{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_45381/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_45381","id":"gutenberg_45381","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45381","summary":null,"tags":["Castles -- Juvenile fiction","Category: French Literature","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction","Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction","Courtship -- Juvenile fiction","Cruelty -- Juvenile fiction","Curiosity -- Juvenile fiction","Husband and wife -- Juvenile fiction","Murder -- Juvenile fiction","Obedience -- Juvenile fiction","Siblings -- Juvenile fiction","Wealth -- Juvenile fiction"],"text":"THE POPULAR STORY\n\nOF\n\nBLUE BEARD\n\nEmbellished with neat Engravings\n\nBy Anonymous\n\n[Illustration: 0001]\n\n[Illustration: 0004]\n\n[Illustration: 0005]\n\n[Illustration: 0006]\n\n\n\n\nTHE POPULAR STORY OF BLUE-BEARD\n\n|A LONG time ago, and at a considerable distance from any town, there\nlived a gentleman, who was not only in possession of great riches, but\nof the largest estates in that part of the country. Although he had some\nvery elegant neat mansions on his estates, he generally resided in a\nmagnificent castle, beautifully situated on a rising ground, surrounded\nwith groves of the finest evergreens, and other choice trees and shrubs.\n\nThe inside of this fine castle was even more beautiful than the\noutside; for the rooms were all hung with the richest damask, curiously\nornamented; the Chairs and sofas were covered with the finest velvet,\nfringed with gold; and his table-dishes and plates were either of silver\nor gold, finished in the most elegant style. His carriages and horses\nmight have served a king, and perhaps were finer than any monarch's of\nthe present day. The gentleman's appearance, however, did not altogether\ncorrespond to his wealth; for, to a fierce disagreeable countenance, was\nadded an ugly blue beard, which made him an object of fear and disgust\nin the neighbourhood, where he usually went by the name of Blue Beard.\n\nThere resided, at some considerable distance from Blue Beard's castle,\nan old lady and her two daughters, who were people of some rank, but by\nno means wealthy. The two young ladies were very pretty, and the fame of\ntheir beauty having reached Blue Beard, he determined to ask one of them\nin marriage. Having ordered a carriage, he called at their house, where\nhe saw the two young ladies, and was very politely received by their\nmother, with whom he begged a few moments conversation.\n\n[Illustration: 0009]\n\n|After the two young ladies left the room, he began by describing his\nimmense riches, and then told her the purpose of his visit, begging she\nwould use her interest in his favour. They were both so lovely, he said,\nthat he would be happy to get either of them for his wife, and would\ntherefore leave it to their own choice to determine upon the subject,\nand immediately took his leave.\n\nWhen the proposals of Blue Beard were mentioned to the young ladies by\ntheir mother, both Miss Anne and her sister Fatima protested, that\nthey would never marry an ugly man, and particularly one with such a\nfrightful blue beard; because, although he possessed immense riches,\nit was reported in the country, that he had married several beautiful\nladies, and nobody could tell what had become of them.\n\nTheir mother said, that the gentleman was agreeable in his conversation\nand manners; that the ugliness of his facs, and the blue beard, were\ndefects which they would soon be reconciled to from habit: that his\nimmense riches would procure them every luxury their heart could desire;\nand he was so civil, that she was certain the scandalous reports about\nhis wives must be entirely without foundation.\n\nThe two young ladies were as civil as they possibly could be, in order\nto conceal the disgust they felt at Blue Beard, and, to soften their\nrefusal, replied to this effect,--That, at present, they had no desire\nto change their situation; but if they had, the one sister could never\nthink of depriving the other of so good a match, and that they did not\nwish to be separated.