Vetala Tales [1] is a popular collection of stories from India of unknown antiquity, but predating the 11th century CE. It exists in 4 main Sanskrit recensions, and many modern translations into Indian and other vernaculars. The collection consists of a series of unrelated tales, all told within the context of a frame story. The exact content of the frame stories varies between versions, but always involves the core element of King Vikramaditya carrying a dead body to a yogi in a cemetery; the body is possessed by a Vetala, who tells Vikramaditya the tales to pass the time, and aids him in thwarting the yogi's nefarious scheme in the conclusion. Unlike the Panchatantra, whose recensions and translations sometimes vary greatly (see List of Panchatantra Stories for a tabulated comparison), the overall content and structure of the Vetala Tales has remained relatively stable (though exhibiting many minor differences).