The Story of Blue-Beard Read online

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  THE STORY OF BLUE BEARD

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  The : Story : of : Blue=Beard from Perrault illustrated with pictures and ornaments by Joseph E. Southall.

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  London-Lawrence and Bullen Chicago Stone & Kimball 1895

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  BLUE BEARD

  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 sougly and terrible, that there was not a woman or girl who did not runaway from him. One of his neighbours, a lady of quality, had twodaughters, who were perfectly beautiful. He proposed to marry one ofthem, leaving her to choose which of the two she would give him. Neitherof them would have him; and they sent him from one to the other, notbeing 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 wivesalready, and nobody knew what had become of them.

  Blue Beard, in order to cultivate their acquaintance, took them, withtheir mother, three or four of their most intimate friends, and someyoung persons who resided in the neighbourhood, to one of his countryseats, where they passed an entire week. Nothing was thought of butexcursions, hunting and fishing, parties, balls, entertainments,collations; nobody went to bed; the whole night was spent in merry gamesand gambols. In short, all went off so well, that the youngest daughterbegan to find out that the beard of the master of the house was not asblue as it used to be, and that he was a very worthy man. Immediatelyupon their return to town the marriage took place.

  His beard seemed not so very blue]

  At the end of a month Blue Beard told his wife that he was obliged totake a journey, which would occupy six weeks at least, on a matter ofgreat consequence; that he entreated she would amuse herself as much asshe could during his absence; that she would invite her best friends,take them into the country with her if she pleased, and keep anexcellent table everywhere.

  "Here," said he to her, "are the keys of my two great store-rooms; theseare 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 thestrong boxes in which I keep my money; these open the caskets thatcontain my jewels; and this is the pass-key of all the apartments. Asfor this little key, it is that of the closet at the end of the longgallery, on the ground floor. Open everything, and go everywhere exceptinto that little closet, which I forbid you to enter, and I forbid youso strictly, that if you should venture to open the door, there isnothing that you may not have to dread from my anger!" She promised toobserve implicitly all his directions, and after he had embraced her, hegot on to his horse and set out on his journey.

  The neighbours and friends of the young bride did not wait for herinvitation, so eager were they to see all the treasures contained in themansion, not having ventured to enter it while the husband was at home,so terrified were they at his blue beard.

  Departure of Blue-Beard]

  Behold them immediately running through all the rooms, closets, andwardrobes, 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 notsufficiently admire the number and elegance of the tapestries, the beds,the sofas, the cabinets, the stands,[1] the tables, and the mirrors inwhich they could see themselves from head to foot, and that had framessome of glass,[2] some of silver, and some of gilt metal, morebeautiful and magnificent than had ever been seen. They never ceasedenlarging upon and envying the good fortune of their friend, who in themeanwhile was not in the least entertained by the sight of all thesetreasures, in consequence of her impatience to open the closet on theground floor. Her curiosity increased to such a degree that, withoutreflecting how rude it was to leave her company, she ran down a backstaircase in such haste that twice or thrice she narrowly escapedbreaking her neck. Arrived at the door of the closet, she paused for amoment, bethinking herself of her husband's prohibition, and that somemisfortune might befall her for her disobedience; but the temptation wasso strong that she could not conquer it.

  She paused before unlocking the door]

  She therefore took the little key and opened, tremblingly, the door ofthe closet. At first she could discern nothing, the windows beingclosed; after a short time she began to perceive that the floor was allcovered with clotted blood, in which were reflected the dead bodies ofseveral females suspended against the walls. These were all the wives ofBlue Beard, who had cut their throats one after the other. She was readyto die with fright, and the key of the closet, which she had withdrawnfrom 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 chamberto compose herself; but she could not succeed, so greatly was sheagitated. Having observed that the key of the closet was stained withblood, she wiped it two or three times, but the blood would not comeoff. In vain she washed it, and even scrubbed it with sand andfreestone, the blood was still there, for the key was enchanted, andthere were no means of cleaning it completely: when the blood was washedoff one side, it came back on the other.

