The Rattrap Class 12: Summary, Themes, Characters and Board Answers
Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked
The Rattrap by Selma Lagerlöf, from Flamingo, is the story of a poor peddler who believes the whole world is a rattrap. After stealing from a kind crofter, he is treated with compassion by Edla Willmansson, which awakens his goodness and makes him return the money. The board tests it through extracts, short and long answers.
What The Rattrap is about
The Rattrap by the Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf is set among the iron mines of Sweden and told somewhat like a fairy tale. Its central belief, as NCERT notes about the author, is that love and understanding can awaken the goodness that lies within every person.
A poor rattrap peddler thinks the world is a big rattrap that tempts people with bait. He steals thirty kronor from a lonely crofter, gets lost in a forest, and takes shelter at the Ramsjö ironworks. The ironmaster mistakes him for an old comrade, Captain von Stahle, and his daughter Edla Willmansson insists on keeping him for Christmas even after the truth comes out. Her kindness changes him: he leaves the stolen money in a rattrap as a gift for her.
NCERT gives the theme as the trap of material benefit that most humans fall into, with the human tendency to redeem oneself from dishonest ways as the sub-theme.
What the board asks: extracts (Q9), 40-50 word answers on the peddler's philosophy, the crofter's talkativeness, why Edla entertained him, why he signed as Captain von Stahle, and 120-150 word answers on the rattrap metaphor, the change in the peddler or the contrast between the ironmaster and Edla.
Weightage: Section C (Literature) carries 40 of the 80 theory marks; Flamingo is tested through a Flamingo prose extract (6 x 1), five of six short answers from Flamingo (5 x 2) and one of two long answers (5).Source: CBSE English Core (301) syllabus and sample paper 2026-27
In real board papers: asked in 1 of the 2 board papers we hold (2026 to 2026), on average 3 marks per paper. See the questions
The Rattrap: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
A poor man earns a meagre living by selling small wire rattraps, and also begs and steals to keep body and soul together. On his lonely walks he amuses himself with the idea that the whole world is a big rattrap: it offers riches, food and comfort as bait, and traps anyone who touches it.
One evening a lonely old crofter gives him shelter, porridge, tobacco and a game of cards. The crofter proudly shows him thirty kronor earned from selling his cow's milk, kept in a leather pouch on the window frame. The next morning they part, but the peddler returns, breaks the window and steals the money. To avoid the highway he goes into the forest, gets hopelessly lost, and realises that he has himself been caught in the rattrap by the bait of the money.
Hearing hammer strokes, he reaches the Ramsjö ironworks and asks the blacksmith for shelter. The ironmaster arrives, mistakes him for his old regimental comrade, Captain von Stahle, and invites him home. The peddler, fearing discovery, refuses. The ironmaster then sends his daughter, Edla, whose gentle kindness persuades him to come.
Next morning, washed, shaved and dressed in the ironmaster's clothes, the man is clearly a stranger. The ironmaster is angry and threatens to call the sheriff. The peddler replies that the world is a rattrap and the ironmaster too may one day be caught by a big piece of pork. The ironmaster tells him to leave, but Edla insists that he stay, since he is chased away everywhere and deserves one day of peace at Christmas. The peddler sleeps peacefully through Christmas Eve, and Edla tells him he may keep the suit and come back next Christmas.
After church, Edla learns that a crofter has been robbed by a rattrap seller. But at home they find a package the peddler has left: a small rattrap containing the thirty kronor and a letter. He asks her to return the money to the crofter, explaining that because she treated him like a captain, he was raised above the rattrap and could redeem himself. He signs it 'Captain von Stahle'.
Themes and message
The world as a rattrap: the lure of material things
The peddler sees worldly riches as bait that traps people. He himself falls into this trap when he steals the thirty kronor and then loses his way in the forest, feeling imprisoned.
From the text: 'This whole world is nothing but a big rattrap.'
Goodness awakened by love and understanding
Edla's compassion, respect and trust do what punishment could not: they awaken the peddler's goodness, and he returns the stolen money of his own will.
