they ran their swords through his body, and left him dead. The poor wife
was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to arise
and welcome her brothers.

Blue Beard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his
estate. She made use of one portion of it to marry her sister Anne to a
young gentleman who had loved her a long while; another portion to buy
captains' commissions for her brothers; and the rest to marry herself to
a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the sorry time she had
passed with Blue Beard.




THE FAIRY.


Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters. The elder was
so much like her, both in looks and character, that whoever saw the
daughter saw the mother. They were both so disagreeable and so proud
that there was no living with them. The younger, who was the very
picture of her father for sweetness of temper and virtue, was withal one
of the most beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturally love their
own likeness, this mother doted on her elder daughter, and at the same
time had a great aversion for the younger. She made her eat in the
kitchen and work continually.

Among other things, this unfortunate child had to go twice a day to draw
water more than a mile and a half from the house, and bring home a
pitcherful of it. One day, as she was at this fountain, there came to