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Title: The Story of Blue-Beard
Author: Charles Perrault
Illustrator: Joseph E. Southall
Release date: November 26, 2013 [eBook #44288]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Chris Curnow, Matthias Grammel and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF BLUE-BEARD ***
THE STORY
OF
BLUE BEARD
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,
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 so
ugly and terrible, that
there was not a woman
or girl who did
not run away from
him. One of his
neighbours, a lady
of quality, had two
daughters, who were
perfectly beautiful.
He proposed to marry
one of them, leaving
her to choose which
of the two she would
give him. Neither
of them would have
him; and they sent
him from one to the
other, not being 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 wives already,
and nobody knew
what had become of
them.
Blue Beard, in order to cultivate their
Blue Beard, in order to cultivate their
acquaintance,
took them,
with their mother,
three or four of their
most intimate friends,
and some young persons
who resided in
the neighbourhood, to
one of his country
seats, where they
passed an entire week.
Nothing was thought
of but excursions,
hunting and fishing,
parties, balls, entertainments,
collations;
nobody went to bed;
the whole night was
spent in merry games
and gambols. In
short, all went off so
well, that the youngest
daughter began to
find out that the beard
of the master of the
house was not as blue
as it used to be, and
that he was a very
worthy man. Immediately
upon their return
to town the
marriage took place.
At the end of a month
Blue Beard told his
wife that he was
obliged to take a
journey, which would
occupy six weeks at
least, on a matter of
great consequence;
that he entreated she
would amuse herself
as much as she could
during his absence;
that she would invite
her best friends, take
them into the country
with her if she
pleased, and keep an
excellent table everywhere.
"Here," said he to her, "are the keys of my two great store-rooms; these are those of the chests in
"Here," said he to her, "are the keys of my two great store-rooms; these are 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
the strong boxes in
which I keep my
money; these open
the caskets that contain
my jewels; and
this is the pass-key of
all the apartments.
As for this little key,
it is that of the closet
at the end of the
long gallery, on the
ground floor. Open
everything, and go
everywhere except into
that little closet,
which I forbid you
to enter, and I forbid
you so strictly, that if
you should venture to
open the door, there
is nothing that you
may not have to dread
from my anger!"
She promised to observe
implicitly all
his directions, and
after he had embraced
her, he got on to his
horse and set out on
his journey.
The neighbours and friends of the young bride did not wait for her invitation, so eager were they to see all the treasures contained in the mansion, not having ventured to enter it while the husband
The neighbours and friends of the young bride did not wait for her invitation, so eager were they to see all the treasures contained in the mansion, not having ventured to enter it while the husband
was at home, so terrified
were they at his
blue beard.
Behold them immediately running through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, each apartment exceeding the other in beauty and richness.
Behold them immediately running through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, each apartment exceeding the other in beauty and richness.
They ascended afterwards
to the store-rooms,
where they could not
sufficiently admire the
number and elegance
of the tapestries, the
beds, the sofas, the
cabinets, the stands,[1]
the tables, and the
mirrors in which they
could see themselves
from head to foot,
and that had frames
some of glass,[2] some
of silver, and some
of gilt metal, more
beautiful and magnificent
than had ever
been seen. They
never ceased enlarging
upon and envying
the good fortune of
their friend, who in
the meanwhile was
not in the least entertained
by the sight
of all these treasures,
in consequence of her
impatience to open
the closet on the
ground floor. Her
curiosity increased to
such a degree that,
without reflecting
how rude it was to
leave her company,
she ran down a back
staircase in such haste
that twice or thrice
she narrowly escaped
breaking her neck.
Arrived at the door
of the closet, she
paused for a moment,
bethinking herself of
her husband's prohibition,
and that some
misfortune might befall
her for her disobedience;
but the
temptation was so
strong that she could
not conquer it.
She therefore took the
little key and opened,
tremblingly, the door
of the closet. At
first she could discern
nothing, the windows
being closed; after a
short time she began
to perceive that the
floor was all covered
with clotted blood, in
which were reflected
the dead bodies of
several females suspended
against the
walls. These were
all the wives of Blue
Beard, who had cut
their throats one after
the other. She was
ready to die with
fright, and the key of
the closet, which she
had withdrawn from
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 chamber to
compose herself; but
she could not succeed,
so greatly was she
agitated. Having observed
that the key of
the closet was stained
with blood, she wiped
it two or three times,
but the blood would
not come off. In
vain she washed it,
and even scrubbed it
with sand and freestone,
the blood was
still there, for the key
was enchanted, and
there were no means
of cleaning it completely:
when the
blood was washed off
one side, it came back
on the other.
