Class 12 English Previous Year: Short Questions with Answers- Rattrap

Q. 1. Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? [SQP 2018-19]
Ans. Suggested Value Points :
- it showed that Edla’s trust was not broken by peddler
- her goodness had paid off and peddler had transformed
- she will not have to suffer criticism for trying to help a thief.
Detailed Answer: The peddler had left a gift for Edla. This showed Edla that her care and kind gesture had transformed the peddler. Her trust was not broken by the peddler and her goodness had been paid off. This also saved Edla from her father’s criticism of trying to help a thief. Rather, she would have a high image of transforming a thief into a compassionate person.

Q. 2. In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler?
Ans. Value Points :
— world full of temptations like a rattrap
— offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing; when someone was tempted to touch them it would close on him and then everything came to an end.
Detailed Answer : According to the peddler, the world was a big rattrap because it was full of temptations. Like a rattrap, it offered riches and joys, shelter and food, heat and clothing. When someone was tempted to touch them, it would close on him and everything came to an end.

Q. 3. Why was the peddler amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap?
OR
Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a rattrap?
Ans. Value Points :
— others got entrapped whereas he was not lured by temptation / free from the rattrap — gave him joy to think ill of the world in this way
OR
Value Points : According to the peddler, the world had never been very kind to him, so it gave him unwanted joy to think ill of it. In this way, the world was a trap and it gave him great pleasure to know that he had escaped being trapped so far. The whole world was a big rattrap as it had existed for only one purpose - 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 felt tempted to touch the bait, it closed on him and then everything came to an end.
Detailed Answer : The peddler was amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap as the world had never accepted him. Everyone had always been unkind to him. He was amused with the idea because he himself had never led a good life and envied others who led a better life than him. He thought that others got entrapped whereas he was not lured by the temptations and was free from them. It gave him joy to think ill of the world in this way.

Q. 4. How was the peddler received in the cottage?
OR
Why did the peddler knock at the cottage by the roadside ? How was he treated by the owner of the cottage? 
Ans. Value Points : to ask for shelter for the night; the crofter treated him kindly; offered him shelter in his cottage; gave him food; also played cards with him and smoked tobacco.
Detailed Answer : The peddler knocked at the cottage to ask for shelter for the night. The crofter treated him kindly; offered him shelter in his cottage and gave him food. He also played cards with him and smoked tobacco.

Q. 5. Why was the crofter happy when the peddler knocked at the doo?
Ans. The crofter was happy when the peddler knocked at the door because he used to stay there alone. He was happy to have some company and someone to share his things and achievements with.

Q. 6. What hospitality did the peddler receive from the crofter?
OR
At the crofter’s home, why did the peddler feel very happy?
OR
How was the peddler treated at the crofter’s cottage?
Ans. Value Points :
— received warm welcome / place to stay
— porridge for supper
— big slice of tobacco roll
— played mjolis / cards
— crofter confided in him
Detailed Answer : The crofter treated him kindly. He offered him shelter in his cottage, gave him porridge for supper. Then he cut a big slice from the tobacco roll which was sufficient for both of them and offered it to him. The crofter played mjolis, a card game with him. He also confided in him and shared his secret with him.

Q. 7. How was the crofter generous with his confidence when he spoke to the peddler?
Ans. The crofter was generous with his confidence as he told the peddler about thirty Kroners. Not only that, he even showed them to him.

Q. 8. Why did the crofter show the thirty kroners to the peddler?
Ans. Value Points :
— the crofter felt proud of the cow that gave him enough milk to support him
— to convince the peddler
— was lonely / happy to share his confidence generously with the peddler
— trusting
Detailed Answer : The crofter had a cow which he was proud of because it gave him enough milk to support him. Since he never had any guests and lived alone in his house, he was happy to share his confidence of getting thirty kroners by selling the milk of his cow. But he saw that the peddler was not convinced, he got up and took out the three ten-kroner bills and showed them to the peddler.

Q. 9. Why did the iron master speak kindly to the peddler and invite him home? 
Ans. Value Points :
— mistook peddler for an old comrade
— iron master was happy, he found his comrade with whom he could spend the Christmas eve
— loneliness of iron master made him desperate to invite the man home
— because of the condition in which he had found the peddler
Detailed Answer : The iron master spoke kindly to the peddler and invited him home because he thought that he was an old acquaintance of his. Due to the dim light and the peddler’s unkempt appearance, he mistook him for Nils Olof, someone he had known a long time back. He thought he could spend Christmas Eve with him. Moreover he felt that his comrade had not been keeping well, after resigning, so he invited him to his home.

Q. 10. Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away?
OR
How did Edla persuade her father to let the peddler stay in their home till Christmas?
Ans. Value Points : walks the whole year long/chased away/no home that makes him feel welcome/ afraid of being arrested/wants him to enjoy at least one day of peace/morally they ought not to turn away a human whom they have invited for Christmas and promised Christmas cheer.
OR
Value Points : It was the Christmas eve and Edla wanted to keep the spirit of Christmas/wanted to provide him with a day of comfort and solace/ justified that they had invited him against his will/was lonely and wanted to do something special on the Christmas eve.
Detailed Answer : Edla pleaded with her father not to send the vagabond away because she wanted him to stay there for the Christmas celebration. She understood how hard it must have been for him to wander from place to place and being homeless, she wanted him to stay and enjoy at least one day of peace, comfort and solace. Moreover, it was Christmas Eve and Edla wanted to keep the spirit of the Christmas alive. She told her father that they had invited him as a guest for Christmas, so they must keep their promise and not turn him away.

Q. 11. Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
Ans. Value Points : Basically kind :
- trusting and compassionate
- wanted peddler to enjoy
- be at peace
- did not want to turn away a guest on the Christmas eve
- kind gesture to reform the peddler.
Detailed Answer : Edla was basically trusting and compassionate. She wanted the peddler to enjoy and be at peace. She did not want to turn away the guest on a Christmas Eve. It was her kind gesture to reform the peddler.

Q. 12 What did the peddler do to keep his body and soul together?
Ans. The peddler sold rattraps to earn his living. However, it was not enough so he had to depend on begging and petty thievery as well.

Q. 13. What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla Williamson?
Ans. Value Points : a rattrap, three ten-kroner notes and a letter; regret for robbing the crofter; his gratitude to Ms. Willmansson for treating him like a captain.
Detailed Answer : The peddler left a rattrap with three ten-kronor notes and a letter of regret for robbing the crofter. He signed himself as Captain von Stahle to show his gratitude to Ms. Wilmansson for treating him like a captain.

Q. 14. What was the content of the letter written by the peddler to Edla?
Ans. Value Points : Thanked her for the kindness and for treating him as a captain/raised him to the status of a captain/helped in bringing about a change in him/reforming him/offering him true friendship and high regard/gifted Edla a rattrap as a Christmas present and returned the stolen money.
Detailed Answer : The peddler thanked Edla for all her kindness and for treating him as a captain, which raised him to the status of a captain. He thanked her for bringing about a change in him, reforming him, offering him true friendship and high regard. He also gifted a rattrap as a Christmas present to Edla and returned the money stolen by him.