Next morning he called for the keys; his wife brought them to him, but not the little one; that she left behind.  Bluebeard noticed this directly and sent her to fetch it.  Trembling, and white as a sheet, she was forced to give it into his hand.

“Ha! what is this?” he cried, “what is this stain that I see!”

His poor wife trembled still more, and could not speak.

“Wretched woman!” shouted Bluebeard, “you have used this key, you have unlocked the door of that room at the end of the passage.  You shall die!!!”

In vain did his wife plead with him to spare her, kneeling before him with tears streaming from her eyes.  “You shall die!” he cried again, more savagely than before.

“Let me have a few moments alone, to prepare for death,”

“Half a quarter of an hour, but not a moment longer,” he replied, and left her.

The poor young woman hastened to a room at the foot of the turret stairs where was her Sister Anne, and called to her.

“Sister Anne, Sister Anne, look from the tower window.  Can you see no one coming?” And Sister Anne, looking out, answered: 

“Alas!  No!  Nothing but the green grass, and the sun which shines upon it.”

Bluebeard shouted from below that the time was almost up.

“Sister Anne, Sister Anne, look once again, can you see no one coming?” whispered the young wife wringing her hands.  Her brothers, she knew, were to visit her that day—­if only they would come in time!

“Alas, No!” Sister Anne replied.  “I see a cloud of dust, but it is only a flock of sheep on the road.”

But now Bluebeard bawled out so loudly for his wife to come down, that the whole house shook.

“Sister Anne, Sister Anne, tell me is no one coming?”

“I see two horsemen afar off,” cried Sister Anne.  “I will beckon to them to hasten hither.”

But Bluebeard would wait not a moment longer, and nearly dead with terror his wife descended, still entreating him to spare her life.

He would not, however, give heed to her prayers, and was just brandishing his sword, so that it might come down straight and true upon her slender neck, when the door burst open and two young army officers came rushing in, whom Bluebeard recognised as the brothers of his wife.  He swiftly fled, but they speedily followed, and for his many crimes slew him then and there.

All his wealth now belonged to his widow, and she gratefully rewarded her brothers by purchasing them commissions in the army; she settled a large sum of money upon her sister, and after a while she married again, and with a good husband lived a happy life.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Once upon a time, a long while ago, there was a Beast.

He was a Great Beast, and lived in a Great Castle that stood in the middle of a Great Park, and everybody in the country held the Beast in great fear.  In fact everything about the Beast was great; his roar was great and terrific and could be heard for miles around the park, and when he roared the people trembled.