Bluebeard

Once upon a time thereThere was a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a great deal of silver and gold tablewaredeal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. But this man had the misfortune to have a blue beard, which made him so frightfully ugly, that all the women and girls ran away from him.

One of his neighbours, a lady of high rankquality, had two daughters who were perfect beauties. He asked to marry one of them, leaving their mother to choose which daughter she would givedesired of her one of them in marriage, leaving to her the choice which of the two she would bestow upon him. Neither wanted him. Each was happy to leave him to the other, unable to bear the thought of marrying a man withThey would neither of them have him, and each made the other welcome of him, being not able to bear the thought of marrying a man who had a blue beard. What also disgusted and repelled them was that he had already had several wives, and nobody knew what had becomeAnd what besides gave them disgust and aversion, was his having already been married to several wives, and nobody ever knew what became of them.

BluebeardBlue Beard, to winengage their affection, took them, their mother, three or four ladies they knew, and other young people fromwith the lady their mother, and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with other young people of the neighbourhood, to one of his country housesseats, where they stayed a whole week. Their days were full of outings, hunting, fishing, dancing, laughterThere was nothing then to be seen but parties of pleasure, hunting, fishing, dancing, mirth and feasting. Nobody went to bed; they all spent the night playing tricks on one another.bed, but all passed the night in playing tricks upon each other. In short, everything went so wellevery thing succeeded so well, that the youngest daughter began to think her host’s beard was not so very blue, and that he was a very politethe master of the house not to have a beard so very blue, and that he was a mighty civil gentleman. As soon as they returned home, they were marriedthe marriage was concluded.

About a month afterwards BluebeardBlue Beard told his wife that he had to travel into the country for at least six weeks on very important business. He asked her to enjoy herself while he was away, invite her friends and acquaintances, take them to the country if she wished, and feastwas obliged to take a country journey for six weeks at least, about affairs of very great consequence, desiring her to divert herself in his absence, to send for her friends and acquaintances, to carry them into the country, if she pleased, and to make good cheer wherever she was.

"Here," said he, "are the keys of the two great wardrobes, where I keep my finest furnishingswherein I have my best furniture; these are for my silver and gold tableware, which is not used every dayof my silver and gold plate, which is not every day in use; these open my strong boxes, which hold my money, both gold and silver; these are for my jewel boxesmy caskets of jewels; and this is the master-key to all my roomsapartments. AsBut for this little one here, it is the key to the little roomof the closet at the end of the great gallery on the ground floor. Open every door and go into every room, except that little room. I forbid you to enter it. If you open it, there will be no limit to my rightfulthem all; go into all and every one of them; except that little closet which I forbid you, and forbid it in such a manner that, if you happen to open it, there will be no bounds to my just anger and resentment."

She promised to follow his orders exactly. He embraced her, got into his coach and set offobserve, very exactly, whatever he had ordered; when he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.

Her neighbours and friends did not wait for the newly married lady to invite them. They were eager to see the fine furnishings of her house. They had not dared to visit while her husband was there, because his blue beardgood friends did not stay to be sent for by the newmarried lady, so great was their impatience to see all the rich furniture of her house, not daring to come while her husband was there, because of his blue beard which frightened them. They ran through all the rooms, small chambers and storeroomsthro' all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so rich and fine, that they seemed to surpass one another.

After that, they went up into the two great rooms, where the finest furnishings were kept. They never tired of admiringwere the best and richest furniture; they could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and mirrorslooking-glasses in which you might see yourself from head to foot. Some; some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent everwhich were ever seen. They kept praising and envying their friend’s good fortune. Meanwhile, she took no pleasure in looking at all these riches: she was impatient to open the little room onceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the mean time no way diverted herself in looking upon all these rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet of the ground floor. Her curiosity was so strong that, forgetting how rude it was to leave her guestsShe was so much pressed by her curiosity, that, without considering that it was very uncivil to leave her company, she went down a little back staircase-stair-case, and in such a hurry that she nearly broke her neck two or three timeswith such excessive haste, that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her neck.

