Fyodor Dostoevsky -The Crocodile

Ivan Matveich, an ordinary man, is swallowed alive by a crocodile at a sideshow. Finding life inside the beast comfortable, he makes a home there and gains fame for his philosophical musings. The debate rages outside whether to cut open the crocodile or preserve it as a valuable attraction. This story is one of Jorge Luis Borges' seven favorite stories.