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Once upon
a time...
There was a man who had fine houses, both in town and
country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and
coaches gilded all over with gold. But this man was so unlucky as 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 quality, had two daughters who were
perfect beauties. He desired of her one of them in marriage, leaving
to her choice which of the two she would bestow on him. They would
neither of them have him, and sent him backward and forward from one
another, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a man who
had a blue beard, and what besides gave them disgust and aversion
was his having already been married to several wives, and nobody
ever knew what became of them.
Blue Beard, to engage their affection, took them, with the lady
their mother and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with
other young people of the neighbour- hood, to one of his country
seats, where they stayed a whole week.
There was nothing then to be seen but parties of pleasure, hunting,
fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all
passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. In short,
everything succeeded so well that the youngest daughter began to
think the 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, 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, 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, wherein I
have my best furniture; these are of 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 my caskets of jewels; and this is
the master-key to all my apartments. But for this little one here,
it is the key of the closet at the end of the great gallery on the
ground floor. Open them 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's nothing but what
you may expect from my just anger and resentment."
She promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered; when
he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on
his journey.
Her neighbours and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the
new married 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, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so
fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.
After that they went up into the two great rooms, where was the best
and richest furniture; 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 finest and most magnificent ever were seen.
They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who
in the meantime in no way diverted herself in looking upon all these
rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the
closet on the ground floor. She 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, and with such
excessive haste that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her
neck.
Coming 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. She then took the little key, and opened
it, trembling, but could not at first see anything plainly, because
the windows were shut. After some moments she began to perceive that
the floor was all covered over with clotted blood, on which lay the
bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. (These were
all the wives whom Blue Beard had married and murdered, one after
another.) She thought she should have died for fear, and the key,
which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.
After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she took up the key,
locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to recover
herself; but she could not, she was so much frightened. Having
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 out; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and
sand; the blood still remained, for the key was magical and she
could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from
one side, it came again on the other.
Blue Beard returned from his journey the same evening, and said he
had received letters upon the road, in- forming 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.
"What!" said he, "is not the key of my closet among the rest?"
"I must certainly have left it above upon the table," said she.
"Fail not to bring it to me presently," said Blue Beard.
After several goings backward and forward she was forced to bring
him the key. Blue Beard, having very attentively considered it, said
to his wife,
"How comes this blood 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 were
resolved to go into the closet, were you not? Mighty 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 with all the signs of true repentance, vowing that she would
never more be disobedient. She would have melted a rock, so
beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Blue Beard had a heart harder
than any rock!
"You must die, madam," said he, "and that presently."
"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."
When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her:
"Sister Anne" (for that was her name), "go up, I beg you, upon the
top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming over; they
promised me that they would come today, and if you see them, give
them a sign to make haste."
Her sister Anne went up upon the top of the tower, and the poor
afflicted wife cried out from time to time:
"Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyone coming?"
And sister Anne said:
"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which
looks green."
In the meanwhile Blue Beard, holding a great sabre 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, dost thou see anybody
coming?"
And sister Anne answered:
"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which
is green."
"Come down quickly," cried Blue Beard, "or I will come up to you."
"I am coming," answered his wife; and then she cried, "Anne, sister
Anne, dost thou not see anyone coming?"
"I see," replied sister Anne, "a great dust, which comes on this
side here."
"Are they my brothers?"
"Alas! no, my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep."
"Will you not come down?" cried Blue Beard
"One moment longer," said his wife, and then she cried out: "Anne,
sister Anne, dost thou see nobody coming?"
"I see," said she, "two horsemen, but they are yet a great way off."
"God be praised," replied the poor wife joyfully; "they are my
brothers; I will make them a sign, as well as I can, for them to
make haste."
Then Blue 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.
"This signifies nothing," says Blue Beard; "you must die"; then,
taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up the sword with
the other, he was going to take off her head. The poor lady, turning
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, "recommend thyself to God," and was just ready to
strike . . .
At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate that
Blue Beard made a sudden stop. The gate was opened, and presently
entered two horsemen, who, drawing their swords, ran directly to
Blue Beard. He knew them to be his wife's brothers, one a dragoon,
the other a musketeer, so that he ran away immediately to save
himself; but the two brothers pursued so close that they overtook
him before he could get to the steps of the porch, when they ran
their swords through his body and left him dead. The poor wife was
almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to rise
and welcome her brothers.
Blue Beard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his
estate. She made use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a
young gentleman who had loved her a long while; another part to buy
captains commissions for her brothers, and the rest to marry herself
to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time she had
passed with Blue Beard.
