Once on a time there was a man who had fine town and country
houses, gold and silver plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches
gilt all over; but unfortunately, this man had a blue beard, which
made him look so ugly and terrible, that there was not a woman or
girl who did not run away from him. One of his neighbours, a lady
of quality, had two daughters, who were perfectly beautiful. He
proposed to marry one of them, leaving her to choose which of the
two she would give him. Neither of them would have him; and they
sent him from one to the other, not being able to make up their
minds to marry a man who had a blue beard. What increased their
distaste to him was, that he had had several wives already, and
nobody knew what had become of them.
Blue Beard, in order to cultivate their acquaintance, took them,
with their mother, three or four of their most intimate friends,
and some young persons who resided in the neighbourhood, to one of
his country seats, where they passed an entire week. Nothing was
thought of but excursions, hunting and fishing, parties, balls,
entertainments, collations; nobody went to bed; the whole night was
spent in merry games and gambols. In short, all went off so well,
that the youngest daughter began to find out that the beard of the
master of the house was not as blue as it used to be, and that he
was a very worthy man. Immediately upon their return to town the
marriage took place. At the end of a month Blue Beard told his His
beard seemed not so very blue wife that he was obliged to take
ajourney, which would occupy six weeks at least, on a matter of
great consequence; that he entreated she would amuse herself as
much as she could during his absence; that she would invite her
best friends, take them into the country with her if she pleased,
and keep an excellent table everywhere.
"Here," said he to her, "are the keys of my two great store-rooms;
these are those of the chests in which the gold and silver plate is
kept, that is only used on particular occasions; these are the keys
of the strong boxes in which I keep my money; these open the
caskets that contain my
jewels; and this is the pass-key of all the
apartments. As for this little key, it is that of the closet at the
end of the long gallery, on the ground floor. Open everything, and
go everywhere except into that little closet, which I forbid you to
enter, and I forbid you so strictly, that if you should venture to
open the door, there is nothing that you may not have to dread from
my anger!" She promised to observe implicitly all his directions,
and after he had embraced her, he got on to his horse and set out
on his journey.
The neighbours and friends of the young bride did not wait for her
invitation, so eager were they to see all the treasures contained
in the mansion, not having ventured to enter it while the husband
Departure of Blue-Beard. was at home, so terrified were they at his
blue beard.
Behold them immediately running through all the rooms, closets, and
wardrobes, each apartment exceeding the other in beauty and
richness. Her Friends did not wait to be invited They ascended
afterwards to the store-rooms, where they could not sufficiently
admire the number and elegance of the tapestries, the beds, the
sofas, the cabinets, the stands, the tables, and the mirrors in
which they could see themselves from head to foot, and that had
frames some of glass, some of silver, and some of gilt metal,
more beautiful and magnificent than had ever been seen. They never
ceased enlarging upon and envying the good fortune of their friend,
who in the meanwhile was not in the least entertained by the sight
of all these treasures, in consequence of her impatience to open
the closet on the ground floor. Her curiosity increased to such a
degree that, without reflecting how rude it was to leave her
company, she ran down a back staircase in such haste that twice or
thrice she narrowly escaped breaking her neck. Arrived at the door
of the closet, she paused fora moment, bethinking herself of her husband's prohibition, and
that some misfortune might befall her for her disobedience; but the
temptation was so strong that she could not conquer it. She
therefore took the She paused before unlocking the door. little key
and opened, tremblingly, the door of the closet. At first she could
discern nothing, the windows being closed; after a short time she
began to perceive that the floor was all covered with clotted
blood, in which were reflected the dead bodies of several females
suspended against the walls. These were all the wives of Blue
Beard, who had cut their throats one after the other. She was ready
to die with fright, and
the key of the closet, which she had
withdrawn from the lock, fell from her hand. After recovering her
senses a little, she picked up the key, locked the door again, and
went up to her chamber to compose herself; but she could not
succeed, so greatly was she agitated. Having observed that the key
of the closet was stained with blood, she wiped it two or three
times, but the blood would not come off. In vain she washed it, and
even scrubbed it with sand and freestone, the blood was still
there, for the key was enchanted, and there were no means of
cleaning it completely: when the blood was washed off one side, it
came back on the other.
Blue Beard returned that very evening, and said that he had
illustration. received letters on the road informing him that the
business on which he was going had been settled to his advantage.
