Chapter 4 The Rattrap Solutions
Question - 41 : - Why did the Peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster?
Answer - 41 : -
The ironmaster had mistaken the Peddler for an old regimental comrade and invited him home. The Peddler declined the ironmaster’s invitation because he was carrying the stolen money and would be handed over to the police, when the ironmaster discovered his true identity.
Question - 42 : - Who was the owner ofRamsjd iron mills? Why did he visit the mills at night?
Answer - 42 : -
The owner of the Ramsjo iron mills was an ambitious and prominent ironmaster. He insisted on quality and was very particular about his reputation. He visited the mills at night to make sure that good iron was shipped out from his mills to the market.
Question - 43 : - Why did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof ?
Answer - 43 : -
The stranger did not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof because he thought that if the gentleman believed that he was an old friend or acquaintance of his, then he might take pity on him and help him by giving him some money.
Question - 44 : - Did the Peddler expect the kind of hospitality that he received from the Crofter?
Answer - 44 : -
Or
Why was the Peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the cottage?
Answer
Wherever the Peddler went, he was met with hostile looks and people chased him away. When he knocked at the Crofter’s cottage, he was welcomed in and treated like a guest, not like an unwelcome visitor or a beggar. The Peddler was surprised to be treated with such hospitality.
Question - 45 : - Why did the Peddler keep to the woods after leaving the Crofter’s cottage? How did he feel?
Answer - 45 : -
Or
What made the Peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
Answer
After stealing the Crofter’s money, the Peddler didn’t dare to walk on the public highway for fear of getting identified and caught. So, he went into the woods. It was a big and confusing forest. The Peddler lost his way. Suddenly, the truth dawned upon him. He thought that the forest was a big rattrap in which he had fallen. The thirty kronor were like a bait which had been set to tempt him, and he had allowed himself to be fooled and caught.
Question - 46 : - Why was Ed la happy to see the gift left by the Peddler?
Answer - 46 : -
Edla was very shocked when she learned that their guest was actually a thief. She had fought with her father to let the Peddler stay. She held herself responsible for offering shelter to a thief. But when she found the stolen thirty kronor in a rattrap, she was very happy. She was overjoyed to think that her kindness had changed the Peddler and brought out his essential goodness.
Question - 47 : - What made the Peddler finally change his ways?
Answer - 47 : -
The Peddler believed in giving back to the world what he received from it. He was always treated with contempt and hostility and so he never did anything good. However, Edla’s kind and caring behavior finally changed him. She had treated him with love and respect befitting a captain when she knew that he was a poor vagabond. The trust that Edla showed in him made him change his ways and he decided to live with dignity and respect.
Question - 48 : - Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual. Which two reasons forced her to behave in that manner?
Answer - 48 : -
Edla had shown kindness to the Peddler even after knowing that he was not a captain. This was the reason why she felt all the more dejected when she came to know that the Peddler was actually a thief who had recently robbed a Crofter. She felt that she had done wrong in offering shelter to a thief. Secondly, she also felt bad because the Peddler had not measured up to the faith which she had shown in him.
Question - 49 : - Why was he amused by the idea?
Answer - 49 : -
Wherever the Peddler went, people were hostile to him and chased him away. So, he was amused by the idea of the world being a big rattrap. He was also happy that those who chased him away will also be tempted and caught up in the rattrap one day.
Question - 50 : - Did the Peddler respect the confidence reposed in him by the Crofter?
Answer - 50 : -
No, the Peddler didn’t respect the confidence reposed in him by the Crofter. The Crofter showed him the thirty kronor which he had earned. The next day, the Peddler came back, broke the window pane, and stole the thirty kronor from the pouch where it was kept near the window.