\n\n|Blue Beard having called next day, the old lady told him what her\ndaughters had said; on which he sighed deeply, and pretended to be\nvery much disappointed; but as he had the mother on his side, he still\ncontinued his visits to the family. Blue Beard, knowing the attractions\nthat fine houses, fine furniture, and fine entertainments, have on the\nminds of ladies in general, invited the mother, her two daughters, and\ntwo or three other ladies who were then on a visit to them, to spend a\nday or two with him at his castle.\n\n[Illustration: 0011]\n\nBlue Beard's invitation was accepted, and having spent a considerable\ntime in arranging their wardrobe, and in adorning their persons, they\nall set out for the splendid mansion of Blue Beard.\n\nOn coming near the castle, although they had heard a great deal of the\ntaste and expense that had been employed in decorating it, they were\nstruck with the beauty of the trees that overshadowed the walks through\nwhich they passed, and with the fragrancy of the flowers which perfumed\nthe air. When they reached the castle, Blue Beard, attended by a number\nof his servants in splendid dresses, received them with the most polite\ncourtesy, and conducted them to a magnificent drawing-room.\n\nAn elegant repast was ready in the dining-room, to which they adjourned.\nHere they were again astonished by the grandeur of the apartment and the\nelegance of the entertainment, and the rooms that were open, and were\ntruly astonished at the magnificence that everywhere met their view.\n\nThe time rolled pleasantly away a-midst a succession of the most\nagreeable felt so happy, that the evening passed away before they were\naware.\n\n[Illustration: 0013]\n\n|Next day, after they had finished breakfast, the ladies proceeded to\nexamine the pictures and furniture of the amusements, consisting of\nhunting, music, dancing, and banquets, where the richest wines, and most\ntempting delicacies, in most luxurious profusion, presented themselves\nin every direction.\n\nThe party felt so agreeable amidst these scenes of festivity, that they\ncontinued at the castle several days, during which the cunning Blue\nBeard, by every obsequious service, tried to gain the favour of his fair\nguests. Personal attentions, even although paid us by an ugly creature,\nseldom fail to make a favourable impression; it was therefore no wonder\nthat Fatima, the youngest of the two sisters, began to think Blue Beard\na very polite, pleasant, and civil gentleman; and that the beard, which\nshe and her sister had been so much afraid of, was not so very blue.\n\nA short time after her return home, Fatima, who was delighted with the\nattention which had been paid her at the castle, told her mother\nthat she did not now feel any objections to accept of Blue Beard as a\nhusband. The old lady immediately communicated to him the change in her\ndaughter's sentiments.\n\n[Illustration: 0015]\n\n|Blue Beard, who lost no time in paying the family a visit, was in a few\ndays privately married to the young lady, and soon after the ceremony,\nFatima, accompanied by her sister, returned to the castle the wife of\nBlue Beard.\n\nOn arriving there, they were received at the entrance by all his\nretinue, attired in splendid dresses, and Blue Beard after saluting his\nbride, led the way to an elegant entertainment, where, every thing that\ncould add to to their comfort being prepared, they spent the evening in\nthe most agreeable manner.\n\n|The next day, and every succeeding day, Blue Beard always varied the\namusements, and a month had passed away imperceptibly, when he told his\nwife that he was obliged to leave her for a few weeks, as he had some\naffairs to transact in a distant part of the country, which required his\npersonal attendance.\n\n\"But,\" said he, \"my dear Fatima, you may enjoy yourself in my absence in\nany way that will add to your happiness, and you can invite your friends\nto make the time pass more agreeably, for you are sole mistress in this\ncastle, Here are the keys of the two large wardrobes; this is the key\nof the great box that contains the best plate, which we use for company;\nthis of my strong box, where I keep my money; and this belongs to the\ncasket, in which are all my jewels. Here also is a master-key to all the\nrooms in the house; but this small key belongs to the blue closet at\nthe end of the long gallery on the ground floor. I give you leave,\" he\ncontinued, \"to open, or do what you like with all the rest of the castle\nexcept this closet: now, my dear, remember you must not enter it, nor\neven put the key into the lock. If you do not obey me in this, expect\nthe most dreadful of punishments.