How many times can one man die? Surprisingly many, it turns out. Set in what is now the Xinjiang province of China, tensions between Muslims, Jews and Christians lead a series of inhabitants to frame their neighbours for a death; but will they listen to their consciences when the penalty for murder is hanging? A black comedy with a social message, this tale is unusual among the Arabian Nights for containing no magic, but a great deal of gallows humour and contemporary relevance. You won't be sorry you stumbled upon "The Little Hunchback", the twenty-third of 34 tales in the classic Arabian Nights collection translated by Andrew Lang.