The Guinea Pig Chapter Notes | English Class 6 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

The chapter "The Guinea Pig" is a funny play about a man who visits a restaurant to enjoy a bowl of soup. However, he gets a big surprise when he finds a small animal in his soup, which turns out to be a guinea pig. The waiter explains that the restaurant uses guinea pigs to test if the soup is safe to eat. The story follows the man’s reactions and his funny conversations with the waiter as he tries to understand this strange practice. It helps us learn how to deal with unexpected situations with a bit of humor and patience.

Key Points

• The story begins with a man eating soup in a restaurant and noticing an animal in it.
• He calls the waiter and thinks it is a hamster, but the waiter says it is a guinea pig.
• The waiter explains that guinea pigs are added to all soups to check for poison.
• If the guinea pig lives, the soup is safe; if it dies, it means the soup is poisoned.
• The man is upset because the guinea pig eats most of his soup before he can.
• He asks if poisoned soup happens often, and the waiter says no one has been poisoned since they started using guinea pigs.
• The waiter reveals that twenty-five guinea pigs have died in two months, mostly from drowning or natural causes.
• The restaurant gets new customers because it is on a highway but not repeat ones.
• The man refuses to eat the soup and asks for a new bowl without animals.
• Later, he talks to the guinea pig like a baby, but it suddenly dies, making him think someone is trying to poison him.
• He demands a new guinea pig, and the play ends with the waiter agreeing.

Explanation

The play starts in a restaurant where a man is enjoying his soup. He soon notices something unusual—a small animal in his bowl—and calls out to the waiter. Feeling a bit nervous, he shouts that there seems to be an animal in his soup and guesses it might be a hamster. The waiter, shouting back from across the room, asks what kind it is and seems unsure, suggesting the man might be mistaken. The man insists it is a furry hamster drinking his soup and demands a new bowl. 

When the waiter comes closer, he corrects the man, saying it is not a hamster but a guinea pig, and the cook forgot to remove it. The waiter then explains the restaurant’s strange rule: they put guinea pigs in all soups to test for poison. If the guinea pig stays alive, the soup is safe to eat; if it dies, it shows the soup is dangerous. The man is shocked and annoyed because the guinea pig has already eaten most of his soup. 

He calls this idea very silly and says he does not want to share his food with an animal. The waiter tells him to be grateful the soup was not poisoned. The man then asks if poisoned soup is common, and the waiter avoids giving a clear answer, saying it depends on what "common" means. 

When the man asks if anyone has been poisoned, the waiter says no one has since they started using guinea pigs. Curious, the man asks how many guinea pigs have died from poisonous soup. The waiter says it’s hard to tell because some may have drowned since guinea pigs cannot swim well, or died from natural causes. The man insists on knowing the total number, and the waiter admits that twenty-five have died in the past two months since they began this practice. 

The man then asks if many customers return, and the waiter says they get new people because the restaurant is on a highway but not repeat customers. The man points out that no sane person would come back after finding an animal in their soup. The waiter defends their method, saying it keeps customers safe and shows a report proving no one has died from food poisoning there. 

The man argues that no one eats there anyway because of the guinea pigs, whether sterilized or not. The waiter keeps correcting him, saying it’s a guinea pig, not a hamster or muskrat. The man refuses to eat and asks for a new bowl without any animals near it. The waiter offers to bring a new bowl but suggests dipping the guinea pig’s head for a sip, which the man rejects. 

Later, the man starts talking to the guinea pig in a childish way, but he gets startled when it suddenly dies. He thinks someone is trying to poison him with slow-acting poison and demands a new guinea pig. The waiter brings it, and the play ends with a blackout, leaving the situation unresolved.

Message

The story teaches us to stay calm and patient even when we face strange or funny situations. It shows that safety is important, but using odd methods like putting guinea pigs in soup can confuse and upset people. The play uses humor to help us think about how we handle surprises and make choices in difficult moments.

New Words with Meanings

• Astonished: Very surprised or shocked.
• Absurd: Something silly or not making sense.
• Hamster: A small animal like a mouse with big cheeks for storing food.
• Guinea Pig: A small animal without a tail, used in experiments or as a pet.
• Poisoned: Made harmful or deadly by adding something dangerous.
• Stalling: Delaying or avoiding answering quickly.
• Patron: A customer or visitor.
• Sterilized: Made free from germs or bacteria.
• Muskrat: A furry animal with a strong smell, found in North America.
• Untimely: Happening at a bad or wrong time.
• Baby Talking: Speaking in a childish way, like to a baby.
• Kicked Off: Died.