From the text: He writes that he would have been caught in the world's rattrap if he had not been 'raised to captain'.
Loneliness and the need to bond
The crofter is lonely and eager to talk; the peddler has no place where he is welcome. Human warmth meets a deep need in both.
From the text: The crofter is happy to get someone to talk to; Edla says the peddler is chased away wherever he turns.
Redemption
The story shows that even a thief can reform when treated with dignity. The peddler's last act shows honesty, gratitude and self-respect.
From the text: He leaves the thirty kronor in a rattrap for Edla to return to the crofter.
Characters
The rattrap peddler
A poor vagabond who sells rattraps, begs and steals.
- Philosophical and bitter about the world
- Opportunistic: lets the ironmaster believe he is Captain von Stahle
- Witty and frank: defends himself with the rattrap idea
- Capable of change: returns the money
He steals from the crofter, but in the end leaves the money in a rattrap with a letter to Edla.
Edla Willmansson
The ironmaster's daughter.
- Compassionate and kind
- Perceptive: guesses the man has stolen something or escaped from jail
- Firm in her values: insists he stay after the truth comes out
- Modest and shy
She says she does not want to chase away a human being they had invited and promised Christmas cheer.
The ironmaster
Owner of the Ramsjö ironworks.
- Proud of his work and good iron
- Impulsive and quick to judge
- Kind to old friends but harsh to a stranger
- Gives in to his daughter
He welcomes 'Captain von Stahle' but thunders 'What does this mean?' when he discovers the mistake and threatens to call the sheriff.
The crofter
A lonely old man who gives the peddler shelter.
- Hospitable and generous
- Trusting and talkative because of loneliness
He shares porridge, tobacco and cards, and shows the peddler his thirty kronor.
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Extended metaphor | The world as a rattrap; riches as cheese and pork. | Carries the story's central idea about greed and temptation. |
| Irony | The peddler who thinks others fall into traps is himself trapped by the stolen money. | Shows he is not above the weakness he mocks. |
| Simile | The forest 'closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison'. | Makes his guilt and fear physical. |
| Fairy-tale opening | The story opens with 'Once upon a time there was a man...' | Gives the story a moral, fable-like quality. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
This whole world is nothing but a big rattrap.
The peddler: Defending himself before the ironmaster.
The central metaphor: worldly goods are bait that trap people.
Now I am sitting in the trap and will never get out of it.
The peddler (thinking): Riding to the manor house with Edla.
He fears he has been caught because of the stolen money.
You do preach worse than a parson
The ironmaster: When Edla argues that the stranger should stay.
Shows Edla's moral firmness and her father's reluctant surrender.
a rat who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain
The peddler, in his letter: The letter left with the stolen money.
Shows that being treated with dignity helped him redeem himself.
Yes, God knows things have gone downhill with me
The peddler: When the ironmaster mistakes him for Nils Olof.
He plays along, hoping for a few kronor.
The Rattrap in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Kindness can change people
Suppose a student known for misbehaving is given responsibility as a class monitor by a teacher who trusts him, and he starts behaving well.
Relate this to the change in the peddler. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Edla treated the peddler with respect.
- Respect awakened his self-respect.
- He acted to deserve it.
Answer: Like Edla, the teacher treats the student with trust instead of suspicion. Just as being treated like a captain made the peddler return the stolen money, being treated as responsible makes the student want to deserve that trust and behave better.
Memory hook: Treat people as captains, and they may become captains.
Material temptation as a trap
Imagine someone buys an expensive phone on easy instalments, then struggles for months to pay the debt.
How does this fit the peddler's rattrap idea?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The phone was the bait.
- The debt became the trap.
Answer: The attractive offer was bait, and the debt is the trap that closed in, just as the peddler said the world offers riches to catch people.
Memory hook: Shiny bait, strong trap.
Loneliness and trust
Suppose an elderly neighbour who lives alone shares her savings details with a friendly stranger.
Which character does she resemble, and what lesson follows?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The lonely crofter trusted the peddler.
- Loneliness made him share too much.
