BLUE BEARD 
Once there was a very rich man. He lived in a beautiful house, and had a beautiful
garden. The rich man had a blue beard: so he was called "Blue Beard." Near to the rich man's house there
lived a poor woman. She had three sons, and two beautiful girls. The name Anne; the name of the other girl was
Mary. Blue Beard wanted to marry one of the girls; but the girls did not want to marry Blue Beard. Anne and Mary
did not want to marry the rich man because his beard was blue. Blue Beard had married many wives, but his wives
had gone. The girls did not want to marry Blue Beard and become his wife, because no one knew where his other wives
had gone. So their mother said to Blue Beard, "My girls do not want to marry you." Then Blue Beard said,
"Come and live in my house for some days." So they went and lived in Blue Beard's house. It was a very
beautiful house, and Blue Beard was good to them in many ways. Mary said, "His beard is blue, but he is not
a bad man. He is very good in some ways. So I will marry him." So Mary married Blue Beard, and went to live
in the beautiful house.
