Book excerpt: Maitre Hauchecome spots a piece of string on the ground during his walk into town. As he bends down to pick it up, he could never have imagined the chaos that would soon ensue. His arch-nemesis Maitre Malandain is laying in wait. Hauchecome has walked straight into a trap intended to demolish his reputation in one blow. "The Piece of String" is an atmospheric revenge tale that portrays human nature, human cruelty, and malice that knows no limits. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.