Ugly Duckling
A duck made her nest under some leaves and sat on her eggs to keep them warm. When the eggs broke, little ducks came out until only one egg was left. It was a very large egg. At last it broke, and out came a big, ugly duckling.
“What a big duckling!“
said the old duck.
“He doesn‘t look like us. Could it be a goose? We will see. If he doesn‘t like the water, he is not a duck.“
The next day the mother duck took her ducklings to the pond.
Splash! Splash! The mother duck was in the water and the little ducklings followed. The big, ugly duckling swam, too.
The mother duck said,
“He is not a goose. He is my own little duck. He will not be so ugly when he grows up.“
Then she said to the ducklings,
“Come with me. I want you to see the other ducks.“
While the mother duck wasn‘t paying attention, an old duck bit the ugly duckling.
“Let him alone,“
said the mother duck.
“He didn‘t hurt you.“
“I know that,“
said the duck,
“but he is so ugly.“
The next duck they met, said,
“Your ducklings are lovely, but one of them is very very ugly.“
The mother duck said,
“I know he is not very pretty, but he is a very good duckling.“
Then she said to the ducklings,
“Now, my dears, have fun.“
But the poor, big, ugly duckling didn‘t have fun. The hens bit him and the big ducks walked on him.
The poor duckling was very sad. He didn‘t want to be ugly but he could not help it. He ran to hide away.
The summer went by. Then the leaves fell, and it was very cold and the poor duckling had a very hard time. But at last it was spring. The birds sang. The ugly duckling was big now, so one day he flew away. Soon he saw three white swans on the lake, and said
“ I am going to see those birds, but I am afraid they will bite me because I am so ugly.“
He put his head down to the water and saw a beautiful reflection. He was not an ugly duck. He had become a white swan and the other swans came to see him. Everyone looked at him and said
“Oh, look at the beautiful swans! The one that came last is the pretties of all.“
And they gave him bread and cake.
It was a very happy time for the ugly duckling.
