that he was first strangled, then burnt, and his ashes buried.
Though he was descended from one of the most illustrious families in
France, he declared, previous to his death, that all his terrible
excesses were owing to his wretched education.

"Blue Beard" was first dramatised at Paris, in 1746, when "_Barbe Bleu_"
was thus announced:--_Pantomime_--_representee par la troupe des
Comediens Pantomimes, Foir St. Laurent_. It was afterwards dramatised at
the Earl of Barrymore's Theatre, Wargrave, Berks., and in 1791. After
that the subject was produced at Covent Garden Theatre as a Pantomime.

"Beauty and the Beast," the latter a white bear, is to be found in
"Popular Tales from the Norse," by Mr. Dasent, and in the collection of
"Popular Tales from the German" by the Brothers Grimm. As a ballad the
story of "Beauty and the Beast" is a very old one.

"Cinderella" is to be found in the language of every European country.
In ancient Hindu legends it appears; in tales related by the Greek poets
it is also to be found.

The story of "Cinderella," according to the ancient Hindu legends, is
that of the Sun and the Dawn. Cinderella has been likened to Aurora, the
Spirit of the Dawn, and the fairy Prince of the legend is the morning
Sun, ever closely pursuing her to make her his bride. The Hindu legend
of the lost slipper is that a wealthy Rajah's beautiful daughter was
born with a golden necklace, which contained her soul, and, if the
necklace was taken off and worn by someone else, the Princess would die.
The Rajah gave her on her birthday a pair of slippers with ornaments of
gold and gems upon them. The princess went out upon a mountain to gather
flowers, and whilst stooping there to pluck the flowers, one of her
slippers fell into the forest below. A Prince, who was hunting, picked
up the slipper, and was so charmed with it that he said he would make
the wearer his wife. He made his wish known, but no one came to claim
the slipper; at length word was given to the Prince where to find the
Rajah's daughter; and shortly afterwards they were married. One of the
wives of the Prince, being jealous of the Rajah's daughter, stole the
necklace, put it on her own neck, and then the Rajah's daughter died.
The Prince, afterwards, found out the secret of the necklace, and got it
back again, and put it on his dead wife's neck, and she came to life,
and they lived ever afterwards in the greatest harmony.

The ancient Grecian version of