"Pigs is Pigs" is a humorous short story by American writer Ellis Parker Butler, first published in 1905. It follows Flannery, a stubborn railway agent who insists that a pair of guinea pigs must be charged the livestock rate of 44 cents rather than the pet rate of 25 cents. When the customer refuses to pay the difference, Flannery keeps the animals at his station—where they multiply exponentially. Within weeks, hundreds of guinea pigs overrun the facility. When officials finally rule that guinea pigs are indeed pets, Flannery faces absurd consequences. The story remains a beloved satire of bureaucratic inflexibility and the unstoppable force of nature.