\"\n\n[Illustration: 0017]\n\nShe promised him implicit obedience to his orders, and then accompanied\nhim to the gate, where Blue Beard, after sa luting her in a tender\nmanner, stepped into the coach, and drove away.\n\n|When Blue Beard was gone, Fatima sent a kind invitation to her friends\nto come immediately to the castle, and ordered a grand entertainment to\nbe prepared for their reception. She also sent a messenger to her two\nbrothers, both officers in the army, who were quartered about forty\nmiles distant, requesting they would obtain leave of absence, and spend\na few days with her. So eager were her friends to see the apartments and\nthe riches of Blue Beard's castle, of which they had heard so much, that\nin less than two hours after receiving notice, the whole company were\nassembled, with the exception of her brothers, who were not expected\ntill the following day.\n\nAs her guests had arrived long before the time appointed them for the\nentertainment. Fatima took them thro' every apartment in the castle,\nand displayed all the wealth she had acquired by her marriage with\nBlue Beard. They went from room to room, and from wardrobe to wardrobe,\nexpressing fresh wonder and delight at every new object they came to;\nbut their surprise was increased when they entered the drawing-rooms,\nand saw the grandeur of the furniture.\n\nDuring the day, Fatima was so much engaged, that she never once thought\nof the blue closet, which Blue Beard had ordered her not to open; but\nwhen all the visitors were gone, she felt a great curiosity to know its\ncontents. She took out the key, which was made of the finest gold, and\nwent to consult with her sister on the subject. Anne used every argument\nshe could think of to dissuade Fatima from her purpose, and reminded her\nof the threats of Blue Beard; but all in vain, for Fatima was now bent\non gratifying her curiosity.\n\nShe therefore, in spite of all her sister could do, seized one of the\ncandles, and hurried down stairs to the fatal closet. On reaching the\ndoor she stopped, and began to reason with herself on the propriety\nof her conduct; but her curiosity at length overcame every other\nconsideration, and, with a trembling hand, she applied the key to the\nlock, and opened the door. She had only advanced a few steps, when the\nmost frightful scene met her view, and, struck with horror and dismay,\nshe dropped the key of the closet.\n\n[Illustration: 0020]\n\n|She was in the midst of blood, and the heads, bodies, and mutilated\nlimbs of murdered ladies lay scattered on the floor. These ladies had\nall been married to Blue Beard, and had suffered for their imprudent\ncuriosity, the key, which was the gift of a fairy, always betraying\ntheir fatal disobedience.\n\nThe terror of Fatima was not diminished on observing these dreadful\nwords on the wall--\"_The Reward of Disobedience and Imprudent\nCuriosity!_\" She trembled violently; but, on recovering a little, she\nsnatched up the key, and having again locked the door, left this abode\nof horror.\n\nAs soon as she reached her sister's chamber, she related the whole of\nher horrid adventure. They then examined the key, but it was all covered\nwith blood, and they both turned pale with fear. They spent a good part\nof the night in trying to clean off the blood from the key, but it was\nwithout effect, for though they washed and scoured it with brick\ndust and sand, no sooner was the blood removed from one side, than\nit appeared on the other. Fatigued with their exertions, they at last\nretired to bed, where they passed a sleepless and anxious night.\n\n|Fatima rose at a late hour next day, and consulted with her sister how\nshe ought to proceed. She thought first of escaping from the castle, but\nas her brothers were expected in an hour or two, she resolved to wait\ntheir arrival.\n\nA loud knock at the gate made her almost leap for joy, and she cried,\n\"they are come! they are come!\" but what was her consternation when Blue\nBeard hastily opened the door, and entered. It was impossible for Fatima\nto conceal her agitation, although she pretended to be very happy at his\nsudden and unexpected return.