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Class -12th, Flaming, The Rattrap (Lesson & Explanation), Once upon a time there was a man who went around selling small rattraps of wire. He made them himself at odd moments, from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. Even so, his clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes., Odd Moments: A short period of free time., Sunken: lowered, Gleamed: Shone, Once there was a man who used to sell small rattraps made of wire. These rattraps were made by him in his free time. He used to collect the material required by begging from stores or big farms. Still his business was not earning him any profits. Therefore, he had to beg or steal in order to survive. His clothes were old and torn. His cheeks were lowered inside due to malnutrition and one could easily see the hunger in his eyes., No one can imagine how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a vagabond, who plods along the road, left to his own meditations. But one day this man had fallen into a line of thought, which really seemed to him entertaining., Monotonous: boring, Vagabond: wanderer Plods: walks heavily, The life of the rattrap seller was very sad and boring. He was homeless and slowly, with heavy feet, he walked along the road, lost in his own thoughts. But one day he got lost in a series of thoughts which he found very interesting., He had naturally been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world about him — the whole world with its lands and seas, its cities and villages — was nothing but a big rattrap. It had never existed for any other purpose than to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing, exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork, and as soon as anyone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end., Bait: Food placed on a hook to trap a rat, here it is referred to the comforts of life, which is offered to trap someone Tempted: convinced, The man was thinking about the rattrap and suddenly, a thought came to his mind that the whole world which includes land, sea, cities and villages was similar to a rattrap. He thought that there was no meaning of the existence of this world. It was nothing but a temptation, just like cheese and pork which we offer as bait to catch the rat. So according to him, as soon as someone tries to comfort himself with joy, food and shelter he at once gets trapped into this rattrap which is known as ‘world’., The world had, of course, never been very kind to him, so it gave him unusual joy to think ill of it in this way. It became a cherished pastime of his, during many dreary ploddings, 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., Cherished: to love, protect, Dreary: dull, Ploddings: walk heavily Snare: trap, No one in the world had ever been kind to the rattrap seller. So, he started thinking ill of others. It became a favorite pastime for him. During dull moments, these thoughts made him happy. So, he continued with thinking ill of those who were known to him. He would imagine those people who were already trapped in the rattrap of worldly things and also those who were about to get trapped in it., One dark evening as he was trudging along the road he caught sight of a little gray cottage by the roadside, and he knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. Nor was he refused. Instead of the sour faces which ordinarily met him, the owner, who was an old man without wife or child, was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. Immediately he put the porridge pot on the fire and gave him supper; then he carved off such a big slice from his tobacco roll that it was enough both for the stranger’s pipe and his own. Finally he got out an old pack of cards and played ‘mjolis’ with his guest until bedtime., Trudging: walking slowly, Carved off: to divide something into parts mjolis: a game played with playing cards, One evening the rattrap seller was walking very slowly. He saw a little gray cottage which stood by the road. He went up to the cottage and knocked at the door so as to get shelter for the night. Generally he was not helped by anyone but this time he was welcomed by the old man into his cottage. He was a lonely old man without wife and kids. The old man was happy to get company that night. So, the old man gave him some porridge to eat and then shared his tobacco with the guest. After this, both played cards till bedtime., The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco. The guest was informed at once that in his days of prosperity his host had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks and had worked on the land. Now that he was no longer able to do day labour, it was his cow which supported him. Yes, that bossy was extraordinary. She could give milk for the creamery every day, and last month he had received all of thirty kronor in payment., Generous: liberal, Confidences: Secrets, Prosperity: riches, Crofter: A person who works on a rented farm, Bossy: Latin word ‘bos’ used for a cow, Creamery: A factory that produces cheese and cream, Kronor: Currency of Sweden, The rattrap seller felt that the old man was not only liberal in sharing his porridge but also his secrets. He tells him that he was a rich man when he used to work on the rented farm. As he was old now and couldn’t work, so, he had to depend upon his cow for his living. The cow gave enough milk everyday to be sold in the factory that produced cheese and cream. The old man said that he was able to earn thirty kronors last month because of the cow’s milk., The stranger must have seemed incredulous, for the old man got up and went to the window, took down a leather pouch which hung on a nail in the very window frame, and picked out three wrinkled ten-kronor bills. These he held up before the eyes of his guest, nodding knowingly, and then stuffed them back into the pouch., Incredulous: unbelieving, Stuffed: to fill up with something, The rattrap seller did not believe the old man’s words that a cow could earn him so much. Therefore, the old man took a leather pouch which hung on a window and took out three notes of ten kronor each which were old and crushed. He showed those currency notes to make him believe his words and then kept them back in the pouch., The next day both men got up in good season. The crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow, and the other man probably thought he should not stay in bed when the head of the house had gotten up. They left the cottage at the same time. The crofter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. The man with the rattraps said goodbye and thank you, and thereupon each went his own way., In a good season: early enough, Next morning, both the rattrap seller and the crofter woke up early as the crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow. Even the rattrap seller felt that as the owner of the house had awakened, so he should also leave the bed. They both came out of the cottage at the same time. The old man locked the door and went to his work. The rattrap seller also thanked him and went his own way., But half an hour later the rattrap peddler stood again before the door. He did not try to get in, however. He only went up to the window, smashed a pane, stuck in his hand, and got hold of the pouch with the thirty kronor. He took the money and thrust it into his own pocket. Then he hung the leather pouch very carefully back in its place and went away., Peddler: seller, Smashed: badly broken, After about half an hour the rattrap seller returned to the cottage and he broke down the window pane where the pouch hung. He took away the money, kept it in his pocket, put the pouch back at its place and walked off., As he walked along with the money in his pocket he felt quite pleased with his smartness. He realised, of course, that at first he dared not continue on the public highway, but must turn off the road, into the woods. During the first hours this caused him no difficulty. Later in the day it became worse, for it was a big and confusing forest which he had gotten into. He tried, to be sure, to walk in a definite direction, but the paths twisted back and forth so strangely! He walked and walked without coming to the end of the wood, and finally he realised that he had only been walking around in the same part of the forest., All at once he recalled his thoughts about the world and the rattrap. Now his own turn had come. He had let himself be fooled by a bait and had been caught. The whole forest, with its trunks and branches, its thickets and fallen logs, closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison from which he could never escape., Thickets: A dense group of bushes, Impenetrable: impassable, The peddler was quite happy as he had money in his pocket. He then thought of walking through the forest as it was unsafe to walk on the highway because he feared being caught. So, initially it was not difficult to walk through the forest but later on it got confusing for him as he forgot his way. He tried hard to walk in the right direction but in vain as he found himself at the same place again and again. At this point of time he started thinking that now he himself was caught in the trap of the world just like other people. He was fooled by the bait of money which he had stolen from the old man’s house. The forest seemed like a prison full of trunks and branches. It was like an impassable prison., It was late in December. Darkness was already descending over the forest. This increased the danger, and increased also his gloom and despair. Finally he saw no way out, and he sank down on the ground, tired to death, thinking that his last moment had come. But just as he laid his head on the ground, he heard a sound—a hard regular thumping. There was no doubt as to what that was. He raised himself. ‘‘Those are the hammer strokes from an iron mill’’, he thought. ‘‘There must be people nearby’’. He summoned all his strength, got up, and staggered in the direction of the sound., Gloom: dark, Despair: hopelessness, Thumping: the sound of some heavy object beating, Summoned: gathered, Stagger: To walk with difficulty, As it was the month of December, it got dark early. As it got dark, his hope of escaping the forest reduced. The