The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault 4

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault 4

"Well, mother?" answered the pert hussey, throwing out of her mouth

two vipers and two toads.

 

"O mercy!" cried the mother, "what is it I see! O, it is that wretch

her sister who has occasioned all this; but she shall pay for it"; and

immediately she ran to beat her. The poor child fled away from her and

went to hide herself in the forest, not far from thence.

 

The King's son, then on his return from hunting, met her, and seeing

her so very pretty, asked her what she did there alone, and why she

cried.

 

"Alas! sir, my mamma has turned me out of doors."

 

The King's son, who saw five or six pearls, and as many diamonds, come

out of her mouth, desired her to tell him how that happened. She

thereupon told him the whole story; and so the King's son fell in love

with her; and, considering with himself that such a gift was worth

more than any marriage-portion whatsoever in another, conducted her to

the palace of the King his father, and there married her.

 

As for her sister, she made herself so much hated that her own mother

turned her off; and the miserable wretch, having wandered about a good

while without finding anybody to take her in, went to a corner in the

wood and there died.

 

[Illustration]

 

 

_The Moral_

 

_Money and jewels still, we find,

Stamp strong impressions on the mind.

But sweet discourse more potent riches yields;

Of higher value is the pow'r it wields._

 

 

_Another_

 

_Civil behaviour costs indeed some pains,

Requires of complaisance some little share;

But soon or late its due reward it gains,

And meets it often when we're not aware._

 

 

 

 

_Blue Beard_

 

 

[Illustration]

 

[Illustration: "'WHAT, IS NOT THE KEY OF MY CLOSET AMONG

THE REST?'" (_page 40_)]

 

 

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 had the misfortune 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 the choice which of the two she would bestow upon him. They

would neither of them have him, and each made the other welcome of

him, being not able to bear the thought 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 neighbourhood, 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 playing tricks upon

each other. In short, every thing 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 afterwards 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 will be no bounds to 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.

 

[Illustration: "THIS MAN HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO HAVE A BLUE BEARD"]

 

Her neighbours and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the

newmarried 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 thro'

all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so rich and

fine, that they seemed to surpass one another.

 

After that, they went up into the two great rooms, where were 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 which were ever seen. They

ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the

mean time no way diverted herself in looking upon all these rich

things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet of

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-stair-case, and with such excessive haste,

that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her neck.

 

Being come 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 took then the little key, and opened it

trembling; but could not at first see any thing plainly, because the

windows were shut. After some moments she began to perceive that the

floor was all covered over with clotted blood, in which were reflected

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 was like to have died for fear, and the key, which she

pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.

 

* * * * *

 

After having somewhat recovered her senses, she took up the key,

locked the door, and went up stairs into her chamber to recover

herself; but she could not, so much was she 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 off;

in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand, the blood

still remained, for the key was a Fairy, 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, informing 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," answered she, "have left it above upon the table."

 

"Fail not," said Blue Beard, "to bring it me presently."

 

After putting him off several times, 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 a true repentance for her disobedience.

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."