His wife did all she could to persuade him that she was delighted
at his speedy return. The next morning he asked her for his keys
again; she gave them to him; but her hand trembled so, that he had
not much difficulty in guessing what had occurred. "How comes it,"
said he, "that the key of the closet is not with the others?" "I
must have left it," she replied, "up-stairs on my table." "Fail
not," said Blue Beard, "to give it me presently." After several
excuses, she was compelled to produce the key. Blue Beard having
examined it, said to his wife, "Why is there some blood on this
key?" "I don't know," answered the poor wife, paler than death.
"You don't know?" rejoined Blue Beard. "I know well enough. You
must needs enter the closet. Well, madam, you shall You do not
Know! enter it, and go take your place amongst the ladies you saw
there." She flung herself at her husband's feet, weeping and
begging his pardon, with allthe signs of true repentance for having disobeyed him. Her
beauty and affliction might have melted a rock, but Blue Beard had
a heart harder than a rock. "You must die, madam," said he, "and
immediately." "If I must die," she replied, looking at him with
streaming eyes, "give me a little time to say my prayers." "I give
you half a quarter of an hour," answered Blue Beard, "but not a
minute more." As soon as he had left her, she called her sister,
and said to her, "Sister Anne"(for so she was named), "go up, I
pray thee, to the top of the tower, and see if my brothers are not
coming. They have promised me that they would come to see me today;
and if you see them, sign to them to make haste." Sister Anne
mounted to the top of the tower, and the poor distressed creature
called to her every now and then, "Anne! sister Anne! dost thou not
see anything
coming?" And sister Anne answered her, "I see nothing
but the sun making dust, and I see only the sun and dust. the grass
growing green."
In the meanwhile Blue Beard, with a great cutlass in his hand,
called out with all his might to his wife, "Come down quickly, or I
will come up there." "One minute more, if you please," replied his
wife; and immediately repeated in a low voice, "Anne! sister Anne!
dost thou not see anything coming?" And sister Anne replied, "I see
nothing but the sun making dust, and the grass growing green."
"Come down quickly," roared Blue Beard, "or I will come up there."
"I come," answered his wife, and then exclaimed, "Anne! sister
Anne! dost thou not see anything coming?" "I see," said sister
Anne, "a great cloud of dust moving this way." "Is it my brothers?"
"Alas! no, sister, I see a flock of sheep." "Wilt thou not come
down?" shouted Blue Beard. "One minute more," replied his wife, and
then she cried, "Anne! sister Anne! dost thou not see anything
coming?" "I see," she replied, "two horsemen coming this way; but
they are still at a great distance." "Heaven be praised!" she
exclaimed, a moment afterwards. "They are my brothers! I am making
all the signs I can to hasten them." Blue Beard began to roar so
loudly that the whole house shook again. The poor wife descended,
and went and threw herself, with streaming eyes and dishevelled
tresses, at his feet.
"It is of no use," said Blue Beard. "You must die!" Then seizing
her by the hair with one hand, and raising hiscutlass with the other, he was about to cut off her head. The
poor wife turned towards him, and fixing upon him her dying eyes,
implored him to allow her one short moment to collect herself. "No,
no," said he; "recommend thyself heartily to Heaven." And lifting
his arm - - At this moment there was so loud a knocking at the
gate, that Blue Beard stopped short. It was opened, and two
horsemen were immediately seen to enter, who, drawing their swords,
ran straight at Blue Beard. He recognized them as the brothers of
his wife - one a dragoon, the other a musqueteer, and,
consequently, fled immediately, in hope to escape; but they pursued
him so closely, that they overtook him before he could reach the
step of his door, and, passing their swords through his body, left
him dead on the spot. The poor wife was almost as dead as her
husband, and had not strength to rise and embrace her brothers. It
was found that Blue Beard had no Death of Blue-Beard. heirs, and so
his widow remained possessed of all
his property. She employed part
of it in marrying her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had long
loved her; another part, in buying captains' commissions for her
two brothers, and with the rest she married herself to a very
worthy man, who made her forget the miserable time she had passed
with Blue Beard.
Provided one has common sense,
And of the world but knows the ways,
This story bears the evidence
Of being one of bygone-days.
No husband now is so terrific,
Impossibilities expecting:
Though jealous, he is still pacific,
Indifference to his wife affecting.
And of his beard, whate'er the hue,
His spouse need fear no such disaster;
Indeed, 'twould often puzzle you
To say which of the twain is master.