So I invited him to pass the evening with us and went out to buy fried fishafter which we sat down to eat. Presently my wife took a piece of bread and fish and crammed them into his mouth，and he choked and died. Then I took him up and made shift to throw him into the house of the Jewish physician. He in his turn let him down into the house of the controllerwho threw him in the way of the Christian broker. Thisthenis my story. Is it not more wonderful than that of the hunchback？'
When the King heard the tailor's storyhe shook his head for delight and showed astonishmentsaying'This that passed between the young man and the meddlesome barber is indeed more pleasant and more wonderful than the story of that knave of a hunchback.'Then he bade the tailor take one of the chamberlains and fetch the barber out of his duressesaying'Bring him to methat I may hear his talkand it shall be the means of the release of all of you. Then we will bury the hunchbackfor he is dead since yesterdayand set up a tomb over him.'So the chamberlain and the tailor went away and presently returned with the barber. The King looked at him and beholdhe was a very old manmore than ninety years of ageof a swarthy complexion and white beard and eyebrowsflap-earedlong-nosed and simple and conceited of aspect. The King laughed at his appearance and said to him'O silent manI desire thee to tell me somewhat of thy history.'O King of the age，'replied the barber'why are all these men and this dead hunchback before thee？'Said the King，'Why dost thou ask？'I ask this，'rejoined the barber'that your Majesty may know that I am no impertinent meddler and that I am guiltless of that they lay to my charge of overmuch talk；for I am called the Silentand indeed I am the man of my nameas says the poet：
Thine eyes shall seldom see a man that doth a nickname bearBut，if thou searchthou'lt find the name his nature doth declare.
So the King said'Explain the hunchback's case to him and repeat to him the stories told by the physicianthe controllerthe broker and the tailor.'They did as he commandedand the barber shook his head and exclaimed'By Allahthis is indeed a wonder of wonders！'Then said he'Uncover the hunchback's bodythat I may see it.'They did soand he sat down and taking the hunchback's head in his laplooked at his face and laughed till he fell backward. Then said he'To every death there is a cause；but the story of this hunchback deserves to be recorded in letters of gold！'The bystanders were astounded at his words and the King wondered and said to him'O silent manexplain thy words to us.'O King of the age，'replied the barber'by thy munificencethere is yet life in this hunchback.'Then he pulled out from his girdle a barber's budgetwhence he took a pot of ointment and anointed therewith the neck of the hunchback and its veins. Then he took out a pair of tweezers and thrusting them down the hunchback's throatdrew out the piece of fish and its bonesoaked in blood. Thereupon the hunchback sneezed and sat upand passing his hand over his faceexclaimed'I testify that there is no god but God and that Mohammed is His Apostle！'
At this all present wondered and the King laughedtill he faintedand so did the others. Then said the King'By Allah，this is the most wonderful thing I ever saw！O MuslimsO soldiers alldid you ever in your lives see a man die and come to life again？ For verilyhad not God vouchsafed him this barber to be the cause of his preservationhe had been dead！'By Allah，'said they'this is a wonder of wonders！'Then the King caused the whole history to be recorded and laid up in the royal treasury；after which he bestowed splendid dresses of honour on the Jewthe broker and the controller and sent them away. Then he gave the tailor a costly dress of honour and appointed him his own tailorwith a suitable stipendand made peace between him and the hunchbackon whom he also bestowed a rich and fair dress of honour and made him his boon-companionappointing him due allowances. As for the barberhe made him a like present and appointed him state barber and one of his boon-companions，assigning him regular allowances and a fixed salary. And they all ceased not from the enjoyment of all the delights and comforts of lifetill there overtook them the Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of companies.
