The Popular Story of Blue Beard

"The Popular Story of Blue Beard" by Anonymous and Charles Perrault is a French folktale first published in 1697. A wealthy nobleman with a dark secret proposes marriage to his neighbor's daughter. Despite her family's terror, she accepts and moves into his luxurious palace. When he departs on a journey, he grants her access to every room except one forbidden chamber. Overcome by curiosity, she enters—and discovers a horrifying truth about her husband's previous wives. Now she must escape his murderous wrath before becoming his next victim.

The Popular Story of Blue Beard, by Anonymous. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #45381.