what was the cheese incident in "three men in a boat"
Answers
George did not want cheese to be carried on boat as cheese, like oil, makes too much of itself. It goes through the hamper, and gives a cheesy flavour to everything else there. Its odour affects each and everything around.
Once, Tom, one of narrator's friends, bought a couple of
cheeses at Liverpool. Since he was preoccupied with some important work, he
requested the narrator to take the cheeses to London. The narrator readily
agreed as he wanted to please him.
The narrator boarded a crowded train. He got into a compartment where seven
people were already sitting. He put the cheeses upon a rack. The strong smell
of the cheese spread in the compartment, and one by one the passengers left the
compartment. Only a black man was left in the compartment. Even he got down at
Crewe and got into another compartment. From Crewe the narrator had the entire
compartment to himself, though the train was crowded. As the train stopped at
different staions, the people, seeing his empty carriage, would rush for it,
carrying heavy bags, and would fight at the door to get in first. As they
opened the door and mount the steps, they would stagger back because of the
pervading stink in the carriage.