BLUEBEARD in 314 words

Bluebeard was a lonely old man whom nobody will marry as they feared his ugly blue beard. He had had several wives before, but they disappeared and their whereabouts were unknown, this also proving slightly off-putting for future suitors. Bluebeard manages to persuade one of his neighbors to let him marry one of their daughters. The sisters try to pass off the responsibility to one another. The younger sister attends one of Bluebeard’s extravagant banquets and is persuaded to marry him, she moves into his chateau with him.
Consequently, Bluebeard announces he must leave the country for a while. He entrusts the keys to each room of the house to his wife, but specifies one room which she must not enter, no matter what. All the rooms she can enter have many treasures in, but the wife is not satisfied. Despite warnings from her older sister, the wife’s curiosity gets the better of her and she enters the room.
The forbidden room is covered in blood, and the former wives of Bluebeard hang, murdered, from the ceiling, The wife drops the key in shock and flees. Later, she attempts to wash the blood of the key but it will not wash off. She confides in her sister and they both plan to flee the next day. However, Bluebeard comes back unexpectedly the next day and noticing the blood on the key, knows his wife has disobeyed him and discovered the room.
 Blind with rage, Bluebeard almost beheads his wife immediately, but she begs him to let her say her prayers. He allows her to do so, and she locks herself in the highest tower with her sister. Bluebeard attempts to break down the door with his sword, but just as he is about to deliver the fatal blow, the sister’s brothers break into the castle and kill Bluebeard. His wife inherits all his fortune.