danger to his life increased and so did his feeling of being hopeless. There was no way left for him. So, he sat on the ground and was so tired and terrified that he thought this was his last moment and soon he would die. As he laid his head on the ground, he heard a very strong regular sound. It was a hard sound that was coming at the regular intervals. He soon realized that these sounds were the sounds of hammer strokes from an iron mill. He thought that he could find some people nearby. With this thought, he gathered some strength and started walking with great difficulty, towards the direction of the sound., The Ramsjo Ironworks, which are now closed down, were, not so long ago, a large plant, with smelter, rolling mill, and forge. In the summertime long lines of heavily loaded barges and scows slid down the canal, which led to a large inland lake, and in the wintertime the roads near the mill were black from all the coal dust which sifted down from the big charcoal crates., Forge: A shop where metal is heated, Barge: a long flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers., Scow: a flat-bottomed boat used for transporting cargo to and from ships in harbor., sifted: descended lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve Smelter:A machine in which metal is melted to form into a shape Rolling mill: machine to roll metal into sheets, The Ramsjo Ironworks was a large plant which had shut down few years ago. It had smelter, rolling mill and a forge. In summers, long, flat bottomed boats carrying the material would come down the canal which led to a large inland lake for supplying material to the mill and in winters, the roads turned black because of the coal dust that came along due to the transportation of the charcoal crates., During one of the long dark evenings just before Christmas, the master smith and his helper sat in the dark forge near the furnace waiting for the crude iron, which had been put in the fire, to be ready to put on the anvil. Every now and then one of them got up to stir the glowing mass with a long iron bar, returning in a few moments, dripping with perspiration, though, as was the custom, he wore nothing but a long shirt and a pair of wooden shoes., Anvil: a heavy iron block with a flat top and concave sides, Perspiration: sweat, On one long,dark evening near Christmas time, the master Smith and his helper were sitting in the dark forge which was built near the furnace. He was wearing a long shirt and a pair of wooden shoes. Both of them were waiting for the pig iron which was put inside the furnace fire to be ready to put onto the anvil. (Anvil is a heavy block with flat top which is used to shape the metals.) They took turns to stir the liquid which was very hot. As they could bear the heat for a few minutes, each of them would return, sweating profusely., All the time there were many sounds to be heard in the forge. The big bellows groaned and the burning coal cracked. The fire boy shoveled charcoal into the maw of the furnace with a great deal of clatter. Outside roared the waterfall, and a sharp north wind whipped the rain against the brick-tiled roof., Bellows: air bag that emits a stream of air used for blowing air into a fire., Shoveled: move, Maw: jaws, Clatter: bang, Whipped: beaten with a whip, here to hit something, One could hear different types of sounds in the forge. There was a big bellow which was blowing air in the fire with great sound. Also, there was the sound of cracking coal. One could also hear the bang of the charcoal which was being shoveled by the fire boy. The sounds which were coming from outside the mill. These were of the waterfall, the high speed north wind which hit the raindrops against the brick tiled roof., It was probably on account of all this noise that the blacksmith did not notice that a man had opened the gate and entered the forge, until he stood close up to the furnace., It was due to these different types of sounds that the blacksmith didn’t realize that a man had opened the gate of the forge and had entered, till he came and stood near the furnace., Surely it was nothing unusual for poor vagabonds without any better shelter for the night to be attracted to the forge by the glow of light which escaped through the sooty panes, and to come in to warm themselves in front of the fire. The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder. He looked the way people of his type usually did, with a long beard, dirty, ragged, and with a bunch of rattraps dangling on his chest., Sooty panes: window panes covered in soot ( black powder produced when coal, wood etc is burned., Many homeless people used to get attracted to the lights of the forge which peeked through the window panes which were covered with the black powder of burnt coal.They would seek shelter there. They would warm themselves with the help of the burning fire. As the blacksmiths were accustomed to visitors, they were indifferent to the man. They just looked at him. The rattrap seller’s appearance was similar to that of other wanderers. He had a long beard, was dirty, wore old worn out clothes and had a bunch of rattraps hanging from his chest., He asked permission to stay, and the master blacksmith nodded a haughty consent without honoring him with a single word., Haughty: arrogant, The peddler tried to seek permission from the blacksmith so that he could stay in the forge for a night. He allowed the peddler with an arrogant consent by just nodding and didn’t say a single word to him., The tramp did not say anything, either. He had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep. In those days the Ramsjo iron mill was owned by a very prominent ironmaster, whose greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market. He watched both night and day to see that the work was done as well as possible, and at this very moment he came into the forge on one of his nightly rounds of inspection., Prominent: Important, Tramp: vagabond, wanderer, The peddler also said nothing because his main aim was to warm himself and sleep. The owner of the Ramsjo iron mill in those days was a very ambitious person whose aim was to sell only the finest iron into the market. Therefore, he used to keep a check on the workers both during the night and the day. The owner was on a night inspection visit when the peddler entered the forge., Naturally the first thing he saw was the tall ragamuffin who had eased his way so close to the furnace that steam rose from his wet rags. The ironmaster did not follow the example of the blacksmiths, who had hardly deigned to look at the stranger. He walked close up to him, looked him over very carefully, and then tore off his slouch hat to get a better view of his face., Ragamuffin: A person in rags, Deigned: do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity Slouch hat: hat bend on one side of the head., Unlike the blacksmiths, the ironmaster at once noticed the peddler who was sitting so close to the furnace that steam was coming out of his torn clothes. He not only went near him but also removed the wanderer’s hat that was bent to one side so that he could see the man’s face clearly., ‘‘But of course it is you, Nils Olof!’’ he said. “How you do look!” The man with the rattraps had never before seen the ironmaster at Ramsjo and did not even know what his name was. But it occurred to him that if the fine gentleman thought he was an old acquaintance, he might perhaps throw him a couple of kronor. Therefore he did not want to undeceive him all at once., Acquaintance: associate, Undeceive: to tell someone that his belief is mistaken, When the iron master took off the peddler’s hat, he mistook him as an old acquaintance- Nils Olof. The peddler didn’t know him nor had he seen this man before. But he thought that if this man mistook him as his old companion and gave him some money out of pity, then it would be a good thing. Therefore, he didn’t let him know that he had mistaken him as Nils Olof., ‘‘Yes, God knows things have gone downhill with me’’, he said. ‘‘You should not have resigned from the regiment’’, said the ironmaster. ‘‘That was the mistake. If only I had still been in the service at the time, it never would have happened. Well, now of course you will come home with me.’’, Downhill: worst, Regiment: unit in the army or defence forces, So, the peddler started a conversation with the iron master by saying that things didn’t went well with him. To this, the iron master replied that he had made a big mistake by leaving the regiment. He also added that if he would have been working in the regiment when he resigned, he wouldn’t have let him do so. Later on he invited him to his home., To go along up to the manor house and be received by the owner like an old regimental comrade — that, however, did not please the tramp. ‘No, I couldn’t think of it!’’ he said, looking quite alarmed. He thought of the thirty kronor. To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He only wanted a chance to sleep here in the forge and then sneak away as inconspicuously as possible, Manor house: A large country house, Comrade: A fellow soldier, Alarmed: Frighten, Inconspicuously: invisible or which is not noticeable, The rattrap seller didn’t find it to be a good idea to visit the iron master’s place. He was frightened with the idea of visiting to the large house of an old soldier which according to him was not safe. After all he had the stolen money with him. He didn’t want to put himself in danger. His intentions were to sleep in the forge and then go away from there without even being noticed., The ironmaster assumed that he felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing., ‘‘Please don’t think that I have such a fine home that you cannot show yourself there’’, He said... ‘‘Elizabeth is dead, as you may already have heard. My boys are abroad, and there is no one at home except my oldest daughter and myself. We were just saying that it was too bad we didn’t have any company for Christmas. Now come along with me and help us make the Christmas food disappear a little faster.”, The iron master was aware of his friend’s miserable condition. So he tried to make him comfortable by saying that he should feel free to come his home as his home was an ordinary one. He told him that his wife was no