Thousand & One Nights: 170th Night: The Hunchback Comes To Life

The king of China bade the barber be told the story of the hunchback. The story was repeated.  When the barber heard the story of the Hunchback, he shook his head and said, "This is amazing.  "Uncover for me the Hunchback," The Hunchback was uncovered.  The barber sat down, and took the Hunchback's head in his lap, looked at his face and burst out laughing until he fell on his back.  Then he exclaimed again, "How amazing.  To every death there is a cause, but the story of the hunchback is deserved to be recorded in golden letters."  Those present were puzzled by his words, and the king of China asked, "What do you mean the Silent One?"  The barber said, "By your bounty, there is still life in this hunchback."  Then he untied a leather bag from his belt and, opening it, took out a jar of ointment, and applied it liberally to hunchback's neck.  Then he took an iron stick, and inserting it into the hunchback's mouth, pride upon his jaw.  Then he took out an iron stick, and inserting it into hunchback's mouth, pried open his jaw.  Then he took a  pair of tweezers, thrust them down the hunchback's throat, and drew out a piece of fish with bone, soaked in blood.  Suddenly the hunchback sneezed and stood up, rubbing his face with his hand.

The king and all those present marveled at the story of the roguish hunchback, and how he lay unconscious for a full night and a day, until God sent him the barber, who saved his life.  The king of China commanded that the story of the barber and the hunchback be recorded, and he bestowed robes of honour on the steward, the tailor, the Christian and the Jew and sent them away.  As for the barber, he bestowed on him a rob of honour, assigned him a regular allowance, and made him his companion, and they continued to enjoy each other's company until they were overtaken by death.

Morning overtook, Shahrazad lapsed into silence.

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