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Hans Christian Andersen. The Ugly Duckling
One lovely spring day, a Mother Duck laid on her nest, keeping her eggs warm. She was a little bit bored sitting on her nest all day long. At last one eggshell after another began to crack open. Soon she had eight fluffy little yellow ducklings. All ducks around said how pretty they were! Only one big egg left and she should sit on and wait when it hatched. At last the big egg cracked and the young creature scrambled out. He was a large grey bird! The Ugly Duckling was so different from the others.
The next day was sunny and warm and Mother Duck took her children for a swim on the pond. All the ducklings swam merrily along with her – even the Ugly Duckling. The kind mother noticed how gracefully he swam along. The other ducks on the pond soon started to tease and peck him and even his brothers and sisters tried to chase him away. So the Ugly Duckling kept away from them. When their mother taught them to swim and dive under the water to catch insects, he always lagged behind. He was very unhappy.
When the ducklings could swim well enough, their mother took them to visit the ducks who lived on the other side of the pond. She swam across the water with the nine little ducklings paddling behind her in a long line. As usual the Ugly Duckling was at the very back. When the ducks saw him they started to laugh at him. So the poor creature ran away and hid in some reeds.
Soon it grew dark. The Ugly Duckling wanted his mother but he couldn't understand where to go. Tired, cold and hungry he came to a small hut. Inside was a kind old lady with a cat and a hen. The nice lady was very sorry for a poor creature and let him stay with them.
The cold days came and passed. Soon the sun shone and the birds started to sing. It was spring again!
One day he saw some swans flying in the blue sky They were so beautiful with their great white wings.
The Ugly Duckling felt a little sad because he could never be so beautiful. He looked down into the water and saw a beautiful white swan just like the others. What a miracle! He was no longer a clumsy duckling but a graceful swan.
