A long time ago, there lived a very powerful warlord; the owner of lands, farms and a great splendid castle. His name was Bluebeard. He had married many times because his wives kept dying. According to Bluebeard, some died from strange diseases and others from bizarre accidents. Since Bluebeard was rich and powerful and had his own little army, no one ever questioned him about his missing wives, they just took his word for it.

Bluebeard had recently married again and this time he married the sister of his best swordsman, the captain of his army. Soon after the wedding, he went away to war. He left his wife in charge of the castle. He handed his newest wife a bunch of keys with the instructions that she could open any room in the castle except the room at the end of the great hall. “You are forbidden to open this door,” he said. “Is that clear? Nobody is allowed to enter that room.” Bluebeard's wife took the keys with a promise not to enter the forbidden room.

After several days, the young girl's curiosity finally got the best of her. She unlocked the forbidden room’s door and opened it. Then she stepped into the dark, and walked down the steps. The place felt wet and cold.

She was terrified at what she discovered. Chained to the walls were all of Bluebeard's previous wives, looking quite dreadful and nearly starved to death. “Help us!” came the weak, soft cries from the women. “Please set us free.”

At that moment, however, she heard a noise down the hall. Bluebeard was calling her name. He had arrived home early. So the new wife fled the room, and locked the door behind her.

But Bluebeard saw her, and began running down the hall after her. “I told you not to enter that room” he shouted, “now you will surely die!” He caught her by her hair and the young lady screamed. Bluebeard drew his sword and was about to cut her throat when suddenly, the front doors burst open. It was the girl's brother. He had come by to pay a visit to the two newlyweds when he heard the screaming. The two men fought, and the brother killed Bluebeard.

Bluebeard's poor wives were set free, cleaned up, and fed. The castle was sold and all of Bluebeard’s property and wealth was divided among the wives, and it was enough to make them all very rich.