Gertrude the Great saves a Guinea Pig’s fate.
When eight-year-old Gertrude the Great’s third grade teacher says it’s her turn to take care of the class guinea pig for the weekend, Gertrude hopes to have sudden fame, but her grandmother has a fear of pets and gets chills and sweats. She teases Gertrude with funny stories about eating animals . . . at least Gertrude thinks she’s teasing. Gertrude hopes her grandmother will make concessions and act civil for the two days and two nights.
The guinea pig doesn’t even make a noise when first arriving at home. Then Grandmother tells Gertrude to go outside to play, and she grabs green grass to feed the pet. As she opens the cage, the guinea pig speeds away. Gertrude dives to catch him but he shoots all over the place. If Grandmother grabs the guinea, Gertrude fears she will make Guinea Pig Stew out of him, and Miss Miller will make her retake the third grade.
Grandmother hears Gertrude yelling, but she insists she’s just running laps before dinner. Then she catches the guinea pig’s tail and slides him into the living room. The guinea scurries behind the couch, and Grandmother comes charging from the kitchen, looming over Gertrude’s shoulder. Gertrude crouches beneath the couch’s leg, trying to grab the pig.
Grandmother sees the guinea pig and thinks it’s a rat. She goes on full attack, threatening to cook it like a steak. Gertrude bravely explains how it’s her weekend homework. Then Gertrude grabs the guinea’s ear and slams her bedroom door in tears. As Gertrude puts the pig back in its cage, Grandma warns that Gertrude better hide the pig until Monday. Gertrude stands her ground until Sunday night, and instead, Grandmother says she cooks a “basset hound.” Monday morning, the guinea pig makes it back to Miss Miller, grateful to be alive. Gertrude has passed her exam with flying colors.