Blue Hair

There was once a woman who had fine houses, both in town and country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. But this woman was so unlucky as to have a blue hair, which made her so frightfully ugly that all the men and boys ran away from her.

One of her neighbors, a gentleman of quality, had two sons who were perfect beauties. She desired of him one of them in marriage, leaving to his choice which of the two he would bestow on him. Neither of them would have her, and they sent her backwards and forwards from one to the other, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a woman who had a blue hair. Adding to their disgust and aversion was the fact that she already had been married to several husbands, and nobody knew what had become of them.

Blue Hair, to engage their affection, took them, with their father and three or four lords of their acquaintance, with other young people of the neighborhood, to one of her country houses, where they stayed a whole week.

The time was filled with parties, hunting, fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. In short, everything succeeded so well that the youngest son began to think that the woman's hair was not so very blue after all, and that she was a mighty civil lady.

As soon as they returned home, the marriage was concluded. About a month afterwards, Blue Hair told her husband that he was obliged to take a country journey for six weeks at least, about affairs of very great consequence. She desired him to divert himself in her absence, to send for his friends and acquaintances, to take them into the country, if he pleased, and to make good cheer wherever he was.

"Here," said she," are the keys to the two great wardrobes, wherein I have my best furniture. These are to my silver and gold plate, which is not everyday in use. These open my strongboxes, which hold my money, both gold and silver; these my caskets of jewels. And this is the master key to all my apartments. But as for this little one here, it is the key to the closet at the end of the great hall on the ground floor. Open them all; go into each and every one of them, except that little closet, which I forbid you, and forbid it in such a manner that, if you happen to open it, you may expect my just anger and resentment."

He promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered. Then he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.

His neighbors and good friends did not wait to be sent for by the newly married gentleman. They were impatient to see all the rich furniture of his house, and had not dared to come while his wife was there, because of her blue hair, which frightened them. They ran through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.

After that, they went up into the two great rooms, which contained the best and richest furniture. They could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and looking glasses, in which you might see yourself from head to foot; some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent that they had ever seen.

They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the meantime in no way diverted himself in looking upon all these rich things, because of the impatience he had to go and open the closet on the ground floor. He was so much pressed by his curiosity that, without considering that it was very uncivil for him to leave his company, he went down a little back staircase, and with such excessive haste that he nearly fell and broke his neck.

Having come to the closet door, he made a stop for some time, thinking about his wife's orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend him if he was disobedient; but the temptation was so strong that he could not overcome it. He then took the little key, and opened it, trembling. At first he could not see anything plainly, because the windows were shut. After some moments he began to perceive that the floor was all covered over with clotted blood, on which lay the bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. (These were all the husbands whom Blue Hair had married and murdered, one after another.) He thought he should have died for fear, and the key, which he, pulled out of the lock, fell out of his hand.