Answer: She resembles the crofter; loneliness makes people trust strangers, so communities should look after their elderly.
Memory hook: Lonely hearts open too wide.
Topics in this chapter
How the board asks The Rattrap
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Prose extract (Q9, 6 x 1) | Passages on the forest, the forge, Edla's plea or the letter. | Use context (who, why) and identify similes and irony. |
| Short answer (Q10, 40-50 words) | Why the crofter was talkative; why the peddler declined the invitation; why Edla entertained him; why he signed as Captain von Stahle. | Two reasons, each tied to an event. |
| Long answer (Q12, 120-150 words) | The rattrap metaphor and the human predicament; the change in the peddler; ironmaster vs Edla; loneliness and bonding. | Trace the idea through the crofter, the forest, the forge and the letter; conclude with the theme. |
Tricks to remember The Rattrap
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
Plot: 'Crofter, Cash, Forest, Forge, Feast, Farewell gift'
Crofter's shelter, the cash stolen, lost in the forest, shelter at the forge, Christmas feast at the manor, and the farewell gift (rattrap with money).
Use it when: Summary order.
Who's who
Crofter = shelter and money; Ironmaster = mistaken identity (Nils Olof / Captain von Stahle); Edla = kindness and redemption; Stjernstrom = master blacksmith.
Use it when: Avoiding name mix-ups.
Three traps
Forest (guilt), manor house (fear of discovery), world (greed); and one gift trap that sets him free.
Use it when: Long answer on the metaphor.
The Rattrap: extract-based questions
Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.
Extract 1: Caught in the rattrap
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.
(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What was the 'bait' that had fooled the peddler?
(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Why did the peddler enter the forest?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
The forest is compared to:
(a) a rattrap only (b) an impenetrable prison (c) a dark cave (d) a palace(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
Name the figure of speech in 'closed in upon him like an impenetrable prison'.
(a) Metaphor (b) Simile (c) Alliteration (d) Hyperbole(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What irony does the extract show?
(6) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What does 'impenetrable' mean?
Show the answersAnswers
- The thirty kronor he had stolen from the crofter.
- He was afraid to use the public highway after the theft.
- (b) an impenetrable prison
- (b) Simile
- The man who mocked others for being trapped by bait is now trapped himself.
- Impossible to pass through or escape from.
Extract 2: Edla's plea
“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.”
(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Who is the speaker and to whom is she speaking?
(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What prompted this speech?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
Which quality of Edla does the extract show?
(a) Pride (b) Compassion (c) Greed (d) Fear(4) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Why is the stranger always afraid?
(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What does Edla want for the stranger?
(6) · 1 mark · Assertion-reason
Assertion (A): Edla wants the stranger to stay for Christmas.
Reason (R): She believes they should not chase away someone they had invited and promised Christmas cheer.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. (c) A is true but R is false. (d) A is false but R is true.
Show the answersAnswers
- Edla Willmansson, speaking to her father, the ironmaster.
- Her father had ordered the stranger to leave after discovering he was not Captain von Stahle.
- (b) Compassion
- He fears being arrested and cross-examined.
- One day of peace at their home in the whole year.
- (a)
The Rattrap: board-level solved questions
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: The rattrap idea · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
What gave the peddler the idea that the world is a rattrap, and why did the idea amuse him? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- From his own trade of rattraps.
- World never kind to him, so thinking ill of it gave joy.
Answer: The idea came from his own trade of making and selling rattraps: the world, too, seemed to offer riches as bait. He was amused because the world had never been kind to him, so it gave him unusual pleasure to think ill of it and imagine others being caught.
Example 2: Why the crofter talked freely · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Old man, no wife or child, lonely.
- Glad of company.
- Trusting nature.
Answer: The crofter was an old man without wife or child, living alone. He was happy to have someone to talk to in his loneliness, so he shared his porridge, tobacco and cards, and even his confidences, proudly showing the thirty kronor his cow had earned.
Example 3: Why Edla kept him · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Edla learnt that her guest was not Captain von Stahle. Why did she still want him to stay? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Compassion: he was chased away everywhere.
