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Once upon
a time, there was a very rich and powerful man, with a huge blue beard. He had
married six times, but no one knew what had become of his wives.
One day, Bluebeard announced that he
wished to marry his neighbor's daughter. The daughter refused. He might be
rich, but he had a blue beard and was very ugly.
Besides, his first six wives had disappeared
without a trace. She did not want this to happen to her.
To win the young girl's affection, Bluebeard
invited her to one of his mansions, where he organized a huge party. During the
festivities, he proved to be so charming, so happy and so lively that the young
girl soon lost her fear of him.
''After all.'' she said to herself, ''there
is nothing wrong with marrying a man whose beard is a little blue, when he is so
kind and hospitable! And he is the richest man in the land!''
She looked enviously at the great
mansion, full of valuable furnishings and wardrobes overflowing with beautiful
clothes. And as for the gold and precious stones which Bluebeard owned it was
said that one room was not big enough to hold all his treasures. So the marriage
took place.
One month later, Bluebeard told his wife that
he was going on a long journey. ''During my absence, '' he told her,
'invite your friends to stay and amuse yourself in any way you please. Here are
the keys to all of the doors in the house. Do whatever you wish, go wherever you
like, all I ask of you is one thing. You must never use this little key here. It
opens the little room downstairs. If your curiosity every causes you to disobey
me, my anger will be more terrible than a hurricane!'' And so saying, he went
away.
The young woman invited her friends to
the mansion that very evening. They marveled at all the riches, the silver
hangings, the silken dresses, the sapphire and diamond necklaces and the
magnificent tiaras.
They greatly envied Bluebeard's new wife. But
she, on the other hand, paid little attention to her companions. Ever since her
husband had left, all she could think about was the little key. She was seized
with an irresistible temptation. What great secret could that little room hold?
At last, unable to resist any longer, she
left her guests and made her way to the little room. She grasped the key,
remembering for a moment what her husband had said, then quickly turned it in
the lock. At first, all she could see was drops of blood on the stone floor.
Trembling with far, she entered the little room and looked around.
There, along the wall, side-by-side,
hung Bluebeard's first six wives.
In a blind panic, she dropped the key which
splashed into a pool of blood. She picked it up, rushed out and slammed the
door, locking it behind her.
Once back in her room, she tried to clean the
blood from the key by rubbing it with a cloth. But that didn't work.
As soon as the stain disappeared on
one side, it reappeared on the other.
To add to her distress, her husband had
decided to return that very evening. ''Dear wife, aren't you happy to see
back so soon?'' he asked.
She pretended to be overjoyed, and handed all
the keys back to him except the key to the little room. A few moments later,
Bluebeard asked her for the little key.
''I left it upstairs, she replied.
''I'll just go and fetch it. ''She went upstairs and called out to her sister,
Anne. ''Our brothers promised to come and visit today. Please climb up to
the top of the tower and watch for them. Let me know as soon as you see them
arrive.''
She delayed for as long as possible, but
eventually she had to go back downstairs. Bluebeard was becoming suspicious.
''Where is that wretched key? If I find that you have looked into the little
room, you shall suffer the same fate as those before you. Come down this
instant!''
''I am just coming, husband!''
''Anne,'' she asked her sister, ''can you see
anyone coming?''
''Nothing at all, all I can see is the sun
and the grass.''
''At once!'' threatened Bluebeard from the
bottom of the stairwell, a sword in his hand.
''Anne, sister Anne, can you see anyone
coming?'' repeated Bluebeard's wife. By now she was terrified. ''I can see
a cloud of dust rising! It is our brothers on horseback!''
''That does it!'' roared Bluebeard.
''Here I am. '' Trembling, his wife descended
the staircase. Bluebeard brandished his sword, when there came such a loud
knocking on the door that his hand froze. The door flew open and one of the
brothers threw himself upon Bluebeard and stabbed him at once.
Bluebeard's wife soon remarried, this time to
a handsome nobleman who helped her to forget the wicked Bluebeard.
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