more and added that he must be aware of this. Then he let him know that both his sons were settled abroad. Only he and his daughter were left at home. He invited him to celebrate Christmas with his family. So, that he and his daughter may have some good company at the Christmas feast., But the stranger said no, and no, and again no, and the ironmaster saw that he must give in. ‘‘It looks as though Captain von Stahle preferred to stay with you tonight, Stjernstrom’’, he said to the master blacksmith, and turned on his heel., Though the ironmaster made many attempts to invite him, the peddler didn’t accept his invitation. So, at last he says to the blacksmith, Stjernstrom that it seemed that Captain Von Stahle (peddler) wanted to stay with him in the forge., But he laughed to himself as he went away, and the blacksmith, who knew him, understood very well that he had not said his last word., Then he laughed and went away. But the blacksmith knew that he was hiding something., It was not more than half an hour before they heard the sound of carriage wheels outside the forge, and a new guest came in, but this time it was not the ironmaster. He had sent his daughter, apparently hoping that she would have better powers of persuasion than he himself., After a gap of half an hour, the ironmaster sent his daughter. He hoped that his daughter may bring his friend home as he believed that she was better in persuading others., She entered, followed by a valet, carrying on his arm a big fur coat. She was not at all pretty, but seemed modest and quite shy. In the forge everything was just as it had been earlier in the evening. The master blacksmith and his apprentice still sat on their bench, and iron and charcoal still glowed in the furnace. The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor and lay with a piece of pig iron under his head and his hat pulled down over his eyes. As soon as the young girl caught sight of him, she went up and lifted his hat. The man was evidently used to sleeping with one eye open. He jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened., Valet: personal attendant, Modest: humble, Apprentice: learner, The iron master’s daughter entered the mill with her attendant who was carrying a big fur coat. She was a humble girl who was very shy. When she entered, everyone was busy the same way as they had been earlier. The blacksmith was still sitting on the bench with his trainees and was working on the iron. She went up to the peddler and lifted his hat. The peddler slept with one eye open and as soos as he saw her, he got shocked and jumped up., ‘‘My name is Edla Willmansson,’’ said the young girl. ‘‘My father came home and said that you wanted to sleep here in the forge tonight, and then I asked permission to come and bring you home to us. I am so sorry, Captain, that you are having such a hard time.’’, She introduced herself as Edla Williamson and was sorry to hear about the hard times that he was facing. She explained to him that she had come to take him home with her father’s permission., She looked at him compassionately, with her heavy eyes, and then she noticed that the man was afraid. ‘‘Either he has stolen something or else he has escaped from, jail’’, she thought, and added quickly, “You may be sure, Captain, that you will be allowed to leave us just as freely as you came. Only please stay with us over Christmas Eve.’’, Compassionately: showing sympathy for others, Edla had sympathy for the peddler. But then she noticed that the reason behind his fear could be that either he had committed robbery or jailbreak. So, she said that he was free to leave their house at any time but she wanted him to stay with the family just for Christmas Eve., She said this in such a friendly manner that the rattrap peddler must have felt confidence in her. ‘‘It would never have occurred to me that you would bother with me yourself, miss,’’ he said. ‘’I will come at once.’’, Edla was talking to peddler in a very nice way which made him believe her and he got ready to go with her., He accepted the fur coat, which the valet handed him with a deep bow, threw it over his rags, and followed the young lady out to the carriage, without granting the astonished blacksmiths so much as a glance. But while he was riding up to the manor house he had evil forebodings., Astonished: greatly surprised Forebodings: a foretelling, The peddler wore the fur coat offered by the valet and started following the lady. He didn’t even bother to notice the other people in the room. On the way to the house, the peddler felt that as he had committed a crime, he would be punished for it., ‘‘Why the devil did I take that fellow’s money?’’ he thought. ‘‘Now I am sitting in the trap and will never get out of it.’, He started cursing himself that if he had not stolen the money, he would not have got trapped like this. The money was a bait which had led him into a trap., The next day was Christmas Eve, and when the ironmaster came into the dining room for breakfast he probably thought with satisfaction of his old regimental comrade whom he had run across so unexpectedly.“First of all we must see to it that he gets a little flesh on his bones,” he said to his daughter, who was busy at the table. “And then we must see that he gets something else to do than to run around the country selling rattraps.”, Flesh on his bones: here it means that the seller should eat good food to gain some flesh on his body, The next day was Christmas Eve, both the ironmaster and his daughter were at the dining table. The ironmaster said to his daughter that they had to do something good for the peddler and should try to find some better job for him., “It is queer that things have gone downhill with him as badly as that,” said the daughter. “Last night I did not think there was anything about him to show that he had once been an educated man.” “You must have patience, my little girl,” said the father. “As soon as he gets clean and dressed up, you will see something different. Last night he was naturally embarrassed. The tramp manners will fall away from him with the tramp clothes.”, Queer: strange, Embarrassed: awkward, shy, The iron master’s daughter said that it was strange to see that the peddler had been in such hard times and was doubtful whether the man had been educated. Hearing this, the ironmaster clarified that it was due to his bad condition. He also added that the man would behave differently after getting clean and dressed up., Just as he said this the door opened and the stranger entered. Yes, now he was truly clean and well dressed. The valet had bathed him, cut his hair, and shaved him. Moreover he was dressed in a good-looking suit of clothes which belonged to the ironmaster. He wore a white shirt and a starched collar and whole shoes., Starched collar: Starch is the stuff that makes your shirt collar look crisp and fresh. Whole shoes: Proper fitted shoes, While both father - daughter were discussing about the peddler, he entered the room with the valet. He was looking clean as he had bathed and his hair had been cut by the valet. He was wearing the ironmaster’s clothes and shoes - a shirt with a starched collar and shoes which covered the entire feet., But although his guest was now so well groomed, the ironmaster did not seem pleased. He looked at him with puckered brow, and it was easy to understand that when he had seen the strange fellow in the uncertain reflection from the furnace he might have made a mistake, but that now, when he stood there in broad daylight, it was impossible to mistake him for an old acquaintance. “What does this mean?” he thundered. The stranger made no attempt to dissimulate. He saw at once that the splendor had come to an end., Groomed: ready, Puckered: wrinkle, Dissimulate: pretend, Splendor: luxury, Thundered: make a loud noise, The ironmaster seemed very angry to see his well groomed guest as now he could make out his appearance well and realized that he was not his comrade. He understood that he mistook some stranger as his old friend. He screamed at him and asked him to explain. The peddler knew that the iron master could make out that he was not his old friend. As he already knew this, he was ready for the consequences and felt that the luxurious treatment was about to end., “It is not my fault, sir,” he said. “I never pretended to be anything but a poor trader, and I pleaded and begged to be allowed to stay in the forge. But no harm has been done. At worst I, can put on my rags again and go away”. “Well,” said the ironmaster, hesitating a little, “it was not quite honest, either. You must admit that, and I should not be surprised if the sheriff would like to have something to say in the matter.”, Hesitating: to be reluctant, Sheriff: chief executive officer of crown (in England), The peddler tried to explain that he should not be blamed. He said that he was just begging for a stay in the forge. He also said that he had not harmed anyone and was ready to wear his rags again. To this, the ironmaster hesitated and said that the peddler had not been quite honest and so, he wanted to call the sheriff., The tramp took a step forward and struck the table with his fist. “Now I am going to tell you, Mr. Ironmaster, how things are,” he said. “This whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All the good things that are offered to you are nothing but cheese rinds and bits of pork, set out to drag a poor fellow into trouble. And if the sheriff comes now and locks me up for this, then you, Mr. Ironmaster, must remember that a day may come when you yourself may want to get a big piece of pork, and then you will get caught in the trap.”, Fist: A person’s hand bent, The rattrap seller gets so enraged upon hearing about the sheriff, that he struck the table very hard with his fist. He said that this world is a rattrap and all the good things are a bait just like the rinds of cheese and the small pieces of pork are a bait for the rat which are offered to trap it. Not only this, he also pointed out to the ironmaster that he may today be imprisoned by the sheriff but one day, the ironmaster will also get trapped like this., The ironmaster began to laugh. “That was not so badly said, my good fellow. Perhaps we should let the sheriff alone on Christmas Eve. But now get