-mocking humour and his eventual reform also win our affection. The sympathy is largely justified, for his crimes spring from hardship rather than cruelty, and he proves capable of honour and gratitude when treated with kindness. His final act shows the essential goodness that deserved compassion all along.
2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
ANSWERLoneliness drives much of the story. The old crofter, living alone without wife or child, opens his home and heart to a stranger merely for the comfort of company. The peddler himself leads an isolated, friendless life, unwelcome everywhere. Even the ironmaster, whose wife is dead and sons abroad, longs for company at Christmas. Edla’s warmth offers the peddler his first sense of belonging. The tale shows that human beings need connection and kindness, and that genuine bonding can heal both loneliness and moral corruption.
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?
ANSWER(Sample) Yes. A friend of mine, struggling and embittered after failing an exam, was quietly helped by a teacher who gave up free time to coach him without any reward. That single act of selfless kindness restored his confidence and changed his cynical attitude; he later became a volunteer tutor himself. Like the peddler, he learnt that one genuine act of kindness can transform a person’s outlook and bring out the best in them. (Share your own example.)
4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.
ANSWERThe story entertains through its fairy-tale narration, suspenseful turns and the peddler’s sly humour – the theft, the mistaken identity, the surprise ending. At the same time it is deeply philosophical: the rattrap metaphor reflects on greed, temptation and the human predicament, while Edla’s compassion illustrates the redeeming power of love. Lageröf blends light storytelling with a serious moral message, so that readers are both amused and made to think about goodness, materialism and the dignity of every human being.
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.
ANSWERReferences to the man and what they suggest:• peddler / rattrap peddler / the man with the rattraps – his trade; a neutral, matter-of-fact description.• vagabond – his rootless, homeless wandering.• stranger – how he appears to the crofter, the ironmaster and Edla, who do not know him.• tramp – emphasises his poverty and low social standing.• ragamuffin / ragged fellow / strange fellow / poor vagabond – the blacksmiths’ and ironmaster’s contemptuous, dismissive attitude towards his dirty, ragged appearance.• intruder – suggests he is unwelcome in the forge.• Nils Olof / Captain von Stahle / old regimental comrade – the ironmaster’s mistaken, respectful identification.• guest – once he is taken home, indicating a change to courteous treatment.• thief / fellow – the ironmaster’s scorn after learning the truth.
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.
ANSWERFive other words for weary or laboured movement: trundle, shuffle, lumber, limp, drag (oneself), totter, plough (along) – (any five), e.g. shuffle, lumber, totter, limp, drag.
Noticing form
The textbook lists four sentences and explains the use of reflexive pronouns (pronoun + self): in “He made them himself” and “you yourself” the reflexive pronoun adds emphasis; in “He raised himself” and “He had let himself be fooled” it refers back to the same subject. The exercise asks you to pick out other examples and notice how they are used.
ANSWER – other examples of reflexive pronouns• “He took the money and thrust it into his own pocket.” (emphatic his own)• “as soon as anyone let himself be tempted” – reflexive, refers to the same subject.• “to think of people… who had let themselves be caught” – reflexive, same subject.• “he felt quite pleased with his smartness” / “he came in to warm themselves” – reflexive (warm themselves).• “The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor.” – reflexive, same subject.• “To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den.” – reflexive, same subject.• “the ironmaster… did not seem pleased” / “a day… when you yourself may want a big piece of pork” – emphatic.
Thinking about 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.
ANSWEROther ironworks terms used in the story: smelter, rolling mill, forge, furnace, anvil, pig iron, bellows, charcoal, iron bar, master smith / blacksmith, hammer strokes, iron mill, charcoal crates, smelting and the “glowing mass” stirred with a long iron bar.
2. Mjolis is a card game of Sweden. Name a few indoor games played in your region. ‘Chopar’ could be an example.
ANSWER(Sample) Popular indoor games in India include Chaupar/Chopar, Ludo, Carrom, Snakes and Ladders, chess (Shatranj), playing cards, Pachisi and Pallanguzhi. (Name games common in your own region.)
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.
ANSWEROther terms for a small farmer: peasant, smallholder, tiller, cultivator, sharecropper, tenant farmer, husbandman. In Indian languages: kisan (Hindi), krishak, raiyat / ryot, kaastkaar, khetihar. (Add equivalents from your own mother tongue.)
Extra questions
Short answer (30–40 words)
1. What kind of a life did the peddler lead?
ANSWERHe led a poor, homeless and lonely life, wandering the roads selling wire rattraps. As the trade barely fed him, he survived by begging and petty thieving; his ragged clothes, sunken cheeks and hungry eyes reflected his hard, joyless existence.
2. How did the peddler react when he got lost in the forest?
ANSWERAs he wandered in circles in the dark, confusing forest, he despaired and felt utterly trapped. Recalling his own theory, he realised he had been caught in the world’s rattrap, baited by the stolen money. Exhausted, he sank down, thinking his last hour had come.
3. Why did the ironmaster send his daughter to the forge?
ANSWERThe stranger had firmly refused the ironmaster’s repeated invitations. Hoping that his daughter Edla would have gentler and better powers of persuasion than himself, the ironmaster sent her, with a valet carrying a fur coat, to bring the supposed old comrade home for Christmas.