\n\nBlue Beard, who guessed what she had been about, requested the keys,\nin order, as he said, that he might change his dress. She went to her\nchamber, and soon returned with the keys, all except the one belonging\nto the blue closet He took the keys from her with seeming indifference,\nand after glancing at them minutely, said, rather sternly, \"How is this,\nFatima! I do not see the key of the blue closet here! Go and bring it to\nme instantly.\"\n\n[Illustration: 0023]\n\nThe poor girl, feeling the crisis of her fate approaching, said, \"I\nwill go and search for it,\" and left the apartment in tears. She went\nstraight to her sister's chamber, where they again tried, but in vain,\nto remove the blood from the key. The voice of Blue Beard again calling\nfor her, she was forced to return, and reluctantly to give him the fatal\nkey.\n\nOn examining the key, Blue Beard burst into a terrible rage. \"Pray\nMadam,\" said he, \"how came this blood to be here?\"\n\n\"I am sure I do not know,\" replied she, trembling, and turning pale.\n\n\"What! do you not know!\" cried Blue Beard, in a voice like thunder,\nwhich made poor Fatima start with fear; \"but I know well! You have been\nin the forbidden blue closet! And since you are so fond of prying into\nsecrets, you shall take up your abode with the ladies you saw there.\"\n\n[Illustration: 0024]\n\nAlmost expiring with fear and terror, the trembling Fatima sunk upon her\nknees, and implored him in the most piteous manner to forgive her.\nBut the cruel Blue Beard, deaf to her intreaties, drew his dreadful\nscymetar, and bid her prepare for immediate death.\n\nBlue Beard had raised his arm to give the fatal blow, when a dreadful\nshriek from her sister, who at that moment entered the apartment,\narrested his attention. She entreated him to spare the life of Fatima,\nbut he was deaf to her intercession, and would only grant her one\nquarter of an hour, that she might make her peace with Heaven, before he\nput her to death.\n\nBlue Beard then dragged her up to a large hall in the top of the tower\nof the castle, to prevent her groans being heard, to which they were\nfollowed by her sister. He then told her to make the best use of\nthe time, as she might expect his return the moment it elapsed, and\nimmediately left the place.\n\n|When alone with her sister, Fatima felt her dreadful situation, and\nagain burst into tears. Only fifteen minutes between her and the most\ncruel death, without the least chance of escape; for Blue Beard had\nsecured the door when he retired, and the staircase they saw only led to\nthe battlements. Fatima's thoughts were now turned to her brothers, whom\nshe expected that day; and she requested her sister to ascend to the top\nof the tower, to see if there was any appearance of them.\n\nFatima's sister immediately ascended to the top of the battlements,\nwhile the poor trembling girl below, every minute, cried out, \"Sister\nAnne, my dear sister Anne, do you see any one coming yet?\"\n\nHer sister always replied, \"There is not a human being in view, and I\nsee nothing but the sun and the grass.\"\n\nShe was upon her knees bewailing her fate, when Blue Beard, in a\ntremendous voice, cried out, \"Are you ready?\" the time is expired and she\nheard the sound of his footsteps approaching. She again supplicated\nhim to allow her five minutes longer to finish her prayers, which he,\nknowing she was completely within his power, granted her, and again left\nher.\n\nFatima again renewed her inquiries to her sister \"Do you see any one\ncoming yet?\"\n\nHer sister replied, \"There is not a human being within sight.\"\n\nWhen the five minutes were elapsed,\n\n\"I see,\" said her sister, \"a cloud of dust rising a little to the left.\"\n\nIn breathless agitation, she cried, \"Do you think it is my brothers?\"\n\nThe voice of Blue Beard was heard bawling out, \"Are you ready yet?\"\n\nShe again beseeched him to allow her only two minutes more, and then\naddressed her sister, \"Dear Anne, do you see any one coming yet?\"\n\n[Illustration: 0027]\n\n\"Alas! no, my dearest Fatima,\" returned her sister, \"it is only a flock\nof sheep.\"\n\nAgain the voice of Blue Beard was heard, and she begged for one minute\nlonger. She then called out for the last time, \"Sister Anne, do you see\nno one coming yet?\"\n\n|Her sister quickly answered, \"I see two men on horseback, but they are\nstill a great way off.