When she reached the little room’s door, she paused. She thought about her husband’s orders and what trouble might follow if she disobeyed. But the temptation was too strong to resistBeing come to the closet door, she made a stop for some time, thinking upon her husband's orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend her if she was disobedient; but the temptation was so strong she could not overcome it. Then, trembling, she took the little key and opened the door. At first she could not see anything clearlyShe took then the little key, and opened it trembling; but could not at first see any thing plainly, because the windows were shut. After some moments she began to seeperceive that the floor was all covered withover with clottedExplanation: The blood on the floor, the reflected bodies and the murdered wives remain in the story. The graphic description of the blood’s texture is omitted in the modern version for children. blood, in which were reflected the bodies of several dead women lined up against the walls. Theseranged against the walls: these were all the wives whom BluebeardBlue Beard had married and murdered one after another. She almost died of frightwas like to have died for fear, and the key, which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.

After coming to her senses a little, she picked up the key, locked the door and went upstairs to her room to calm down. But she was too frightened to recoverhaving somewhat recovered her senses, she took up the key, locked the door, and went up stairs into her chamber to recover herself; but she could not, so much was she frightened. When she noticed that the key to the little roomHaving observed that the key of the closet was stained with blood, she tried two or three times to wipe it off, but the blood would not come off. She washed it and even scrubbed it with soap and sand, but in vain: the blood remained. The key was enchanted, so she could never get it completely clean. When the blood disappeared from one side, it returned; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand, the blood still remained, for the key was a Fairy, and she could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from one side, it came again on the other.

Bluebeard returned from his journey that same evening. He said he had received letters on the road telling him that his business had been settled in his favour.Blue Beard returned from his journey the same evening, and said, he had received letters upon the road, informing him that the affair he went about was ended to his advantage. His wife did all she could to convince him she was extremely glad of his speedy return. Next morning he asked her for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand, that he easily guessed what had happened.

"Why," he said, "is the key to my little room not with the others?""What," said he, "is not the key of my closet among the rest?"

"I must have left it upstairs on the table," she answered.certainly," answered she, "have left it above upon the table."

"Be sureFail not," said BluebeardBlue Beard, "to bring it to me at onceme presently."

After putting him off several times, she was forced to bring him the key. BluebeardBlue Beard, after examining it closelyhaving very attentively considered it, said to his wife:

"How did this blood get oncomes this blood upon the key?"

"I do not know," cried the poor woman, paler than death.

"You do not know," replied BluebeardBlue Beard; "I know very well:very well know, you were determined to enter the little roomresolved to go into the closet, were you not? VeryMighty well, Madam; you shall go in, and take your place among the ladies you saw there."

Upon this she threw herself at her husband's feet, and begged his pardon, showing how deeply she regretted disobeying himpardon with all the signs of a true repentance for her disobedience. She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but BluebeardBlue Beard had a heart harder than any rock.

"You must die, Madam," said he, "and at oncethat presently."

"Since I must die," answered she, looking at him through tear-filled eyesupon him with her eyes all bathed in tears, "give me some little time to say my prayers."

"I give you," replied BluebeardBlue Beard, "seven and a half minuteshalf a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more."

When she was alone, she called out to her sister, and said to her:

"Sister Anne" (for that was her name), "please go up togo up I beg you, upon the top of the tower, and see whether my brothers are coming. They promised to come today. If you see them, signal to them to hurrylook if my brothers are not coming; they promised me that they would come to-day, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste."

Her sister Anne went up toupon the top of the tower, and the poor distressedafflicted wife cried out from time to time, "Anne, sister Anne, do you see any one coming?"

And sister Anne said:

"I see nothing but the sun making the dust sparkle, which makes a dust, and the grass growing green."

MeanwhileIn the mean while BluebeardBlue Beard, holding a large curved swordgreat scimitar in his hand, cried out as loud as he could bawl to his wife:

"Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you."