4. What was in the package the peddler left for Edla, and what did it contain?
ANSWERHe left a small rattrap as a Christmas present for Edla. Inside it lay the three wrinkled ten-kronor notes he had stolen from the crofter, along with a letter asking her to return the money to the old man and signing himself “Captain von Stahle”.
5. Why did the peddler refuse to go to the manor house at first?
ANSWERHe was carrying the stolen thirty kronor and feared discovery. Going to the manor as a supposed old comrade felt like walking into the lion’s den, where he might be unmasked as an impostor or thief. He preferred to sleep in the forge and slip away quietly.
Long answer (100–120 words)
6. “The world is a big rattrap.” How does the peddler’s philosophy reflect the central message of the story?
ANSWERThe peddler believes the world is a giant rattrap whose riches, comforts and joys are mere baits; the moment a person reaches for them, the trap snaps shut. His own theft of the crofter’s money proves the theory true – lured by the bait, he is trapped in the forest. Yet the story extends the metaphor to deliver its real message. While greed leads people into traps, love and kindness can free them. Edla’s selfless compassion awakens the goodness buried in the peddler and lifts him out of the trap, allowing him to return the money. Thus the rattrap philosophy underlines both the danger of materialism and the redeeming power of human kindness.
7. Compare and contrast the ironmaster and his daughter Edla as characters.
ANSWERThe ironmaster and Edla represent two very different kinds of kindness. The ironmaster is impulsive, status-conscious and shallow. He befriends the stranger only because he mistakes him for an old comrade, and turns harsh and threatening the moment he discovers his error, even mentioning the sheriff. His warmth depends entirely on the man’s supposed rank. Edla, however, is observant, gentle and genuinely humane. Sensing that the man may be a thief, she still treats him with dignity and insists he stay even after the truth is known, simply because she pities his lonely, hunted life. Her unconditional compassion, unlike her father’s conditional charity, ultimately reforms the peddler – showing that true kindness sees the human being, not the label.
8. How is “The Rattrap” narrated in the manner of a fairy tale, and what message does it convey?
ANSWERThe story opens with “Once upon a time”, a classic fairy-tale beginning, and follows a wandering, almost magical figure through a series of patterned events – a kind host betrayed, a dark enchanted forest, a case of mistaken identity, and a transformation at Christmas. Like a fairy tale, it relies on coincidence, moral contrast and a clear, uplifting ending in which goodness triumphs and the wrongdoer reforms. Beneath this simple surface lies a profound message: every human being, however fallen, carries essential goodness that can be awakened through understanding and love. By blending the charm of a folk tale with this humane philosophy, Lageröf makes her moral both memorable and moving.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. What did the peddler sell for a living?
(a) Iron tools (b) Wire rattraps (c) Cloth (d) Cards
2. The author of “The Rattrap” belonged to which country?
(a) England (b) Norway (c) Sweden (d) Denmark
3. How much money did the peddler steal from the crofter?
Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.
1. Assertion (A): The peddler thought of the whole world as a rattrap.
Reason (R): The world had been unkind to him, and the idea gave him a bitter, amusing way to think ill of it.
2. Assertion (A): The crofter showed the thirty kronor to the peddler.
Reason (R): He wanted the peddler to steal the money.
3. Assertion (A): The peddler refused the ironmaster’s invitation to the manor house.
Reason (R): He feared that he might be exposed as a thief or impostor.
4. Assertion (A): Edla continued to entertain the peddler even after learning he was a thief.
Reason (R): She had promised him Christmas cheer and pitied his lonely, hunted life.
5. Assertion (A): The peddler returned the stolen money to the crofter through Edla.
Reason (R): Edla’s kindness awakened the goodness in him and inspired him to reform.
Answer key: 1-(a) 2-(c) 3-(a) 4-(a) 5-(a)
Exam tips
Score better in “The Rattrap”
• Always explain the rattrap as an extended metaphor – baits of the material world that trap people – in theme and value-based questions.
• Distinguish clearly between the ironmaster’s conditional kindness and Edla’s unconditional compassion; this contrast is a favourite long-answer question.
• For the peddler’s transformation, link cause and effect: Edla’s trust → awakened goodness → return of money and the “Captain von Stahle” signature.
• Remember key facts – author Selma Lageröf (Sweden, first woman Nobel laureate in Literature), thirty kronor, Ramsöj Ironworks, the Christmas setting.
• Quote short phrases like “keep body and soul together” and “the world is a big rattrap” to add value, but write all answers in your own words.
FAQs
Who wrote “The Rattrap” and where is it set?
It was written by the Swedish Nobel laureate Selma Lageröf and is set amidst the iron-ore mines and ironworks of Sweden, narrated in the manner of a fairy tale.
What is the rattrap a metaphor for?
The rattrap symbolises the temptations of the material world – riches, comfort and status – which act as bait and trap human beings, just as cheese lures a rat into a trap.
How does the peddler change at the end of the story?
Moved by Edla’s unconditional kindness, the peddler reforms: he returns the stolen thirty kronor with a grateful letter and signs himself “Captain von Stahle”, showing that goodness has been awakened in him.
Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Flamingo textbook; summaries and answers are written originally by ClearStudy.
