NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 4 The Rattrap
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 4 The Rattrap
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 4 The Rattrap
This worksheet provides NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter The Rattrap from the Flamingo textbook. The chapter tells the story of a poor peddler who sells small wire rattraps and struggles to survive. Through a series of encounters with different people, the story shows how kindness and compassion can transform a person’s life. This worksheet presents complete and accurate NCERT Solutions that help students understand the lesson clearly. The answers follow the same order and structure as the NCERT exercises so that students can revise the chapter easily and prepare effectively for examinations.
Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes
The chapter The Rattrap by Selma Lagerlöf tells the story of a poor peddler who makes and sells wire rattraps to earn his living. While walking along the road, he imagines that the whole world is like a giant rattrap that traps people with temptations such as money and comfort. During his journey, he meets a lonely crofter who offers him hospitality, but the peddler betrays his trust and steals his money. Later he gets lost in the forest and realizes that he himself has been trapped by the temptations of the world. Eventually, the kindness shown by Edla Willmansson changes his heart, and he returns the stolen money. The story highlights themes of human weakness, compassion, forgiveness, and moral transformation.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
• Vocabulary development through expressions used in the story
• Reading comprehension based on events and characters
• Understanding themes such as temptation, kindness, and redemption
• Character analysis of the peddler, the crofter, the ironmaster, and Edla
• Observation of narrative style and literary metaphors
• Writing and discussion activities related to real-life experiences
How to use these NCERT solutions?
Students should first read the chapter carefully and attempt all the questions independently. After completing the exercises, they can use these NCERT Solutions to check their answers and improve their understanding. Teachers and parents can also use these solutions to guide students in interpreting the story and explaining its deeper meaning. Since the answers follow the same sequence as the NCERT exercises, they help students revise the chapter systematically and prepare well for examinations.
Student tips & learning tricks
• Focus on the central metaphor of the world being compared to a rattrap.
• Understand the different characters and how they react to the peddler.
• Pay attention to how kindness influences the peddler’s transformation.
• While answering questions, explain both the event and the lesson learned from it.
• Remember that the story teaches the importance of compassion and forgiveness.
Why NCERT solutions are important?
NCERT Solutions help students understand textbook questions in a clear and structured way. They guide learners in writing answers according to the format expected in examinations. These solutions also help students revise important themes, vocabulary, and character analysis from the chapter. By practicing with NCERT-aligned answers, students develop confidence and improve their performance in assessments.
Complete answer key – NCERT solutions
Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context
Keep body and soul together
Meaning: To earn enough money to survive or live a basic life.
Hunger gleamed in his eyes
Meaning: His eyes clearly showed that he was extremely hungry.
Plods along the road
Meaning: Walks slowly and wearily because of tiredness or hardship.
Unwonted joy
Meaning: An unusual or unexpected feeling of happiness.
Impenetrable prison
Meaning: A place from which it is impossible to escape.
Nodded a haughty consent
Meaning: Agreed in a proud or arrogant manner without speaking.
Eased his way
Meaning: Moved slowly and carefully into a place.
Fallen into a line of thought
Meaning: Began thinking deeply about something.
Things have gone downhill
Meaning: Life or situation has become worse.
Think as you read (Page 34)
1. The peddler was thinking about his own rattraps while walking along the road. Suddenly he realized that the world also works like a giant rattrap that tempts people with riches and comforts and traps them when they give in to these temptations.
2. He found the idea amusing because life had always been harsh to him. Thinking that the whole world was a trap for people gave him a strange satisfaction and allowed him to mock others who fell into worldly temptations.
3. No, the peddler did not expect such kindness. Usually people treated him with suspicion or chased him away, so he was surprised when the crofter welcomed him warmly and shared food and company.
4. The crofter lived alone without family and felt very lonely. Therefore, he was happy to have someone to talk to and treated the peddler with warmth and generosity.
5. The crofter showed the money to prove that his cow earned him a good income. He wanted to convince the peddler that he was telling the truth about the payment he received.
6. No, the peddler betrayed the crofter’s trust. After leaving the house, he returned, broke the window, and stole the thirty kronor.
Think as you read (Page 37)
1. When he got lost in the forest after stealing the money, he realized that he had been tempted by the bait just like others. This made him feel that he himself had been trapped in the world’s rattrap.
2. The ironmaster mistakenly thought that the peddler was his old acquaintance, Captain von Stahle. Believing him to be a former officer who had fallen on hard times, he treated him kindly and invited him home for Christmas.
3. The peddler refused because he was afraid of being exposed as a thief. He had stolen money and feared that going to the ironmaster’s house would lead to trouble.