out of here as fast as you can.”, The iron master didn’t like the peddler’s words and decided not to call the sheriff. He asked the peddler to leave at once., But just as the man was opening the door, the daughter said, “I think he ought to stay with us today. I don’t want him to go.” And with that she went and closed the door. “What in the world are you doing?” said the father. The daughter stood there quite embarrassed and hardly knew what to answer. That morning she had felt so happy when she thought how homelike and Christmassy she was going to make things for the poor hungry wretch. She could not get away from the idea all at once, and that was why she had interceded for the vagabond., Wretch: miserable person, Interceded: intervened, The iron master’s daughter stopped the peddler. She wanted to help the poor fellow. Since morning, she was planning how she could make the peddler’s day happy on the occasion of Christmas. Therefore, she went against her father’s will and stopped him by closing the door., “I am thinking of this stranger here,” said the young girl. “He walks and walks the whole year long, and there is probably not a single place in the whole country where he is welcome and can feel at home. Wherever he turns he is chased away. Always he is afraid of being arrested and cross-examined. I should like to have him enjoy a day of peace with us here — just one in the whole year.” The ironmaster mumbled something in his beard. He could not bring himself to oppose her. “It was all a mistake, of course,” she continued. “But anyway I don’t think we ought to chase away a human being whom we have asked to come here, and to whom we have promised Christmas cheer.”, She tried to explain the difficulties faced by the peddler. She said that he didn’t have any house. He was turned out from wherever he went and he always kept on running in order to safeguard himself from being arrested. She said that she wanted him to enjoy Christmas with peace as they had promised him. They should not send away a man on Christmas, the man whom they had promised happiness on the day. The iron master was not able to find an answer to go against his daughter., “You do preach worse than a parson,” said the ironmaster. “I only hope you won’t have to regret this.” The young girl took the stranger by the hand and led him up to the table., “Now sit down and eat,” she said, for she could see that her father had given in., Preach: advice, Parson: Churchman, The only thing he could say to his daughter was that she was trying good at convincing others - better than the priest at the church. But he also warned her that hopefully, her decision would not bring any adverse effect on them. The girl took the peddler to the table and offered him food. She saw that her father had consented to her wish., The man with the rattraps said not a word; he only sat down and helped himself to the food. Time after time he looked at the young girl who had interceded for him. Why had she done it? What could the crazy idea be?, The peddler didn’t say any word and started eating. Though he was doubtful about her intentions and was wondering why she stopped him., After that, Christmas Eve at Ramsjo passed just as it always had. The stranger did not cause any trouble because he did nothing but sleep. The whole forenoon he lay on the sofa in one of the guest rooms and slept at one stretch. At noon they woke him up so that he could have his share of the good Christmas fare, but after that he slept again. It seemed as though for many years he had not been able to sleep as quietly and safely as here at Ramsjo., The peddler went to sleep after having food. He did not cause harm to anyone and lay down on the sofa in the guest house. He was once woken up in the afternoon but after having his lunch he again went to sleep. It was like as if he had never got the chance to sleep so peacefully as he had got at this place., In the evening, when the Christmas tree was lighted, they woke him up again, and he stood for a while in the drawing room, blinking as though the candlelight hurt him, but after that he disappeared again. Two hours later he was aroused once more. He then had to go down into the dining room and eat the Christmas fish and porridge., In the evening, the family woke him as they had to light up the Christmas tree. He stood there blinking as if he was getting hurt by the bright light of the candles. He again went to sleep. Finally they called him again for the dinner of Christmas fish and porridge., As soon as they got up from the table he went around to each one present and said thank you and good night, but when he came to the young girl she gave him to understand that it was her father’s intention that the suit which he wore was to be a Christmas present — he did not have to return it; and if he wanted to spend next Christmas Eve in a place where he could rest in peace, and be sure that no evil would befall him, he would be welcomed back again., After the dinner was over, the peddler thanked everyone present. The ironmaster’s daughter said that the clothes which were given to him were a Christmas present from her father. So, he could carry them with him. She even invited the peddler to be with her family for the next Christmas Eve and promised that nothing bad would happen to him., The man with the rattraps did not answer anything to this. He only stared at the young girl in boundless amazement. The next morning the ironmaster and his daughter got up in good season to go to the early Christmas service. Their guest was still asleep, and they did not disturb him., Boundless: limitless, Amazement: wonder, The peddler did not have an answer for this and stared at the girl with wonder. Next day both ironmaster and his daughter went for the Christmas service early in the morning. They didn’t disturb their guest as he was asleep., When, at about ten o’clock, they drove back from the church, the young girl sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual. At church she had learned that one of the old crofters of the ironworks had been robbed by a man who went around selling rattraps. “Yes, that was a fine fellow you let into the house,” said her father. “I only wonder how many silver spoons are left in the cupboard by this time.”, Dejected: sad, Both iron master and his daughter had come to know that a rattrap seller had stolen money from the old crofter. They realized that he was the same man whom they had over as a guest. The ironmaster said that it was his daughter who insisted to give shelter to a thief and was wondering that how many silver spoons had been stolen by him., The wagon had hardly stopped at the front steps when the ironmaster asked the valet whether the stranger was still there. He added that he had heard at church that the man was a thief. The valet answered that the fellow had gone and that he had not taken anything with him at all. On the contrary, he had left behind a little package which Miss Willmansson was to be kind enough to accept as a Christmas present., The ironmaster, on reaching home enquired about the peddler from the valet. He also told him that he was a thief. To his surprise, the valet told him that the peddler, instead of taking something had left a small Christmas gift for Miss Willmansson., The young girl opened the package, which was so badly done up that the contents came into view at once. She gave a little cry of joy. She found a small rattrap, and in it lay three wrinkled ten kronor notes. But that was not all. In the rattrap lay also a letter written in large, jagged characters —, “Honoured and noble Miss, “Since you have been so nice to me all day long, as if I was a captain, I want to be nice to you, in return, as if I was a real captain — for I do not want you to be embarrassed at this Christmas season by a thief; but you can give back the money to the old man on the roadside, who has the money pouch hanging on the window frame as a bait for poor wanderers. “The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself.“Written with friendship and high regard,, “Captain von Stahle.”, The ironmaster’s daughter opened the gift. It was so roughly packed that she could easily guess what was inside the pack. Apart from a rattrap and three kronor notes, there was a letter. The peddler had thanked his host who had taken care of him as if he was a real captain. In return, he gifted her a rattrap and also requested her to return the stolen money to the old man. He said that it was she who let him free from the rattrap by raising his status from that of a mere peddler to that of a Captain. At last, he undersigned as Captain Von Stahle., QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED, THINK AS YOU READ, Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?, Ans: The peddler had been thinking of his rattraps when suddenly he was struck by the idea that the whole world was nothing but a big rattrap. It existed only to set baits for people. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing in the same manner as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. As soon as someone let himself be tempted to touch the bait, it closed in on him, and then everything came to an end., Q2. Why was he amused by this idea?, Ans: His own life was sad and monotonous. He walked laboriously from place to place. The world had never been kind to him. So, during his gloomy ploddings, this idea became his favourite pastime. He was amused how people let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare and how others were still circling around the bait., Q3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?, Ans: The crofter served him porridge for supper and tobacco for his pipe. He also played a game of cards with him till bed time. This hospitality was unexpected as people usually made sour faces when the peddler asked for shelter., Q4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?, Ans: The crofter‘s circumstances and temperament made him so talkative and friendly with the peddler. Since he had no wife or child, he was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. Secondly, he was quite generous with his confidences., Q5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?, Ans: The crofter had told the peddler that by supplying his cow‘s milk to the creamery, he had received thirty kronor in payment. The peddler seemed to doubt it. So, in order to assure his guest of the truth he showed the thirty kronor to the peddler., Q6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?, Ans: No, the peddler did not respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. At the very first opportunity that he got, he smashed the window pane, took out the money and hung the leather pouch back in its place. Then he went away., THINK AS YOU READ, Q1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?, Ans: The peddler realised that he must not walk on the public highway with the stolen money in his pocket. He went into the woods. He kept walking without coming to the end of the wood. Then he realised that he had fallen in the rattrap. He had let himself befooled by a bait and had been caught in., Q2. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?, Ans: The ironmaster walked closely up to the peddler. In the uncertain reflection from the furnace, he mistook the man as his old regimental comrade, Captain Von Stahle. He addressed the stranger as Nils Olof, spoke very kindly and invited him home., Q3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?, Ans: The peddler knew that the ironmaster had mistaken him for his old regimental comrade. Secondly, he had stolen money—thirty kronor—on him. Going to the ironmaster‘s residence would be like entering the lion’s den. So, he declined the invitation., THINK AS YOU READ, Q1. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson‘s invitation?, Ans: Miss Edla Willmansson looked at the peddler quite compassionately. She noticed that the man was afraid. She assured him that he would be allowed to leave just as freely as he came. She requested him to stay with them over Christmas Eve. Her friendly manner made the peddler feel confidence in her and accept her invitation., Q2. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?, Ans: As Edla lifted the peddler‘s hat, he jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened. Even her kind looks, disclosure of her name and purpose of visit failed to calm him. From his fear, she thought that either he had stolen something or he had escaped from jail., Q3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?, Ans: Next morning, the stranger was cleaned and well-dressed. The valet had bathed him, cut his hair and shaved him. He was led to the dining room for breakfast. The ironmaster saw him in broad daylight. It was impossible to mistake him for an old acquaintance now. Then the ironmaster realised his mistake and threatened to call the Sheriff, Q4. How did the peddler defend himself against not having revealed his true identity?, Ans: The peddler explained that he had not tried to pretend as his acquaintance. He was not at fault. All along he had maintained that he was a poor trader. He had pleaded and begged to be allowed to stay in the forge. No harm had been done by his stay. He was willing to put on his rags again and go away., Q5. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?, Ans: Edla did not think it proper on their part to chase away a human being whom they had asked to come to their house and had promised him Christmas cheer. She understood the reality of the peddler‘s life and wanted him to enjoy a day of peace with them. Hence, she still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him., THINK AS YOU READ, Q1. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?, Ans: As soon as Edla opened the package of the gift, the contents came into view. She found a small rattrap with three wrinkled ten kronor notes and a letter addressed to her. The peddler wanted to be nice in return as she had been so nice to him all day long. He did not want her to be embarrased at the Christmas season by a thief., Q2.Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?, Ans: The ironmaster has invited the peddler to his house mistaking him for Captain von Stahle. He was welcomed there and looked after as captain even after the reality became known. The peddler got a chance to redeem himself from dishonest ways by acting as an honourable Captain., UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT, Q1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the iron master and his daughter?, Ans: The peddler interprets the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the iron master and his daughter differently. He cheats the crofter as he provides him company in his loneliness and helps him pass time. He wants to get a couple of kronors from the iron master and is surprised at the contrasting style of behaviour of father and daughter. He is touched by the kindness, care and intervention of Edla on his behalf., Q2. 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?, Ans: The ironmaster is impulsive* whereas his daughter is cool, logical, kind and thoughtful. In uncertain light he (iron master) mistakes the stranger as his old regiment comrade. He invites him home and takes care of his feeding, clothing etc. When he sees him in broad day light he calls the man dishonest, demands an explanation and is ready to call in the sheriff. His daughter is more observant. She notices the fear of the stranger and thinks that either he is a thief or a run away prisoner. Inspite of that She is gentle, kind and friendly to him. She treats him nicely even after knowing the mistake in identity., Q3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others‘ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises., Ans: The peddler is surprised at the warm welcome, generous supper, cheerful company and intimate confidences by the crofter. The ironmaster addresses the peddler as Captain von Stahle. He is surprised when the ironmaster calls him “Nils Olof. The ironmaster assumes his declining the invitation a result of embarrassment caused by his miserable clothing. The peddler‘s comparison of the world to a rattrap makes the ironmaster laugh and he drops the idea of calling in the sheriff., The peddler looks at Edla in boundless amazement when she tells him that the suit is a Christmas present. She also invites him to spend next Christmas with them. She does all this even after knowing the mistake about his identity.The crofter is robbed by his guest, the rattrap peddler, in return of his hospitality., Q4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?, Ans: Edla Willmansson treated the tramp in a friendly manner. She was nice and kind to her. She interceded on his behalf when her father was about to turn him out. She still entertained the peddler even after knowing the truth about him. She offered him the suit as Christmas present and invited him to spend the next Christmas with them. Her love and understanding aroused the essential goodness in the peddler and finally he changed his ways., Q5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?, Ans: The world entices a person through the various good things of life such as riches and joy, shelter and food, heat and clothing. These were just like the baits in the rattrap. Once someone is tempted by the bait, the world closed on him.The peddler was tempted by thirty kronor of the crofter. It makes him hide himself. He walks through the wood. He is afraid to go to the Manor house. He gets peace only after returning the bait (money)., Q6. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How7 does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?, Ans: The peddler has a subtle sense of humour, which is revealed during his interactions with the ironmaster and his daughter after the truth about him becomes known. He is neither afraid of being turned out in cold in rags nor of being sent to prison. He makes the ironmaster laugh with his metaphor of the rattrap. His letter with the Christmas present to Edla is a fine example of his capacity to make others laugh at him. Thus, he lightens the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endears himself to us., TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT, Discuss the following in groups of four. Each group can deal with one topic and present the views of your group to the whole class., Q1. The reader‘s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?, Ans: The peddler wins our sympathy for his way of life and how the world treats him. It is an admitted fact that the underdog always runs away with sympathy, so does the peddler with the rattraps. He begs the material like wire for his rattraps. His business not being specially profitable, he resorts to begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together., His life is sad and monotonous. He plods along the road lost in his own meditation. The world has never been very kind to him and he feels happy in calling it a rattrap. Whenever, he asks shelter for the night, he meets sour faces. He is an unwelcome, unwanted and undesirable figure. The blacksmiths at forge glance at him only casually and indifferently. The master blacksmith nods a haughty consent without honouring him with a single word., The old and lonely crofter finds him an enjoyable company. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old regimental comrade. Only Edla Willmansson behaves with him in a kind, friendly manner. Her nice treatment arouses the tramp‘s goodness. He redeems himself Hy returning the stolen money and wins our admiration. Thus, we see that the sympathy is not only well earned but well justified too., Q2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others., Ans: There are at least three characters in the story who suffer from loneliness and express the need to bond with others. They represent three strata of the human society as well. The peddler with the rattraps, the old crofter and the ironmaster all suffer from loneliness. The peddler is called a tramp, a vagabond and stranger at various points of the story. He moves wearily from one place to the other. He is lost in his own thoughts. He seeks shelter for night and people look at him with sour faces. Even the blacksmiths look haughtily at him and nod consent. The old crofter suffers from loneliness as he has neither wife nor child with him. Hence, he feels happy when he gets the peddler to talk to in his loneliness., The ironmaster is also lonely in his manor house. His wife Elizabeth has died and his sons are abroad. There is no one at home except his oldest daughter and himself. His requests to Captain von Stehle to accompany him show his need for human bonding. He admits frankly that they didn‘t have any company for Christmas. The stranger turns down the request not because he is against bonding with others but because he fears being caught with stolen money., Q3. 