The Rattrap Extra Questions provided in this post are essential for exam preparation, as they have been frequently asked in past exams. Make sure to review and memorize them for better performance.
Table of Contents
The Rattrap Extra Questions (short Type)
Q.1 Why didn’t the peddler tell the iron master that he was not Captain Nils Olf?
Ans: The peddler thought that if the ironmaster thought that he was an old acquaintance, he might perhaps help him with a few kroner. Therefore the peddler didn’t tell the iron master that he was not his old acquaintance.
Q.2 Did the peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter?
Ans: No, the peddler had never expected the kind of hospitality that he received from the crofter. He generally faced sour faces wherever he went. The crofter served him porridge for supper and tobacco for his pipe. He also played a game of cards with him till bedtime.
Q.3 “I never pretended to be anything but a poor trader and I pleaded and begged to be allowed to stay in the forge. At worst I can put on my rags again and go away,” said the peddler. Do you think the ironmaster was justified in sending the peddler away?
Ans. The ironmaster had himself invited The peddler, promising him Christmas cheer. He was not justified in throwing him out because the peddler was persuaded to accept the invitation which he had declined.
Q.4 “I only hope you won’t have to regret this”, said the iron-master to his daughter. Do you think his statement proved true in the future?
Ans. This statement did not prove to be true. The peddler, though he had stolen the thirty kronors of the crofter, could not betray the trust of Edla who had been very kind and considerate to him. He stood up to the honorable name of the Captain by which he was mistaken and reformed himself.
Q.5 Why did the peddler steal money from the crofter?
Ans. The peddler is a thief and a cheat. He had been treated badly so he wished to reciprocate in the same way. He had no qualms about stealing money from such a simple and hospitable crofter.
Q.6 Why was the ironmaster annoyed at the intervention of Edla when he was turning the peddler out of his house?
Ans. The ironmaster was very moody and temperamental. He was very impatient. The moment he discovered that the peddler was not his old comrade, he ordered him to get out. He was annoyed because Edla contradicted and opposed his orders and he did not like being disobeyed. Moreover, he felt such a stranger should not be kept at home.
Q.7. What Christmas gift did Edla give to the peddler?
Ans. Edla told the peddler to keep the Christmas suit he had been given earlier to wear, as a gift. She felt that it would be mean to take off his clothes as well as treat him badly. She also told him that he was most welcome to spend the next Christmas at their house.
The Rattrap Extra Questions (Long Type)
Q.1 “The peddler was conscientious so he could be reformed.” Discuss the truth of this statement in the context of the lesson.
Ans. The peddler is deceitful, greedy, immoral but deep within him is the consciousness of wrongdoings. He has become negative due to the behaviour of the people, who insulted and abused him. When he steals money from the crofter, he feels that it is God’s punishment that he is trapped in the forest. He declines the invitation of the ironmaster for his guilt has made him fearful of all influential men. He reproaches himself for declining the Christmas invitation, since he had resorted to petty thievery. The generosity of the crofter and his hospitably is not lost on him. So the peddler was already on the road towards reformation. When one is conscious of one’s mistake, the cure automatically follows. Edla was the trigger that unleashed all the goodness that lay dormant in his heart.
Q.2. Give a character sketch of the crofter as compared to the peddler. Do you believe that the Crofter was also in any way instrumental in reforming the peddler? Give reasons.
Ans. The crofter was a generous and kind-hearted man. He welcomed a stranger, a vagabond, to his house with open arms. The crofter lived alone, without a wife or a child, but that did not make him bitter like the peddler. He offered food to the peddler and then he carved off a big slice from his tobacco roll to share it with him. He played mjolis, a game of cards, with the stranger.
The crofter worked at Ramsjo Ironworks in his days of prosperity. Now he could no longer do hard labour, so he lived off his cow which gave enough milk to support him. He had no one to share his joy with and therefore he shared it with the peddler. He appears to be a very warm and friendly fellow.
The crofter doesn’t seem to affect the behaviour of the peddler as he didn’t think of his hospitality when he stole his thirty kronor. However, when another act of kindness in the form of Edla’s generosity came his way, he must have thought of the crofter. That is why he left the thirty kronors at Edla’s house, with a request to return them to the crofter. So the indirect influence of the crofter’s goodness can be seen in the peddler’s reformation.