THERE was a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a
deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches
gilded all over with gold. But this man was so unlucky as 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 quality, had two daughters who were
perfect beauties. He desired of her one of them in marriage, leaving
to her choice which of the two she would bestow on him. They would
neither of them have him, and sent him backward and forward from one
another, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a man who
had a blue beard, and what besides gave them disgust and aversion
was his having already been married to several wives, and nobody
ever knew what became of them.
Blue Beard, to engage their affection, took them, with the lady
their mother and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with
other young people of the neighbour- hood, to one of his country
seats, where they stayed a whole week.
There was nothing then to be seen but parties of pleasure, hunting,
fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all
passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. In short,
everything succeeded so well that the youngest daughter began to
think the 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, 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, 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, wherein I
have my best furniture; these are of 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 my caskets of jewels; and this is
the master-key to all my apartments. But for this little one here,
it is the key of the closet at the end of the great gallery on the
ground floor. Open them 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's nothing but what
you may expect from my just anger and resentment."
She promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered; when
he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on
his journey.
Her neighbours and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the
new married 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, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so
fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.
After that they went up into the two great rooms, where was the best
and richest furniture; 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 finest and most magnificent ever were seen.
They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who
in the meantime in no way diverted herself in looking upon all these
rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the
closet on the ground floor. She 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, and with such
excessive haste that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her
neck.
Coming 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. She then took the little key, and opened
it, trembling, but could not at first see anything plainly, because
the windows were shut. After some moments she began to perceive that
the floor was all covered over with clotted blood, on which lay the
bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. (These were
all the wives whom Blue Beard had married and murdered, one after
another.) She thought she should have died for fear, and the key,
which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.
After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she took up the key,
locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to recover
herself; but she could not, she was so much frightened. Having
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 out; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and
sand; the blood still remained, for the key was magical and she
could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from
one side, it came again on the other.
Blue Beard returned from his journey the same evening, and said he
had received letters upon the road, in- forming 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.
"What!" said he, "is not the key of my closet among the rest?"
"I must certainly have left it above upon the table," said she.
"Fail not to bring it to me presently," said Blue Beard.
After several goings backward and forward she was forced to bring
him the key. Blue Beard, having very attentively considered it, said
to his wife,
"How comes this blood 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 were
resolved to go into the closet, were you not? Mighty 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 with all the signs of true repentance, vowing that she would
never more be disobedient. She would have melted a rock, so
beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Blue Beard had a heart harder
than any rock!
"You must die, madam," said he, "and that presently."
"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."
When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her:
"Sister Anne" (for that was her name), "go up, I beg you, upon the
top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming over; they
promised me that they would come today, and if you see them, give
them a sign to make haste."
Her sister Anne went up upon the top of the tower, and the poor
afflicted wife cried out from time to time:
"Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyone coming?"
And sister Anne said:
"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which
looks green."
In the meanwhile Blue Beard, holding a great sabre 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, dost thou see anybody
coming?"
And sister Anne answered:
"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which
is green."
"Come down quickly," cried Blue Beard, "or I will come up to you."
"I am coming," answered his wife; and then she cried, "Anne, sister
Anne, dost thou not see anyone coming?"
"I see," replied sister Anne, "a great dust, which comes on this
side here."
"Are they my brothers?"
"Alas! no, my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep."
"Will you not come down?" cried Blue Beard
"One moment longer," said his wife, and then she cried out: "Anne,
sister Anne, dost thou see nobody coming?"
"I see," said she, "two horsemen, but they are yet a great way off."
"God be praised," replied the poor wife joyfully; "they are my
brothers; I will make them a sign, as well as I can, for them to
make haste."
Then Blue 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.
"This signifies nothing," says Blue Beard; "you must die"; then,
taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up the sword with
the other, he was going to take off her head. The poor lady, turning
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, "recommend thyself to God," and was just ready to
strike . . .
At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate that
Blue Beard made a sudden stop. The gate was opened, and presently
entered two horsemen, who, drawing their swords, ran directly to
Blue Beard. He knew them to be his wife's brothers, one a dragoon,
the other a musketeer, so that he ran away immediately to save
himself; but the two brothers pursued so close that they overtook
him before he could get to the steps of the porch, when they ran
their swords through his body and left him dead. The poor wife was
almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to rise
and welcome her brothers.
Blue Beard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his
estate. She made use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a
young gentleman who had loved her a long while; another part to buy
captains commissions for her brothers, and the rest to marry herself
to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time she had
passed with Blue Beard.
Blue Beard
from the Blue Fairy Book
Story Edited
by Andrew Lang |
