Section 1
Once upon a time, there was a man who possessed splendid residences in both urban and rural areas he also owned a considerable amount of silver and gold tableware, intricately decorated furnishings, and coaches that were entirely covered in gold. However, fate was not kind to this man as he had an unfortunate characteristic of having a blue beard, this physical trait was so horrifyingly unattractive that all women and girls were repelled by him and avoided his company.
One of the man's neighbors was a woman of high social standing who had two daughters possessing flawless beauty. He expressed his wish to marry one of her daughters, letting her decide which of the two she would give to him as a bride. Neither daughter was willing to accept his proposal, and they kept sending him back and forth between them, unwilling to consider the idea of marrying a man with a blue beard. Furthermore, their revulsion and dislike towards him were heightened by the knowledge that he had previously been married to several wives, and no one knew what had happened to them.
In an effort to win their affections, Blue Beard invited the mother, her two daughters, and three or four of their friends, along with other young people from the area, to one of his country houses. They spent an entire week there.
During their stay, they engaged in various activities such as parties, hunting, fishing, dancing, and feasting, which brought joy and merriment to everyone. No one went to sleep at night, and instead, they spent their time teasing and joking around with each other. In summary, everything went so smoothly that the youngest daughter started to believe that the man's beard was not as blue as she had originally thought, and that he was actually a very kind and courteous man.
Immediately after their return home, the marriage was finalized. Approximately one month later, Blue Beard informed his wife that he needed to go on a journey to the countryside for a minimum of six weeks, concerning matters of great importance. He asked her to enjoy herself during his absence, to invite her friends and acquaintances over, to go to the countryside if she wanted, and to have a good time wherever she was.
"Here," he said, "are the keys to the two large wardrobes where I keep my best furniture. "These keys are for my silver and gold plates, which I don't use on a daily basis," he explained. Use these keys to open my strongboxes, which contain my money in both gold and silver, and also to unlock my jewelry boxes," he elaborated. "And this key is the master key that unlocks all the rooms in my house," he added. "However, this small key here is specifically for the closet at the end of the great hall on the ground floor," he specified. "Feel free to open and explore all of the rooms except for that little closet which I strictly prohibit you from entering. I want to make it clear that if you happen to open it, you will face my justified anger and resentment," he warned.
She pledged to follow his instructions precisely .After embracing her, he got into his carriage and began his journey.
Her neighbors and close friends did not wait for an invitation from the newlywed woman. They were eager to see the luxurious furniture in her house but had refrained from visiting while her husband was present because his blue beard frightened them. They hurriedly went through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so exquisite and lavish that each one appeared to be more impressive than the last.