Blue Beard returned that very evening, and said that he had
Blue Beard returned that very evening, and said that he had
received
letters on the
road informing him
that the business on
which he was going
had been settled to
his advantage. His
wife did all she could
to persuade him that
she was delighted at
his speedy return.
The next morning he
asked her for his keys
again; she gave them
to him; but her hand
trembled so, that he
had not much difficulty
in guessing
what had occurred.
"How comes it," said
he, "that the key of
the closet is not with
the others?"
"I must have left it,"
she replied, "up-stairs
on my table." "Fail
not," said Blue Beard,
"to give it me presently."
After several
excuses, she was compelled
to produce
the key. Blue Beard
having examined 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't know?"
rejoined Blue Beard.
"I know well enough.
You must needs enter
the closet. Well,
madam, you shall
enter it, and go take
your place amongst
the ladies you saw
there." She flung
herself at her husband's
feet, weeping
and begging his
pardon, with all the
signs of true repentance
for having
disobeyed him. Her
beauty and affliction
might 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," she replied,
looking at him with
streaming eyes, "give
me a little time to
say my prayers." "I
give you half a quarter
of an hour," answered
Blue Beard, "but not
a minute more." As
soon as he had left
her, she called her
sister, and said to her,
"Sister Anne" (for so
she was named), "go
up, I pray thee, to
the top of the tower,
and see if my brothers
are not coming.
They have promised
me that they would
come to see me today;
and if you see
them, sign to them to
make haste." Sister
Anne mounted to the
top of the tower, and
the poor distressed
creature called to her
every now and then,
"Anne! sister Anne!
dost thou not see
anything coming?"
And sister Anne answered
her, "I see
nothing but the sun
making dust, and
the grass growing
green."
In the meanwhile Blue Beard, with a great cutlass in his hand, called out with all his might to his wife, "Come down quickly, or I will come up there." "One minute more,
In the meanwhile Blue Beard, with a great cutlass in his hand, called out with all his might to his wife, "Come down quickly, or I will come up there." "One minute more,
if you please," replied
his wife; and immediately
repeated in
a low voice, "Anne!
sister Anne! dost
thou not see anything
coming?" And sister
Anne replied, "I see
nothing but the sun
making dust, and
the grass growing
green." "Come down
quickly," roared Blue
Beard, "or I will
come up there." "I
come," answered his
wife, and then exclaimed,
"Anne!
sister Anne! dost
thou not see anything
coming?" "I see,"
said sister Anne, "a
great cloud of dust
moving this way."
"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 not
see anything coming?"
"I see," she
replied, "two horsemen
coming this
way; but they are
still at a great distance."
"Heaven be
praised!" she exclaimed,
a moment
afterwards.
"They are my brothers! I
am making all the
signs I can to hasten
them." Blue Beard
began to roar so
loudly that the whole
house shook again.
The poor wife descended,
and went and
threw herself, with
streaming eyes and
dishevelled tresses, at
his feet.
"It is of no use," said Blue Beard. "You must die!" Then seizing her by the hair with one hand, and raising his cutlass with the other, he was about to cut off her head. The
"It is of no use," said Blue Beard. "You must die!" Then seizing her by the hair with one hand, and raising his cutlass with the other, he was about to cut off her head. The
poor wife turned towards
him, and fixing
upon him her dying
eyes, implored him to
allow her one short
moment to collect
herself. "No, no,"
said he; "recommend
thyself heartily
to Heaven." And
lifting his arm—— At
this moment there
was so loud a knocking
at the gate, that
Blue Beard stopped
short. It was opened,
and two horsemen
were immediately seen
to enter, who, drawing
their swords, ran
straight at Blue Beard.
He recognized them
as the brothers of
his wife—one a dragoon,
the other a
musqueteer, and, consequently,
fled immediately,
in hope to
escape; but they pursued
him so closely,
that they overtook
him before he could
reach the step of his
door, and, passing
their swords through
his body, left him
dead on the spot.
The poor wife was
almost as dead as her
husband, and had not
strength to rise and
embrace her brothers.
It was found that
Blue Beard had no
heirs, and so his
widow remained possessed
of all his
property. She employed
part of it in
marrying her sister
Anne to a young
gentleman who had
long loved her; another
part, in buying
captains' commissions
for her two brothers,
and with the rest she
married herself to a
very worthy man,
who made her forget
the miserable 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 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.
His spouse need fear no such disaster;
Indeed, 'twould often puzzle you
To say which of the twain is master.
Richard Clay & Sons, Limited,
London & Bungay.
[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; but the old-fashioned stand, which was higher than a table, and its top not bigger than a dessert-plate, is occasionally to be met with.
[2] Looking-glasses with frames of the same material were much in vogue at that period. Of silver-framed mirrors some magnificent specimens remain to us at Knowle Park, Kent.