  Blue Beard returned that very evening, and said that he had receivedletters on the road informing him that the business on which he wasgoing had been settled to his advantage. His wife did all she could topersuade him that she was delighted at his speedy return. The nextmorning he asked her for his keys again; she gave them to him; but herhand trembled so, that he had not much difficulty in guessing what hadoccurred. "How comes it," said he, "that the key of the closet is notwith the others?" "I must have left it," she replied, "up-stairs on mytable." "Fail not," said Blue Beard, "to give it me presently." Afterseveral excuses, she was compelled to produce the key. Blue Beard havingexamined 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'tknow?" rejoined Blue Beard. "I know well enough.

  "You do not Know! I very well Know"]

  You must needs enter the closet. Well, madam, you shall enter it, and gotake your place amongst the ladies you saw there." She flung herself ather husband's feet, weeping and begging his pardon, with all the signsof true repentance for having disobeyed him. Her beauty and afflictionmight 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," shereplied, looking at him with streaming eyes, "give me a little time tosay my prayers." "I give you half a quarter of an hour," answered BlueBeard, "but not a minute more." As soon as he had left her, she calledher sister, and said to her, "Sister Anne" (for so she was named), "goup, I pray thee, to the top of the tower, and see if my brothers are notcoming. They have promised me that they would come to see me today; andif you see them, sign to them to make haste." Sister Anne mounted tothe top of the tower, and the poor distressed creature called to herevery now and then, "Anne! sister Anne! dost thou not see anythingcoming?" And sister Anne answered her, "I see nothing but the sun makingdust, and the grass growing green."

  "I see only the sun and dust"]

  In the meanwhile Blue Beard, with a great cutlass in his hand, calledout with all his might to his wife, "Come
down quickly, or I will comeup there." "One minute more, if you please," replied his wife; andimmediately repeated in a low voice, "Anne! sister Anne! dost thou notsee anything coming?" And sister Anne replied, "I see nothing but thesun making dust, and the grass growing green." "Come down quickly,"roared Blue Beard, "or I will come up there." "I come," answered hiswife, and then exclaimed, "Anne! sister Anne! dost thou not see anythingcoming?" "I see," said sister Anne, "a great cloud of dust moving thisway." "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 notsee anything coming?" "I see," she replied, "two horsemen coming thisway; but they are still at a great distance." "Heaven be praised!" sheexclaimed, a moment afterwards. "They are my brothers! I am making allthe signs I can to hasten them." Blue Beard began to roar so loudly thatthe whole house shook again. The poor wife descended, and went and threwherself, with streaming eyes and dishevelled tresses, at his feet.

  "It is of no use," said Blue Beard. "You must die!" Then seizing her bythe hair with one hand, and raising his cutlass with the other, he wasabout to cut off her head. The poor wife turned towards him, and fixingupon him her dying eyes, implored him to allow her one short moment tocollect herself. "No, no," said he; "recommend thyself heartily toHeaven." And lifting his arm----At this moment there was so loud aknocking at the gate, that Blue Beard stopped short. It was opened, andtwo horsemen were immediately seen to enter, who, drawing their swords,ran straight at Blue Beard. He recognized them as the brothers of hiswife--one a dragoon, the other a musqueteer, and, consequently, fledimmediately, in hope to escape; but they pursued him so closely, thatthey overtook him before he could reach the step of his door, and,passing their swords through his body, left him dead on the spot. Thepoor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength torise and embrace her brothers.

  Death of Blue-Beard]

  It was found that Blue Beard had no heirs, and so his widow remainedpossessed of all his property. She employed part of it in marrying hersister Anne to a young gentleman who had long loved her; another part,in buying captains' commissions for her two brothers, and with the restshe married herself to a very worthy man, who made her forget themiserable 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.

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  RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BUNGAY.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [1] Gueridons, _i. e._ stands to place lights or china upon.The word is now used to signify any small round table with one foot; butthe old-fashioned stand, which was higher than a table, and its top notbigger than a dessert-plate, is occasionally to be met with.

  [2] Looking-glasses with frames of the same material were muchin vogue at that period. Of silver-framed mirrors some magnificentspecimens remain to us at Knowle Park, Kent.