\"\n\n\"Thank heaven,\" exclaimed Fatima, \"I shall yet be saved, for it must be\nmy two brothers! My dearest sister, make every signal in your power to\nhasten them forward, or they will be too late.\" Blue Beard's patience\nbeing now exhausted, he burst open the door in a rage, and made a blow\nat the wretched Fatima, with the intention of striking off her head; but\nshe sprang close to him and evaded it. Furious at being foiled in his\naim, he threw her from him, and then seizing her by the hair of the\nhead, was in the act of striking her a blow with his scymetar, when the\nnoise of persons approaching, with hasty steps, arrested the progress\nof his sanguinary arm. Blue Beard had not time to conjecture who the\nintruders might be, when the door opened, and two officers, with their\nswords drawn, rushed into the apartment.\n\nStruck with terror, the guilty wretch released his wife from his grasp,\nand without attempting to resist, he tried to effect his escape from the\nresentment of her brothers; but they pursued and seized him before he\nhad got above twenty paces from the place.\n\n[Illustration: 0029]\n\nAfter reproaching Blue Beard with his cruelty, they dragged him back\nto the spot where he intended to have murdered their sister; and there,\nstabbing him to the heart with their swords, he expired, uttering the\nmost horrid oaths and execrations.\n\n|Fatima, who had fallen to the ground at the time Blue Beard quitted\nhis hold of her, still lay in the same situation insensible; for the\nappearance of her brothers, at the moment she expected certain death,\nhad thrown her into a faint, which continued during the whole of the\ntime they were engaged in despatching her husband.\n\nThe two young officers now turned their attention to their sister, whom\nthey raised from the ground; but she could hardly be persuaded of her\nsafety, till they pointed to where Blue Beard lay extended and lifeless.\n\nFatima, on recovering a little, tenderly embraced her deliverers; and\nthe appearance of their sister Anne, who had come down from the top of\nthe battlements, added to their happiness.\n\n[Illustration: 0031]\n\nAs all those horrid murders which had been committed by Blue Beard, were\nunknown to his domestics, on whose credulity he imposed by falsehoods,\nwhich they had no means of detecting, Fatima and her brothers thought\nthe most prudent way to act, was to assemble them together, and then\ndisclose the wickedness of their late master.\n\nBy the direction of Fatima, her two brothers conducted all the servants\nto the dreadful scene of her husband's cruelties, and then showing them\nhis dead body, related the whole occurrences which had taken place. They\nall said that his punishment was not adequate to what he deserved, and\nbegged that they might be continued in the service of their mistress.\n\nAs Blue Beard had no relations, Fatima was sole heir to the whole of his\nimmense property, and mistress of the castle, in the possession of which\nshe was confirmed by the laws of the country. She then sent notice to\nall the families in the neighbourhood of the death of her husband, and\nthe horrid proofs of his cruelty were laid open for two days to all who\nchose to inspect them. He was then buried privately, along with all the\nbodies of the ladies he had murdered, and the fatal closet underwent a\ncomplete repair, which removed every trace of his barbarity.\n\nSoon after this, Fatima gave a magnificent entertainment to all her\nfriends, where happiness was seen in every face; and on this occasion\nthe poor, who were assembled for many miles round, partook most\nliberally of her bounty.\n\nThough possessed of riches almost inexhaustible, Fatima disposed of them\nwith so much discretion, that she gained the esteem of every one who\nknew her. She bestowed handsome fortunes on her two brothers; and to her\nsister, who was married about two months after, she gave a very large\ndowry.\n\nThe beauty, riches, and amiable conduct of Fatima, attracted a number of\nadmirers, and among others, a young nobleman of very high rank, who,\nto a handsome person, added every quality calculated to make a good\nhusband; and after a reasonable time spent in courtship, their marriage\nwas celebrated with great rejoicings.\n\n\nFINIS","title":"The Popular Story of Blue Beard: Embellished with neat Engravings","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":3628}