"One moment longer, if you please," said his wife, and then she cried out very softly:

"Anne, sister Anne, do you see anybodydost thou see any body coming?"

And sister Anne answered:

"I see nothing but the sun making the dust sparkle, which makes a dust, and the grass growing green."

"Come down quickly," cried BluebeardBlue Beard, "or I will come up to you."

"I am coming," answered his wife; and then she cried:

"Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyonedost thou see any one coming?"

"I see," replied sister Anne, "a great cloud of dust comingdust that comes this way."

"Are they my brothers?"

"Alas! no, my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep."

"Will you not come down?" cried BluebeardBlue Beard.

"One moment longer," said his wife, and then she cried out:

"Anne, sister Anne, do youdost thou see nobody coming?"

"I see," said she, "two horsemen coming, but they are still a longyet a great way off."

"God be praised," she cried at oncepresently, "they are my brothers; I am beckoning to them, as clearly as I can, to make them hurrywell as I can, for them to make haste."

Then BluebeardBlue Beard bawled out so loud, that he made the whole house tremble. The distressed wife came down, and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with her hair about her shoulders.

"Nothing will help youNought will avail," said BluebeardBlue Beard, "you must die"; then, taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up his curved swordscimitar with the other, he was about to kill hergoing to take off her headExplanation: Exceptional softening for children: the death remains explicit, but the physical detail of the killing is expressed less graphically. The historical wording is preserved in the original..

The poor lady turned towards him, looking at him with dying eyes. She begged for one brief moment to collectturning about to him, and looking at him with dying eyes, desired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herself.

"No, no," said he, "commend yourselfrecommend thyself to God," and was just ready to strike.

At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate, that BluebeardBlue Beard made a sudden stop. The gate was opened, and two horsemen immediately entered. They drew their swords and ran straight towards Bluebeardpresently entered two horsemen, who drawing their swords, ran directly to Blue Beard. He knew them to be his wife's brothers, one a mounted soldier, the other a musketeer. He immediately ran away to save himself. Butdragoon, the other a musqueteer; so that he ran away immediately to save himself; but the two brothers pursued him so closely that they caughtso close, that they overtook him before he could get to the steps of the porch.porch, They killed him with their swords.when they ran their swords thro' his body and left him dead.Explanation: Exceptional softening for children: retains Bluebeard’s death and the brothers’ swords while removing the detail of blades passing through his body. No number of blows is added; the original remains available. The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and did not have enough strengthhad not strength enough to rise and welcome her brothers.

BluebeardBlue Beard had no heirs, and so his wife became the owner of his wholemistress of all his estate. She usedmade use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had loved her for a long while. She used another parta long while; another part to buy positions as captainscaptains' commissions for her brothers, and the restbrothers; and the rest to marrymarry herself to a very worthy gentleman whogentleman, who made her forget the terrible time she had spent with Bluebeard.ill time she had passed with Blue Beard.

The Moral

O curiosity, you deadlythou mortal bane!
Despite your charms, you often causeSpite of thy charms, thou causest often pain
And sore regret, of which we daily find
A thousand instances amongattend mankind:
For you—O may the ladies find this fair—
Are fleeting pleasure, but enduringthou—O may it not displease the fair—
A fleeting pleasure art, but lasting care.
Too dear, alas! is always foundAnd always proves, alas! too dear the prize,
Which, in the moment of possession, dies.

Another

A very little share of common sense,
And knowledge of the world, give evidencewill soon evince
That this is a tale of times long pasta story is of time long pass'd;
No husbands now cause terrors quite so vastsuch panic terrors cast;
Nor foolishly, with vain despotic hand,
Make what’s impossible their sternweakly, with a vain despotic hand,
Imperious, what's impossible, command:
And be they discontented, or the fire
Of wicked jealousy their hearts inspire,
They softly sing; and of whatever hue
Their beards may chance to be, or black, or blue,
GrizzledGrizeld, or russet, it is hard to say
Which of the two, the man or wife, holdsbears sway.