Think as you read (Page 41)
1. The peddler accepted Edla’s invitation because she spoke kindly and compassionately to him. Her sincere and friendly manner made him trust her.
2. Edla suspected that the man might be a thief or someone who had escaped from jail. However, she still treated him kindly and with sympathy.
3. The ironmaster realized his mistake the next morning in daylight when the peddler was cleaned and dressed. He then clearly saw that the man was not his old acquaintance.
4. The peddler explained that he had never pretended to be someone else. He had only asked permission to stay in the forge and had not claimed to be the captain.
5. Edla felt sympathy for the lonely and poor man who had nowhere to go. She believed that everyone deserved kindness and wanted him to experience a peaceful Christmas.
Think as you read (Page 41)
1. Edla was happy because the gift showed that the peddler had changed his behaviour. He returned the thirty kronor he had stolen from the crofter and left a rattrap along with a letter thanking her for her kindness.
2. The peddler signed the letter as Captain von Stahle because Edla had treated him with respect and dignity as if he were a real captain. By using that name, he humorously showed that her kindness had helped him rise above his dishonest behaviour and regain his self-respect.
Understanding the text
1. The peddler initially misuses the crofter’s kindness by stealing his money. When the ironmaster invites him home, he suspects that it is another trap. However, Edla’s genuine kindness makes him realise that goodness still exists in the world, which eventually changes his behaviour.
2. The ironmaster is practical and somewhat proud. He invites the peddler home mainly because he thinks he is an old acquaintance. When he discovers the truth, he becomes angry and wants to send him away. In contrast, Edla is compassionate and kind. Even after learning that the peddler is a thief, she insists that he stay and enjoy Christmas peacefully.
3. The crofter unexpectedly welcomes the peddler warmly. The ironmaster invites him home thinking he is someone else. Edla surprises everyone by defending the peddler even after knowing the truth. Finally, the peddler surprises everyone by returning the stolen money and leaving a gift.
4. Edla’s kindness and trust deeply moved the peddler. For the first time in his life, someone treated him with respect and dignity. This awakened the goodness within him and made him return the stolen money.
5. The metaphor of the rattrap suggests that the world offers temptations like wealth and comfort, which trap people when they give in to them. It represents human weakness and the danger of falling into dishonest actions.
6. The peddler’s humorous way of describing the world as a rattrap adds a playful tone to the story. His witty letter at the end also shows his humour. This humour balances the serious theme of human weakness and redemption.
Talking about the text
1. The reader feels sympathy for the peddler because he is extremely poor, lonely, and forced to live by begging and selling small rattraps. His miserable condition makes readers understand his struggles. Although he steals money, his actions are influenced by hardship and desperation. Later, his transformation and honesty justify the reader’s sympathy.
2. Many characters in the story suffer from loneliness. The crofter lives alone and eagerly talks to the peddler. The ironmaster and his daughter also feel lonely during Christmas and want company. The peddler himself has no home or family. The story shows that kindness and human connection can bring comfort and change people’s lives.
3. Yes, many real-life incidents show how kindness can change a person. For example, when someone helps a homeless person by providing food or shelter, it can restore their faith in humanity. Such acts often inspire people to become better and more honest.
4. The story is entertaining because of its interesting plot, unexpected events, and humorous ideas such as the world being compared to a rattrap. At the same time, it is philosophical because it explores deep ideas about human nature, temptation, kindness, and redemption.
Working with words
1. Some terms used for the peddler include:
Peddler – Shows his occupation as a seller of rattraps.
Stranger – Indicates that he is unknown to the people he meets.
Vagabond – Suggests that he is a homeless wanderer.
Tramp – Shows his poor and wandering lifestyle.
Ragamuffin – Describes his dirty and shabby appearance.
Guest – Used when he is welcomed into the ironmaster’s house.
Captain von Stahle – The false identity given to him by the ironmaster.
These labels reflect how society views him—from suspicion and pity to respect.
2. Five similar words are:
Shuffle – walk slowly dragging the feet
Limp – walk with difficulty due to weakness or injury
Stumble – walk unsteadily or trip
Totter – walk with shaky steps
Drag – walk slowly with great effort
Noticing form
He made them himself at odd moments.
He raised himself from the ground.
He had let himself be fooled by the bait.
You yourself may want to get a big piece of pork.
Reflexive pronouns such as himself, yourself, myself are used to emphasize the subject or show that the action refers back to the subject.
Thinking about language
Examples from the story include:
Forge
Furnace
Pig iron
Bellows
Anvil
Charcoal
Iron mill
These terms describe the machinery and environment of an iron factory.
Explore literature concepts clearly with NCERT Solutions designed to help Class 12 English students understand stories, themes, and exam answers with confidence.