Blue Beard and Puss In Boots - Illustrated by R. Heighway (The Banbury Cross Series)

By R. Heighway

The Banbury Cross Series was a collection of 12 volumes of books edited by Grace Rhys and published in London by Dent in the 1890s. Each book is attractively illustrated with full page and partial page pen and ink drawings in a classic Art Nouveau style by leading artists of the era. This title contains a little known French fairytale about a wicked blue bearded husband and the well-loved classic Puss in Boots. Richard Heighway's story specific text and full page black and white illustrations are full of life and vigour. Many of the earliest children's books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Pook Press are working to republish these classic works in affordable, high quality editions, using the original text and artwork so these works can delight another generation of children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pook Press
• Release date: Jan 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781528782210

Book preview

Blue Beard.

ONCE upon a time there lived a man, who had beautiful houses in town and in the country, dishes of gold and silver, chairs and sofas covered with flowered satin, and carriages gilt all over with gold.

But alas! this man’s beard was blue, which made him so ugly and frightful that there was not any one who did not flee from him.

One of his neighbours, a lady of quality, had two beautiful daughters. Blue Beard asked her to give one of them to him as his wife, leaving to herself the choice which of the two it should be. Both the daughters, however, refused to have him, and each in turn gave him up to the other, not being able to make up their minds to marry a man whose beard was blue. But what disgusted them still more, was that he had already had several wives and no one knew what had become of them.