The Rattrap

Selma Lagerlöf’s short story The Rattrap is a touching tale of human loneliness, temptation, kindness, and redemption. Using the metaphor of a rattrap, the author conveys that the world is full of temptations that can trap human beings, but compassion and love can bring about transformation.

The story begins with a poor peddler who wandered about selling rattraps of wire. His earnings were meagre, and often he had to beg or steal for survival. While thinking about his rattraps, he conceived the idea that the whole world is nothing but a rattrap. Just as rats are lured by food into traps, people are lured by riches, shelter, and comfort, only to be caught in the web of greed. This thought amused him, as life had never been kind to him.

One evening, seeking shelter, the peddler knocked at the door of an old crofter who lived alone. The crofter welcomed him warmly, shared food, conversation, and even showed him thirty kronor that he had earned from his cow’s milk. The next morning, when the crofter left for work, the peddler stole the money and ran away. Soon he lost his way in the forest. Realising he was trapped by his own greed, he thought of his philosophy that the world is truly a rattrap.

At last, he reached the ironworks where he was mistaken by the ironmaster for his old friend, Captain von Stahle. The ironmaster invited him home for Christmas. Fearing discovery, the peddler refused, but later his daughter Edla Willmansson persuaded him with her gentle and compassionate words. Unlike others, she treated him with dignity and trust.

The next day, the ironmaster realised his mistake and wanted to throw him out. But Edla insisted on keeping him as a guest for Christmas, respecting his need for kindness. She gave him food, clothes, and a place to rest. Her empathy touched the peddler’s heart.

The following morning, the family found a small packet left by the peddler. Inside was the stolen thirty kronor, a rattrap, and a letter. The letter stated that Edla’s goodness had transformed him from a petty thief into a man worthy of trust. He signed it “Captain von Stahle,” the name mistakenly given to him earlier, symbolising his inner rebirth and dignity.

Through this story, Lagerlöf highlights the theme of human redemption. The crofter’s generosity was betrayed, the ironmaster’s kindness was based on mistaken identity, but Edla’s unconditional compassion succeeded in awakening the peddler’s conscience. The metaphor of the rattrap powerfully illustrates that life’s temptations can trap anyone, but it is kindness and respect that can release a person from the trap.

In conclusion, The Rattrap is both entertaining and philosophical. It shows how even a thief can be reformed by love and empathy. It reminds us of the essential goodness in every human heart and the transformative power of compassion.

Word Count: ~502

Chapter 4: The Rattrap – Selma Lagerlöf

NCERT SOLUTION

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Page 34 – Comprehension Check

Q1. From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap?
Answer:
He got the idea while thinking of his rattraps. He suddenly imagined that the whole world with its riches, joys, food, and shelter was nothing but a big rattrap to trap human beings.

Q2. Why was he amused by this idea?
Answer:
The world had never been kind to him, so thinking ill of it gave him joy. He found it entertaining to imagine people being caught like rats in a trap.

Q3. Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Answer:
No. He was surprised because usually he was turned away. But the old crofter welcomed him warmly, gave him food, tobacco, and company.

Q4. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler?
Answer:
The crofter was lonely, without wife or children. He was happy to have someone to talk to, so he shared his food and confidences.

Q5. Why did he show the thirty kronor to the peddler?
Answer:
He wanted to show proof of his cow’s productivity and his honesty. Out of pride, he displayed the notes to the peddler.

Q6. Did the peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the crofter?
Answer:
No. He betrayed the crofter’s trust by stealing the thirty kronor from the window.

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Page 37 – Comprehension Check

Q1. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Answer:
After stealing money, he lost his way in the confusing forest. He realised he was trapped by his own greed just like a rat in a rattrap.

Q2. Why did the ironmaster speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home?
Answer:
The ironmaster mistook him for an old regimental comrade, Captain von Stahle, and invited him home for Christmas.

Q3. Why did the peddler decline the invitation?
Answer:
He feared discovery of the stolen money and wanted to avoid unnecessary attention.

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Page 41 – Comprehension Check

Q1. What made the peddler accept Edla Willmansson’s invitation?
Answer:
Edla spoke kindly and assured him he could leave freely after Christmas. Her compassion won his trust, and he agreed to go.

Q2. What doubts did Edla have about the peddler?
Answer:
She suspected he might be a thief or an escaped prisoner because of his fearful and suspicious behaviour.

Q3. When did the ironmaster realise his mistake?
Answer:
The next morning, in proper light, he saw the peddler cleaned and dressed. He realised he was not his old friend but a stranger.

