Week 15 Extra Credit Reading: Lang's Fairy Tales II, Part A

 These notes are based off Blue Beard which is from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (1889). 

• This is a story that I've seen referenced, but I've never read it myself!
• It was scary. I thought the bride was going to die. She honestly got lucky
• I don't like that it was her brothers that saved her
• If I rewrote it, I would make her fight Blue Beard, or outsmart him somehow
• Maybe she could hide in the bloody closet and pounce on him
• Also, she could've just run away after she found out!
• Anyway, so Blue seems like a pretty sweet guy. 
• He has an ugly blue beard, so no one wants to marry him. They are also weirded out because a bunch of his old wives have gone missing (clue), which is fair
• However, with all his money, he is able to woo a new bride
• He went away on a trip, and gave her all the keys to his mansion
• She can open all the doors BUT not the secret closet (familiar rule...)
• She obviously goes into the closet and sees dead women. There are bodies all over the floor 
• She freaks out, but drops the key in blood 
• PART 2 starts here
• After being shook, she goes upstairs to calm down. She notices the key is covered in blood, and tries to wash it. 
• It's a magic key, so it won't wash out
• For some reason, she doesn't make a break for it! 
• Blue Beard returns and he probs already knows what happened
• The next morning (for real, this girl needs to run) he gets the keys back and notices that one is missing
• She tries to trick him, but it doesn't work
• At this point, he knows exactly what happened (he's probably just messing with her)
• He asks her, "why is there blood on this key?"
• She claims to not know, but he doesn't believe her!!
• She cries and begs him to spare her. But, he is crazy (as expected)
• He gives her 15 minutes, to pray, and she thinks up a plan
• lowkey it's not a great plan
• she just waits for her brothers to show up
• She calls up to her sister, and tells her to keep watch for the bros
• I'm honestly skipping a lot of this, because nothing really happens
• Blue tries to kill her (he gets really close. This is the scariest part...)
•  Then, taking hold of her hair with one hand and lifting up the sword with the other, he was going to take off her head. The poor lady, turning about to him and looking at him with dying eyes, desired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herself. 
• This is where I thought she was going to die!
• At the last moments the brothers show up and save her!
• Again, disappointing
• Blue dies and the wife takes over the manner. Great ending! 

Image Information: 

Blue Beard 

Illustration from Tales of Mother Goose 

By: Gustave Dore 

Found on: Wikipedia