- Promise of Christmas cheer.
- Wanted him to have a day of peace.
Answer: Edla felt deep compassion for the homeless man, who was chased away everywhere and always feared arrest. She felt it was wrong to drive away someone they had invited and promised Christmas cheer, and she wanted him to enjoy just one day of peace in the year.
Example 4: Captain von Stahle · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Edla treated him like a captain.
- Dignity awakened his goodness.
- Wanted to show gratitude and that he had changed.
Answer: Edla had treated him with the respect due to a captain, and this dignity awakened his goodness. By returning the money and signing as Captain von Stahle, he showed that he wanted to live up to that respect, as a real captain would, and thanked her for raising him.
Example 5: Metaphor of the rattrap · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
How does the metaphor of the rattrap highlight the human predicament? Answer in 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Explain the metaphor.
- Peddler trapped by money.
- Warning to the ironmaster.
- Escape through goodness.
- Conclusion.
Answer: The peddler believes the world is a big rattrap: riches, shelter and food are like cheese and pork set out to tempt people, and whoever reaches for them is caught. The metaphor shows how greed for material things can trap human beings.
The peddler proves the point himself. Tempted by the crofter's thirty kronor, he steals them, and soon feels trapped in a forest that closes round him like a prison. At the manor house, he fears he has walked into a trap again. He even warns the ironmaster that one day a big piece of pork may catch him too.
Yet the story also shows a way out. Edla's kindness lifts him above greed, and he returns the money. The rattrap he leaves behind becomes a symbol of escape. Humans are tempted, the story says, but love and understanding can set them free.
Example 6: Ironmaster vs Edla · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Show how the ironmaster and his daughter Edla differ in character, with instances from the story. Answer in 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Ironmaster impulsive; Edla observant.
- Ironmaster's anger; Edla's compassion.
- Ironmaster suspicious; Edla trusting.
- Conclusion.
Answer: The ironmaster is impulsive. In the dim forge he hastily takes the peddler to be his old comrade, Captain von Stahle, and insists on taking him home. Edla is more observant: at first sight she suspects the man may have stolen something or escaped from jail, yet she gently assures him he may leave freely.
When the truth comes out in daylight, the ironmaster thunders at the man, threatens to call the sheriff and orders him out. Edla, however, closes the door and pleads that he be allowed one day of peace, since he is chased away everywhere and had been promised Christmas cheer.
Even after hearing of the robbery, the ironmaster sneers about missing silver spoons, while Edla is saddened. Her compassion, not her father's judgement, finally awakens the peddler's goodness. The contrast shows the power of kindness over suspicion.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
Why did Edla entertain the peddler after knowing the truth? (40-50 words, 2 marks) (2 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Compassion: he is chased away everywhere and lives in fear. | 1 |
| Promise of Christmas cheer; wish to give him a day of peace; within word limit. | 1 |
Long answer on the rattrap metaphor (120-150 words, 5 marks) (5 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Explanation of the metaphor with incidents. | 2 |
| Link to the human predicament or redemption. | 1 |
| Organisation. | 1 |
| Accuracy. | 1 |
Where students lose marks in The Rattrap
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Saying the ironmaster invited the peddler out of pure kindness to strangers
Do this: He invited him because he mistook him for his old comrade, Captain von Stahle.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing that the peddler kept the money
Do this: He left the thirty kronor in a rattrap for Edla to return to the crofter.
Usually costs: Central content mark.
Mistake: Confusing the crofter with the blacksmith
Do this: The crofter gave shelter in his cottage; the blacksmith (Stjernstrom) let him sleep in the forge.
Usually costs: Accuracy.
Mistake: Retelling the plot in a theme question
Do this: Select incidents that prove the theme asked; avoid narrating every event.
Usually costs: Organisation and content marks.
The Rattrap: previous year questions
- Asked in 1 of the 2 board papers we hold (2026 to 2026), on average 3 marks per paper; 1 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 0 of 3 sample papers.
Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.