Q4. What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person the ironmaster had thought?
Answer:
He admitted he never pretended to be anyone else and begged only to be allowed to stay in the forge. He also said the world itself was a rattrap and people get caught by temptation.

Q5. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Answer:
Because she felt pity for his homelessness and loneliness. She wanted him to enjoy at least one day of peace and kindness in the year.

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Page 42 – Understanding the Text

Q1. How does the peddler interpret the acts of kindness and hospitality shown by the crofter, the ironmaster and his daughter?
Answer:

• Crofter’s hospitality he repaid with theft.

• Ironmaster’s kindness he saw as a mistake of identity.

• Edla’s compassion he valued deeply, as it touched his heart and inspired his transformation.

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?
Answer:
The ironmaster is impulsive, proud, and quick to judge. He mistakes the peddler for his friend and later wants to throw him out. His daughter Edla, on the other hand, is gentle, compassionate, and persistent. She treats the peddler with dignity even after learning the truth.

Q3. The story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to others’ behaviour. Pick out instances of these surprises.
Answer:

• The crofter welcomed the peddler warmly instead of turning him away.

• The ironmaster mistook the peddler for his old friend.

• Edla, even after knowing the truth, let the peddler stay.

• The peddler, instead of running away with money, returned it and left a gift.

Q4. What made the peddler finally change his ways?
Answer:
The genuine kindness and respect shown by Edla awakened the goodness in him. He wanted to prove himself worthy of her trust and redeemed himself by returning the stolen money.

Q5. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
Answer:
The rattrap symbolises life’s temptations—wealth, food, and shelter—which lure people but ultimately trap them. The peddler’s experience shows how humans can fall into these traps but also how redemption is possible through kindness.

Q6. The peddler comes out as a person with a subtle sense of humour. How does this serve in lightening the seriousness of the theme of the story and also endear him to us?
Answer:
His witty remarks, like comparing the world to a rattrap and joking about people being caught, add humour to the serious narrative. This makes him human, relatable, and endears him to the reader despite his flaws.

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Page 43 – Talking about the Text

Q1. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler?
Answer:
She was relieved that her kindness was not misplaced. The peddler had repaid her trust with honesty, returning the stolen money and leaving a heartfelt letter.

Q2. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
Answer:
Because Edla’s treatment made him feel respected like a captain. By signing that way, he honoured her kindness and symbolically transformed himself into a dignified person.

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Page 43 – Additional Talking Points

Q1. The reader’s sympathy is with the peddler right from the beginning of the story. Why is this so? Is the sympathy justified?
Answer:
Yes. The peddler is poor, lonely, and mistreated by society. His petty thefts seem to come from desperation rather than malice. His redemption justifies the reader’s sympathy.

Q2. The story also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Answer:
The crofter, the peddler, and even the ironmaster are lonely in different ways. Their actions—whether hospitality, theft, or mistaken kindness—show the universal human need for companionship and love.

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?
Answer (Example):
Yes. Many stories of prisoners reforming after being treated kindly or students excelling when a teacher shows faith in them prove how kindness transforms lives.

Q4. The story is both entertaining and philosophical.
Answer:
The entertaining part comes from its twists—mistaken identity, theft, surprises. The philosophical depth lies in the metaphor of the rattrap, the themes of temptation, loneliness, compassion, and redemption.

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Page 43 – Working with Words

Q1. Labels used for the man:

• Peddler, stranger, tramp, ragamuffin, vagabond, guest, Captain von Stahle.
  Each reflects how others perceived him—from contempt to respect.

Q2. Words similar to plod, trudge, stagger:

• Shuffle, lumber, hobble, stumble, crawl.

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Page 43 – Noticing Form

Examples of reflexive pronouns in the story:

• “He amused himself.”

• “He had let himself be fooled.”

• “She thought of herself.”

• “He kept to himself.”

They are used for emphasis or to refer back to the subject in the same sentence.

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Page 44 – Thinking about Language

Q1. Phrases from the ironworks context:

• Big bellows groaned.

• Burning coal cracked.

• Charcoal into the maw of the furnace.

• Hammer strokes from the forge.

Q2. Indoor games in different regions:
Examples – Ludo, Carrom, Chess, Playing cards, Chopar.

Q3. Other terms for a small farmer:

• Peasant, tiller, tenant farmer, sharecropper.
  In Indian languages: kisan, mazdoor, bataidar.