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?, Ans: Yes, I know how the kindness of a Bishop transformed a hard-hearted beastly convict into a man again with faith in God and human values. The story is presented in the form of a famous play ‘The Bishop’s Candlesticks‘, The Bishop provides food and shelter at midnight to a runaway convict who threatens him with a knife. Long years of imprisonment and harsh treatment in the prisonship has transformed the man into beast and he is devoid of all human feelings now. The convict runs away with the Bishop‘s silver candlesticks, but is caught by the police., In order to save the convict from further punishment and torture, the Bishop tells the police officer that the fellow is his friend and he had himself given him the candlesticks. This kind act of the Bishop melts the hard heart of the convict. He sobs and weeps. He promises to be a man again., Q4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical. Discuss., Ans: The story entertains us by providing glimpses into human nature and how people react to various situations. The actions of the peddler after stealing thirty kronor are quite amusing. The reactions of the blacksmiths to the tramp‘s request for shelter show how casual and indifferent human beings can be., The U-turn in the ironmaster‘s attitude towards the stranger reveal how selfish and ignorant human beings can be. Mistaking the vagabond for his old regimental comrade, whom he thinks he has run across unexpectedly, he asks the stranger to accompany him home and spend Christmas with them. When the stranger refuses to go with him, the ironmaster sends his daughter. With her better persuasive power she makes him follow her., The ironmaster is annoyed on seeing the stranger in broad daylight. But instead of realising his own mistake, he puts the blame on the man. He talks of handing him over to the sheriff. The metaphor of the world being a rattrap saves the situation for the tramp, but the ironmaster wants to turn him out. His daughter‘s comments are quite entertaining and philosophical. She wants the tramp to enjoy a day of peace. Secondly, she does not want to chase away a person whom they had invited home and had promised Christmas cheer., WORKING WITH WORDS, Q1. 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., Ans: Initially, the man who went around selling small rattraps of wire is called a Vagabond‘ for he plodded along the road, left to his own meditations. He is referred to as “stranger” by the narrator while describing his meeting with the old crofter. When he leaves the next day he is described as “the man with rattraps.’ When he returns half an hour later to steal money he is called ‘the rattrap peddler.’, For the blacksmiths at the forge he is an intruder. The narrator now refers to him as a ‘tramp’. For the rich ironmaster he is a “ragamuffin‘. Since he had never seen the ironmaster or known his name, the man with rattraps is called a ‘stranger’. He is described as ‘stranger* while he stretches himself out on the floor when the ironmaster leaves. The label sticks to him during his stay at the manor house as a guest. These descriptions also suggest the degree of social difference ^between the persons and the peddler of rattraps and their attitude towards him., Q2. 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., Ans: Five other words with a similar meaning are: clomp, lumber, lurch, reel, stumble., 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., Ans. 1.He had not come there to talk but only to warm himself and sleep., 2.To go up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion‘s den., 3…….there is no one at home except my oldest daughter and myself., 4.But he laughed to himself as he went away …, 5……apparently hoping that she would have better powers of persuasion than he himself., 6. The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor…, 7. It would never have occurred to me that you would bother with me yourself, miss., 8…… if he had not been raised to captain, because in that way he got power to clear himself., In sentences 3, 5 and 7 the reflexive pronouns ‘myself, “himself and ‘yourself are used to convey emphasis., In sentences 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, the reflexive pronoun is used in place of personal pronoun to signal that it refers to the same subject in the sentence, THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE, Q1. Notice the words in bold in the following sentence:, “The fire boy shovelled charcoal in 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 lo the terminology of ironworks., Ans: Words and phrases that are peculiar to the terminology of ironworks are given below: hammer strokes, smelter, forge, rolling mill, coal dust, furnace, pig iron, anvil, iron bar, big bellow, coal, charcoal, shovel and sooty panes., Q2. “Mjolis” is a card game of Sweden., Name a few indoor games played in your region. “Chopar” could be an example., Ans: ‘Rang-kaaf and ‘Turap Bol’ are popular indoor card games in our region., ‘Chukkhal’ is a poor man‘s substitute for Chopar., ‘Goti-paar’ is popular among young girls in rural areas., Q3. 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., Ans: The uncommon terms for “a small farmer” are:, Tiller, plowman/ploughman, husbandman, rancher, tenant farmer and small holder., In our language there are words like haali‘, ‘bataai-jotta’, ‘jotta’ etc., MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED, SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS, Q1. How did the peddler of rattraps manage in survive?, Ans:He made rattraps of wire and went around selling them. He got material for making them, By begging in the big stores or at big farms. Since his business was not quite profitable, he would beg or steal in order to survive., Q2. How did the peddler look? Was he different from people of his type?, Ans: He was a man with a long beard, dirty, ragged, and with a bunch of rattraps dangling on his chest. His clothes were in rags, his cheeks were sunken, and hunger gleamed in his eyes. No, he looked like the way people of his type usually did., Q3. What idea. Did he get about the world? What were its implications?, Ans: He got the idea that the whole world was only a big trap. It sets baits for people exactly as the rattrap offered cheese and pork. It offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing as baits. It closed on the person who let himself be tempted to touch the bait. Then everything came to an end., Q4. Why did the peddler think of the world as a rattrap? What became his cherished pastime?, Ans: The world had never been kind to the peddler. So, he got unusual joy to think ill of the world. His pastime was to think of people he knew who had let themselves be caught in the dangerous snare of the world, and of others who were still circling around the bait., Q5. What hospitality did the peddler with rattraps receive from the old crofter?, Ans: The old crofter served the peddler hot porridge for supper and gave him tabacco for his pipe. He entertained his guest by playing cards with him. He also informed him about his prosperous past life and how his cow supported him in his old age now., Q6. ‘The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and tobacco’. What personal information did he impart to his guest ?, Ans: The old man told his guest that in his days of prosperity he had been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks. Then he worked on the land. Now he was unable to do physical labour. His cow supported him now. He supplied her milk to the creamery everyday. Last month he had received thirty kronor in payment., Q7. Where had the old man put his money? Why did he hold it up before the eyes of his guest and what did he do later on?, Ans: The man had put his money in a leather pouch which hung on a nail in the window frame. He picked out three wrinMed ten-kronor bills for his guest to see as he has seemed sceptical. Then he stuffed them back into the pouch., Q8.‘ The next day both men got up in good, season.’ Why? Who are the men and what did they do after getting up?, Ans: The two men are the old crofter and his guest-the peddler with, the rattraps. The crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow. His guest did not want to stay in bed when the host had risen. They left the cottage at the same time. The crofter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. The peddler bade him goodbye and thanked him. Then each went his own way., Q9. Why did rattrap peddler return and how did he rob the old crofter?, Ans: The rattrap peddler was tempted by the thirty kronors he had seen in the leather pouch of the old crofter. He returned half an hour later, smashed a window pane, stuck in his hand and got hold of the pouch. He took out the money and thrust it into his own pocket. Thus, he robbed the old crofter., Q10. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? Why did he discontinue walking on the public highway?, Ans:At first he felt quite pleased with his smartness. Then he realised the danger of being caught by the police with the stolen money with him. He decided to discontinue walking on the public highway and turn off the road, into the woods., Ans:At first he felt quite pleased with his smartness. Then he realised the danger of being caught by the police with the stolen money with him. He decided to discontinue walking on the public highway and turn off the road, into the woods., Q11. Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away? [All India 2014], Ans: Edla was kind and sympathetic. She was much pained by the plight of the peddler. Edla requested her father to spend a day with them in peace as a respite from the struggle., Q12. How did the peddler feel while walking through the wood? What did he realise?, Ans: During the first hours the woods caused him no difficulty. Later in the day, it became worse as it was a big and confusing forest. The paths twisted back and forth. He kept on walking but did not come to the end of the wood. He realised that he had been walking around in the same part of the forest., Q13. What do you learn about the Ramsjo Ironworks from ‘The Rattrap’?, Ans: The Ramsjo Ironworks used to be a large plant, with smelter, rolling mill and forge. In the summer time long fines of heavily loaded barges and scows slid down the canal. In the winter time, the roads near the mill were black from charcoal dust., Q14. Why did the blacksmith fail to notice the entry of the peddler in the forge?, Ans: The forge was full of many sounds. The big bellows groaned and the burning coal cracked. The fire boy shovelled charcoal into the maw of the fumance with a great deal of clatter. A water fall roared outside. Sharp north wind made the rain strike the brick-tiled roof. Due to all this noise the blacksmith failed to notice the peddlar’s entry., Q15. ‘The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder’, What prompted them to do so?, Ans: Usually poor vegabonds, without any better shelter for the night, felt attracted to the forge by the glow of fight which escaped through the sooty panes. They came in to warm themselves in front of the fire. The intruder looked like other people of his type usually did., Q16. What did the tramp ask? Was his request granted? What did he do then?, Ans: The tramp asked permission to stay. The blacksmiths hardly deigned to look at him. The master blacksmith nodded a haughty consent without uttering a word. The tramp too did not say anything. He had come there only to warm himself and sleep. So, he eased his way close to the furnace. ‘, Q17. Who was the owner of the Ramsjo Iron Mill? Why did he come to the forge that night?, Ans: The owner of that mill was a very prominent ironmaster. His greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market. He insisted on quality and kept a watch on the work both night and day. He came to the forge on one of his nightly rounds of inspection., Q18. What did the ironmaster notice in the forge? How did he react then?, Ans: The ironmaster noticed a person in dirty rags lying quite close to the furnace. Steam rose from his wet rags. The ironmaster went near him and looked at him very carefully. Then he removed his slouch hat to get a better view of his face. He thought that he was an old acquaintance of his and said : “But of course it is you, Nils Olof!”, Q19. Why did the man with the rattraps not want to undeceive the ironmaster all at once?, Ans: The peddler thought that if the fine gentleman thought he was an old acquaintance, he might perhaps throw him a couple of kronor. So he did not want to undeceive him all at once., Q20. What observation did the ironmaster make about the stranger? What did he ask him to do?, Ans: The ironmaster saw the stranger in the uncertain fight of the fumance and mistook him for his old regimental comrade. He said that it was a mistake on his part to have resigned from the regiment. If he had been in service at that time, it would never have happened. He asked the stranger to go home with him., Q21. What did the peddler think about going up to the manor house? How did he react to the ironmaster‘s invitation?, Ans: The peddler looked quite alarmed. He still had the stolen thirty kronor on him. Going up to the manor house would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion‘s den. He did not feel pleased to go there and be received by the owner like an old regimental comrade. So he declined the invitation., Q22. What did the ironmaster assume to be the reason behind his old comrade s refusal? Hoiw did he try to reassure him?, Ans: The ironmaster assumed that his old regimental comrade felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. He said that his house was not so fine that he couldn‘t show himself there. He lived there only with his daughter as his wife Elizabeth was dead and his sons were abroad., Q23. What reason did the ironmaster advance in support of his invitation to the stranger?, Ans: He said that they didn‘t have any company for Christmas. He thought it was quite bad. He requested the stranger to come along with him and help them make the Christmas food disappear a little faster., Q24. ‘The ironmaster saw that he must give in.’ What made him give in? What did he say? What did the blacksmith think about the ironmaster?, Ans: The stranger declined the ironmaster‘s invitation thrice. The ironmaster then told Stjemstrom, the blacksmith that Captain von Stahle preferred to stay with him that night. He laughed to himself as he went away. The blacksmith, who knew the ironmaster, understood very well that he had not said his last word., Q25. Who was the new guest at the forge ? Why had that person come there and how did he I she look‘? Who accompanied her and why?, Ans: The new guest was the ironmaster‘s daughter. She drove in there in a carriage along with a valet who carried on his arm a big fur coat. She had been sent there by her father hoping that she had better powers of persuasion that he himself. She was not at all pretty, but seemed modest and quite Shy., Q26. Describe the scene at the forge when Edla Willmansson came there., Ans: The master blacksmith and his apprentice sat on a bench. Iron and charcoal glowed in the furnace. The stranger had stretched himself out on the floor. He lay with a piece of pig iron under his head and his hat pulled down over his eyes., Q27. What did the young girl notice about the stranger? What did she conclude? How did she make him feel confidence in her?, Ans: The stranger jumped up abruptly and seemed to be quite frightened. She looked at him sympathetically, but the man still looked afraid. She concluded that either he had stolen something or else he had escaped from jail. She spoke to him in a very friendly manner to make him feel confidence in her., Q 28. Sum up the contents of the letter addressed to Miss Willmansson., Ans: The stranger did not want her to be embarrassed at the Christmas season with a thief. As she had been nice to him as if he were a captain, he would be nice to her as if he were a real captain. She asked her to return the money to the old crofter. The rattrap was a present from a rat who would have been caught in the world‘s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain. It was as captain that he got power to clear himself., LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS, Q1. What is the theme of the story ‘The Rattrap’ ? How has this theme been developed?, Ans: The theme of the story is that most human beings are prone to fall into the trap of material benefit. However, every human being has an essential goodness that can be awakened through understanding and love. A human being has the tendency to redeem himself from dishonest ways., The theme is developed with the help of the metaphor of the rattrap. The peddler of rattraps calls the world a big rattrap. The material benefits like riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing are temptations that that allure a person to fall into the rattrap of the world exactly as the bait of cheese and pork attract a rat to fall into the rattrap. Once someone takes the bait, the world closes in on him and then everything is lost., The peddler is tempted by the thirty kronors of the old crofter. He steals the money. Now he is afraid of being caught and moves through the woods. It is the kind, sympathetic, loving and generous treatment given by Edla Willmansson that helps him get himself free from the rattrap of the world., Q2. Give an account of the peddler‘s meeting with the old crofter. How does the peddler conduct himself? What light does this episode throw on human nature?, Ans: One dark evening the peddler reached a little gray cottage by the roadside. He knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. The owner, an old man without wife or child, welcomed him. He was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He served him hot porridge for supper and gave him tobacco for his pipe. Then he played cards with him till bed time., The host told the peddler that in his days of prosperity, he worked on land at Ramsjo Ironworks. Now his cow supported him. He sold her milk at the creamery everyday. He showed the peddler the thirty kronor notes he got as payment that month. Then he hung the leather pouch on a nail in the window frame. Next morning the crofter went to milk the cow, and the peddler went away. However, he returned after half an hour, broke the window pane, took the money out of the leather pouch and hang it back on the nail.This episode shows that in loneliness, human beings crave for company, for social bonding. Secondly, temptations can overpower the greatest philosopher. The peddler who calls the world a rattrap is himself tempted by thirty kronor., Q3. 