Kitabı oku: «Scary Fairy Tales. A1 / Страшные сказки», sayfa 11

When shecame to, she picked up the key, locked the door, and went upstairs into her room to calm down. But she was too scared. Then she noticed that the key to the little room was stained with blood. She tried two or three times to clean it but nothing worked. The blood still remained, because the key was magical and she could never make it quite clean.

Blue Beard returned home the same evening. He said that surprisingly he finished his task quickly. His wife did everything to show him that she was extremely happy about it.

The next morning, he asked her for the keys. She gave him the keys back.

“What!” said he, “where is the key to my little room?”

“I think,” said she, “I left it upstairs upon the table.”

“Bring it to me now,” said Blue Beard.

Finally, she was forced to bring him the key. Blue Beard looked at it, and said to his wife, “Why is there blood on the key?”

“I do not know,” cried the poor woman.

“You do not know!” replied Blue Beard. “I know. You went into the little room, did you not? Very well, madam; you shall go back, and take your place among the ladies you saw there.”

When she heard this, she fell on her knees andbegged for forgiveness, and promised that she would always do as he tells. But Blue Beard had a heart harder than any rock!

“You must die, madam,” said he, “now.”

“Since I must die,” answered she (looking upon him with her eyes full of tears), “give me some time to say my prayers.”

“I give you,” replied Blue Beard, “ten minutes, but not one moment more.”

When she was alone, she called out to her sister, and said to her, “Sister Anne” (for that was her name), “go up, I beg you, to the top of the tower, and look if my brothers are coming. They promised me to come today, and if you see them, give them a sign to hurry up.”