Once upon a time there was a man who had fine houses, both in town and
country, a deal of silver and gold plate, carved furniture, and coaches
gilded all over. But unhappily this man had a blue beard, which made him
so ugly and so terrible that all the women and girls ran away from him.
One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were
perfect beauties. He asked for one of them in marriage, leaving to her
the choice of which she would bestow on him. They would neither of them
have him, and they sent him backward and forward from one to the other,
neither being able to make up her mind to marry a man who had a blue
beard. Another thing which made them averse to him was that he had
already married several wives, and nobody knew what had become of them.
Blue Beard, to become better acquainted, took them, with their mother
and three or four of their best friends, with some young people of the
neighborhood to one of his country seats, where they stayed a whole
week.
There was nothing going on but pleasure parties, hunting, fishing,
dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all passed the
night in playing pranks on each other. In short, everything succeeded so
well that the youngest daughter began to think that the beard of the
master of the house was not so very blue, and that he was a very civil
gentleman. So as soon as they returned home, the marriage was concluded.
About a month afterward Blue Beard told his wife that he was obliged to
take a country journey for six weeks at least, upon business of great
importance. He desired her to amuse herself well in his absence, to send
for her friends, to take them into the country, if she pleased, and to
live well wherever she was.
"Here," said he, "are the keys of the two great warehouses wherein I
have my best furniture: these are of the room where I keep my silver and
gold plate, which is not in everyday use; these open my safes, which
hold my money, both gold and silver; these my caskets of jewels; and
this is the master-key to all my apartments. But as for this little key,
it is the key of the closet at the end of the great gallery on the
ground floor. Open them all; go everywhere; but as for that little
closet, I forbid you to enter it, and I promise you surely that, if you
open it, there's nothing that you may not expect from my anger."
She promised to obey exactly all his orders; and he, after having
embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.
Her neighbors and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the
new-married lady, so great was their impatience to see all the riches of
her house, not daring to come while her husband was there, because of
his blue beard, which frightened them. They at once ran through all the
rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were so fine and rich, and each
seemed to surpass all others. They went up into the warehouses, where
was the best and richest furniture; and they could not sufficiently
admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets,
stands, tables, and looking-glasses, in which you might see yourself
from head to foot. Some of them were framed with glass, others with
silver, plain and gilded, the most beautiful and the most magnificent
ever seen.
[Illustration: "IF YOU OPEN IT, THERE'S NOTHING YOU MAY NOT EXPECT
FROM MY ANGER." p. 67.]
They ceased not to praise and envy the happiness of their friend, who,
in the meantime, was not at all amused by looking upon all these rich
things, because of her impatience to go and open the closet on the
ground floor. Her curiosity was so great that, without considering how
uncivil it was to leave her guests, she went down a little back
staircase, with such excessive haste that twice or thrice she came near
breaking her neck. Having reached the closet-door, she stood still for
some time, thinking of her husband's orders, and considering that
unhappiness might attend her if she was disobedient; but the temptation
was so strong she could not overcome it. She then took the little key,
and opened the door, trembling. At first she could not see anything
plainly, because the windows were shut. After some moments she began to
perceive that several dead women were scattered about the floor. (These
were all the wives whom Blue Beard had married and murdered, one after
the other, because they did not obey his orders about the closet on the
ground floor.) She thought she surely would die for fear, and the key,
which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.
After having somewhat recovered from the shock, she picked up the key,
locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to compose herself;
but she could not rest, so much was she frightened.
Having observed that the key of the closet was stained, she tried two or
three times to wipe off the stain, but the stain would not come out. In
vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand. The stain
still remained, for the key was a magic key, and she could never make it
quite clean; when the stain was gone off from one side, it came again on
the other.
Blue Beard returned from his journey that same evening, and said he had
received letters upon the road, informing him that the business which
called him away was ended to his advantage. His wife did all she could
to convince him she was delighted at 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.
"How is it," said he, "that the key of my closet is not among the rest?"
"I must certainly," said she, "have left it upstairs upon the table."
"Do not fail," said Blue Beard, "to bring it to me presently."
After having put off doing it several times, she was forced to bring him
the key. Blue Beard, having examined it, said to his wife:--
"How comes this stain upon the key?"
"I do not know," cried the poor woman, paler than death.
"You do not know!" replied Blue Beard. "I very well know. You wished to
go into the cabinet? Very well, madam; you shall go in, and take your
place among the ladies you saw there."
She threw herself weeping at her husband's feet, and begged his pardon
with all the signs of a true repentance for her disobedience. She would
have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Blue Beard
had a heart harder than any stone.
"You must die, madam," said he, "and that at once."
"Since I must die," answered she, looking upon him with her eyes all
bathed in tears, "give me some little time to say my prayers."
"I give you," replied Blue Beard, "half a quarter of an hour, but not
one moment more."