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 highlight?, Ans: Having robbed his generous host, the peddler felt quite pleased with his smartness. He did not feel any qualms of conscience that he had abused the confidence reposed in him by the crofter. The selfish wretch thought only of his own safety. He realised the danger of being caught by the police with the stolen thirty kronor on his person. Hence, he decided to discontinue walking on the public highway and turn off the road, into the woods., During the first few hours the woods caused him no difficulty. Later on, it became worse as it was a big and confusing forest. The paths twisted back and forth. He kept on walking but did not come to the end of the wood. He realised that he had only been walking around in the same part of the forest. The forest closed in upon him like an impenetrate prison from which he could never escape., The reaction of the peddler highlights the predicament of human nature. Temptations lead to evil. The fruits of evil seem pleasant at first, but they deprive man of his goodness and push him into the maze of the world which holds a vice-like grip on him., Q4 Bring out the contrast in the ironmaster‘s attitude and behaviour towards the stranger before and after he realises his mistake., Ans: The ironmaster is moved to see his old regimental comrade in a pitiable state. He considers it a mistake on his part to have resigned from the regiment. He insists that his old comrade will go home with him. As the stranger declines the invitation, he thinks that the man feels embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. He explains that he does not have such a fine home that he cannot show himself there. He requests the stranger to provide company to him and his daughter for Christmas. When the stranger refuses thrice, he sends his daughter, with a big fur coat to persuade him. Just before breakfast on Christmas Eve, he thinks of feeding him well and providing him same honourable piece of work., His behaviour undergoes a U-turn when he looks at the well-groomed stranger and realises his mistake. He expresses his displeasure with a wrinkled brow and demands an explanation from the man. Though the peddler defends himself well saying he never pretended to be someone else, the ironmaster calls him dishonest and threatens to hand him over to the sheriff. When the metaphor of world being a rattrap softens him a bit, he asks the peddler to quit at once., Q5. What impression do you form of Edla on reading the story ‘The Raitrap’ ?, Ans: Miss Edla Willmansson is the eldest daughter of the owner of the Ramsjo Ironworks. She is not pretty, but modest and quite shy. She is quite obedient and visits the forge at the behest of her father. She has a wonderful power of observation and takes quick judgement. From the stranger‘s frightened looks, she concludes that he is either a thief or a runaway convict. She uses her skills of persuasion to make the stranger agree to accompany her home. Her compassionate looks, friendly manner and polite way of address help her. She tells her father that nothing about the man shows that once he was an educated man., She believes in the spirit of Christmas and intercedes on behalf of the stranger to per suade her father to let him stay and be happy. She first makes a passionate plea and then argues that they should not chase away a person they had invited themselves and promised him Christmas cheer., Her dejection on learning that the peddler with rattraps was a thief reflects her sensitiveness. The gift of the captain makes her happy. It is her noble action that helps a thief redeem himself. In short, she is an intelligent, affectionate and kind young girl., Q6. Comment on the ending of the story ‘The Rattrap’., Ans: The story ‘The Rattrap’ has a very beautiful ending. It helps us to realise that all is not lost for human beings who are prone to fall into the trap of material benefits. It is the protagonist of the story—the peddler with the rattraps—who coins the metaphor of the rattrap, falls, Himself in it on being tempted and ultimately redeems himself by renouncing the temptation. His admission that he had been the thief, and the treatment he got as a captain, show how love and understanding can transform even a depraved soul. The story thus comes a full circle with the ending. All questions are answered and no loose tags remain hanging., The ending also pays tribute to the goodness of humanity here exhibited through Miss Edla Willmansson. The happy ending also arouses our optimism and belief in the essential goodness of man and other human virtues. Thus it serves to inspire the readers to do noble acts, ., VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS, Q1. Honesty is considered the best policy for earning one‘s bread and butter. Stealing is a sin and a punishable act. Vagabonds tend to forget this essential goodness. Elucidate the dictum in the light of the following lines:“He made them himself at odd moments, from the material he got by begging in the stores or at the big farms. But even so, the business was not especially profitable, so he had to resort to both begging and petty thievery to keep body and soul together. ”, Ans: HHonest-Means of Livelihood, Every human being has to earn his bread and butter. Means vary from person to person, but one has to face many obstacles and odd situations in life. These means can be fair or foul, honest or dishonest. Unfortunately, the modem man hankers after money and has become commercial-minded. People are not afraid of the Almighty. They wish to accumulate riches by hook or by crook. They have no respect for humanity and moral values. The social norms and time-tested principles bemoan somewhere in a comer. The mortals of this computer age focus only on pecuniary gains. They are desirous of becoming rich overnight. And it is sure that no one can make easy money without resorting to corruption. One should always remember that those who are honest get respect in society and feel themselves satisfied. They don‘t have to feel guilty. But those who are corrupt hide themselves behind the veils when caught. A person should always be honest and sincere. The factory workers, farmers, teachers and poor artisans live an honest life and are appreciated everywhere. Freud rightly proclaimed in his letter to Wilhelm Fliess that ‘Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise’. A few honest men are better than numerous bad ones., Q2. It is rightly said that the crown and glory of life is character. Alphonse Karr, a French journalist, said, “Every man has three characters: that which he shows, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has”. Substantiate the saying taking ideas from the following expressions:“…It was quite honest, either. You must admit that, and I should not be surprised if the sheriff would like to have something to say in the matter.”, Ans:, “The crown and glory of life is character, When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;, When health is lost, something is lost;, When character is lost, everything is lost“., Charming said that the great hope of society is individual character. Character plays a pivotal role in the life of a human being. It is as significant for a man as a crown for a king. It is the glory of a man‘s life. Character reflects the traits and personality of a person. A man of character retains moral strength and faces the music of life bravely. A man is judged by his character. A person who has good character is respected and honoured in society. It is often said that our lot depends on our character. One rises in life in proportion to the strength of one’s character. Character gives self-satisfaction to a person. He can lead a happy and contended life. He accumulates wealth in heaven instead of building treasures on the earth. It is only character that distinguishes man from beasts. Goethe .remarked that “Talent is nurtured in solitude; character is formed in the stormy billows of the world., “Not in the clamor of the crowded street,, Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng,, But is ourselves, are triumph and defeat. —Longfellow, Q3. Man is a gregarious animal. Aristotle wrote in Politics, “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god”. Lonliness gnaws a man from within. Write an article on the topic mentioned above in your own words. You can take ideas from the following lines:“…he knocked on the door to ask shelter for the night. Nor was he refused. Instead of the sour faces which ordinarily met him, the owner, who was an old man. Without wife or child, was happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness.”, Ans: Loneliness: A Terrible Moment, Enduring loneliness requires perseverance and strength of mind. The state of alienation may depress a person. He may become insane. Everybody cannot bear the pangs of leading a lonely life. Seclusion irritates a mortal as it is known to us that man is a gregarious animal. He needs company to share his views and thoughts. It is also said that solitude is the playfield of satan. Man gets diverted and takes recourse to illegal ways. The Bible says that ‘woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up’. An alienated person leads a miserable and pitiable life. Survival at a deserted place becomes next to impossible for a human being. Solitude gives vent to the feelings of enmity against mankind. A depressed person may go to any extent to avenge his seclusion. Solitude and melancholy are synonymous of each other. Mother Teresa has described loneliness in a fitting manner. She said, “Lonliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty”. Each individual needs love, affection and company. The victims of solitude and lonliness never feel themselves gratified. They never feel themselves the part of the main stream. It breeds negativity and animosity. They become hostile towards the fellow human beings. The repercussions of loneliness are catastrophic and disastrous, Q4. Voltaire has rightly remarked that ‘Love truth, but pardon error’. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. Sympathy is a divine virtue. It is indispensable for a philanthropist. Elucidate the dictum taking ideas from the following expressions., “Since you have been so nice to me all day long, as if I was a captain, I want to be nice to you, in return, as if I was a real captain—for I do not want you to be embarrassed at this Christmas season by a thief- but you can give back the money to the old man on the roadside…”, Ans: The Bible proclaims that ‘Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy5. Love begets love and hatred begets hatred. People in this world have a reciprocal relationship. They reciprocate the thing they receive. It is a universally accepted aphorism that ‘To err is human, to forgive, divine’. Sympathy has a great power. A sympathetic person receives the blessings of the destitute whom he helps or forgives. People can‘t imagine the incredible power of sympathy. A person’s kind acts and words may save many precious fives. One must not forget that those who sympathise with others get inner satisfaction. It awakens the affection of a human heart. It leaves an indelible impression even on the most rugged ‘ nature. Its results are better than a king’s power. It helps a man in his endeavour to elevate his fellow human beings from a state of poverty and distress. Dr. Samuel Johnson averred that the wretched have no compassion. When a man suffers himself, it is called misery; when he suffers in the suffering of another, it is called pity. Forgiveness is, undoubtedly, a divine quality. The philanthropists should inculcate the habit of forgiving others in their character.