Every The Rattrap question, by year
- 2026
Set 301/1/1: Q9(B) (6 marks)
Practice questions on The Rattrap
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
How much money did the crofter show the peddler?
(a) ten kronor (b) twenty kronor (c) thirty kronor (d) fifty kronorHint
Three notes.
Answer
(c) thirty kronor
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level
Why did the peddler decline the ironmaster's invitation?
Hint
The stolen money.
Answer
He had the stolen thirty kronor and feared that going to the manor house would be like walking into the lion's den.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What made the peddler accept Edla's invitation? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Her manner.
Answer
Edla spoke so kindly and compassionately that he felt confidence in her. She assured him that he could leave as freely as he came and only asked him to stay over Christmas Eve. Her friendly manner and the promise of freedom made him accept.
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
When did the ironmaster realise his mistake? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Daylight and grooming.
Answer
The next morning, when the stranger came to breakfast washed, shaved and dressed in good clothes, the ironmaster saw him in broad daylight. He realised that he had been misled by the dim light of the furnace and that the man was not his old comrade.
Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What made the peddler finally change his ways? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Treated as a captain.
Answer
Edla's compassion changed him. She treated him with respect and trust even after learning he was not a captain, gave him a day of peace and invited him back. Being treated like a captain awakened his self-respect, so he returned the stolen money.
Q6 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'The story is both entertaining and philosophical.' Discuss with reference to 'The Rattrap'. Answer in 120-150 words.
Hint
Humour and plot twists vs the rattrap idea.
Answer
'The Rattrap' entertains through its fairy-tale opening, its mistaken identity and its surprising twists. The ironmaster's confusion in the dark forge, the peddler's frightened refusals and his witty warning that the ironmaster may one day be caught by a big piece of pork make readers smile. The final surprise, a rattrap holding the stolen money and a letter signed 'Captain von Stahle', is delightful.
At the same time, the story is philosophical. The peddler's view of the world as a rattrap shows how material temptations trap human beings, and he proves it by stealing and feeling imprisoned in the forest. The story also explores loneliness, the need for human warmth and the power of compassion. Edla's kindness awakens the goodness hidden in a thief.
Thus the humour holds our interest while the ideas make us think about greed, kindness and redemption.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Where were the crofter's thirty kronor kept?Show answer
In a leather pouch hanging on a nail in the window frame.
2.Which card game did the crofter play with the peddler?Show answer
Mjolis.
3.Who did the ironmaster think the peddler was?Show answer
His old regimental comrade, Captain von Stahle (Nils Olof).
4.What is the name of the ironmaster's daughter?Show answer
Edla Willmansson.
5.What made the peddler leave the forest?Show answer
The sound of hammer strokes from an iron mill.
6.What gift did Edla give the peddler?Show answer
The suit he wore, as a Christmas present, and an invitation for next Christmas.
7.What did the peddler leave for Edla?Show answer
A small rattrap containing the thirty kronor and a letter.
8.What is NCERT's theme for the story?Show answer
The trap of material benefit that most humans fall into; sub-theme: the tendency to redeem oneself.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you explain the peddler's rattrap philosophy?
- Can you say why the crofter trusted the peddler?
- Can you narrate how the ironmaster mistook the peddler?
- Can you explain why Edla insisted he stay?
- Can you explain the letter and the signature?
- Can you contrast the ironmaster and Edla?
- Can you write 120-150 words on the rattrap metaphor?
The Rattrap: frequently asked questions
What is the message of The Rattrap?
Material temptations trap people, but the essential goodness in a person can be awakened through understanding and love.
Why did the peddler steal from the crofter who helped him?
He was poor and used to begging and petty theft; the money the crofter showed him became the bait that tempted him.
Who is Captain von Stahle?
The ironmaster's old regimental comrade, for whom he mistook the peddler; the peddler later signs his letter with this name.
Why did Edla cry with joy on opening the package?
Because it contained the stolen money and a letter showing that the peddler had reformed; her trust in him was justified.
Based on: CBSE English Core (301) syllabus 2026-27; NCERT Flamingo, Textbook in English for Class XII (Reprint 2026-27)