Once upon a time--but it was a long while ago; so long, indeed, that the
oldest oaks in our forests were not yet acorns on the bough--there was a
man who lived in a splendid house and had dishes of gold and silver,
chairs and sofas covered with flowered satin, and curtains of the
richest silk. But, alas! this man was so unlucky as to have a blue
beard, which made him look so frightfully ugly that the first impulse of
every woman and girl he met was to run away from him.
In the same vicinity lived a lady of quality who had two beautiful
daughters, and he wished to marry one of them. He was even willing to
let the lady decide which of the two it should be.
Neither of the daughters, however, would have him, and the lady sighed
to think of her children's obstinacy in refusing to become the mistress
of such a magnificent mansion. But they were not able to make up their
minds to marry a man with a blue beard. Their aversion was increased by
the fact that he already had had several wives, and no one knew surely
what had become of them, though many were the excuses he made to account
for their disappearance.
At length Bluebeard, in order to cure the dislike of the lady's
daughters, invited them and their mother and some young friends to spend
a whole week at his house. They came, and nothing was thought of but
feasting, dancing, and music, and parties for hunting and fishing.
The guests were loaded with costly gifts and were so delightfully
entertained that before many days had passed, Fatima, the younger of the
two sisters, began to imagine that the beard, which she had thought was
dreadfully ugly was not so _very_ blue after all. By the end of the week
the kindness of her host had made such an impression that she concluded
it would be a pity to refuse to become his wife on account of the
trifling circumstance of his having a blue beard.
So they were married shortly afterward, and at first everything went
well. A month passed, and one morning Bluebeard told Fatima that he must
go on a journey which would take him away for at least six weeks. He
kissed her affectionately, gave her the keys of the whole mansion, and
bade her amuse herself in any manner that she pleased while he was gone.
"But, my dear," he added, in concluding, "I would have you notice among
the keys the small one of polished steel. It unlocks the little room at
the end of the long corridor. Go where you will and do what you choose,
except in the matter of that one room, which I forbid your entering."
Fatima promised faithfully to obey his orders, and she watched him get
into his carriage while she stood at the door of the mansion waving her
hand to him as he drove away.
Lest she should be lonesome during her husband's absence, she invited
numerous guests to keep her company. Most of them had not dared to
venture into the house while Bluebeard was there, but now they came
without any urging or delay, eager to see its splendors.
They ran about upstairs and downstairs, peeping into the closets and
wardrobes, admiring the rooms, and exclaiming over the beauties of the
tapestries, sofas, cabinets, and tables, and of the mirrors in which
they could see themselves from head to foot. With one consent they
praised what they saw, and envied the good fortune of their friend, the
mistress of all this magnificence.
She went around unlocking the doors for their convenience until the only
door that remained untouched was that of the obscure room at the end of
the long corridor. She wondered why she had been forbidden to enter that
room. What was there in it? Even if she did go in, her husband need
never know that she had done so.
The more she thought about it the more curious she became. Finally she
left her guests and hurried along the dark narrow passage that led to
the forbidden room. At the door she hesitated, recalling her husband's
command, and fearful of his anger; but the temptation was too strong,
and she tremblingly opened the door.
The window shutters were closed and the light was so dim that at first
she could see nothing. However, her eyes gradually became used to the
dusk and she discovered that on the floor lay the bodies of all the
wives Bluebeard had married.
Fatima uttered a cry of horror, her strength left her, and she thought
she would die from fear. The key of the room fell from her hand, but she
picked it up, hastily retreated to the corridor, and locked the door.
Yet she could not forget what she had seen, and when she returned to her
guests her mind was too disturbed for her to attend to their comfort, or
to attempt to entertain them. One by one they bade their hostess good-by
and went home, until no one was left with her but her sister Anne.