"You went into the little room, didn't you? Well, you'll go back again, this time for good, along with the other ladies in there. You must die!" Just then, there was a knock at the door and Anna, Bluebeard's wife's sister, entered the castle. "Good morning," she said, "you seem rather pale." "Not at all, we're quite well," replied Bluebeard. His wife whispered in his ear: "Please, please give me ten minutes to live!" Bluebeard replied: "Not more than ten!" The girl ran to her sister Anna who had gone up to one of the towers and asked her, "Anna, do you see our brothers coming? They promised they would come and see me today!" But Anna replied "No, I don't see anyone. What's wrong? You look agitated." "Anna, please," said the shaken girl, "look again! Are you sure you can't see someone?" "No," said her sister, "only one or two peasants." Just then the voice of Bluebeard boomed up to them: "Wife, your time is up! Come here!" "I'm coming!" she called, but then said to her sister: "Oh Anna, aren't our brothers coming?." "No," replied Anna. Again Bluebeard shouted up, "Come down at once! Or I'll come up!" Trembling like a leaf, his wife went downstairs. Bluebeard was clutching a big knife and he grabbed his bride by the hair.
"Sister, I can see two horsemen coming!" called out Anna from the tower that very moment. Bluebeard made a horrible face: They too will die!" His wife knelt to implore: "Please, please don't kill me. I'll never tell anyone what I saw! I'll never say a word!" "Yes, and you'll never say a word for eternity!" snarled Bluebeard, raising his knife.
The poor girl screamed: "Have pity on me!" But he fiercely replied: "No! You must die!" He was about to bring the knife down on the girl's delicate neck, when two young men burst into the room: a dragoon and a musketeer. They were his wife's brothers. Drawing their swords, they leapt towards Bluebeard, who tried to flee up some stairs, but was caught . and killed. And that was the end of the sad story.
Bluebeard's poor wives were given a Christian burial, the castle was completely renovated and the young widow, some time later, married a good and honest young man, who helped her to forget the terrible adventure. And that young lady completely lost all her sense of curiosity.
