"TheUglyDuckling"byHansChristianAndersonOnesummerinabeautifulcountrybarnyard,aducksatuponanestofeggswaitingandwaitingforthemtohatch.Theduckwasverylonelybecausealloftheotherduckswholivedonthefarmwereswimmingandplayinginthepond.Theydidnotwanttositinthehotsunwiththeduckandwaitfortheeggstohatch.Finally,theeggsbegantocrackandthelittlebabyducklingspokedtheirheadsthroughthebrokeneggshellsandstartedtocryout,"Quack,quack!"Uponhearingthissound,averyoldduckcamealongtocheckontheMotherDuck."Hello,MotherDuck.Iseeyoureggshavehatched.""Yestheyhave,andIamsohappy.Aren'tthesethemostbeautifulducklingsyouhaveeverseen?Butthislasteggstillhasnothatched."TheMotherDuckmovedasidesothattheOldDuckcouldseetheremainingegg,whichwasverylarge."Thatlookslikeaturkeyegg.Maybeyou'vebeentricked,"saidtheOldDuck."Youshouldteachyourotherchildrentoswimbeforetheyaretooold.Ifyouwait,theywillbetooafraidtojumpinthepond.Leavethisothereggforawhileandcomebackafteraswimtoseeifithashatched.""No,Icannotleavemybabyducklinguntilheorshehatches.Iamsureitwillnotbetoolongbeforeitdoes,andtheotherswilllearntoswimwithoutaproblem,"insistedtheMotherDuck.TheOldDuckdecidedtositwiththeMotherDuckwhileshewaitedforthebigeggtohatch.Thenextday,thebigeggshookandcrackedandthelastbabyducklingwaddledoutofthebrokeneggshell.TheOldDuckandtheMotherDucklookedatthelastbabyducklingwithgreatsurprise.Shelookednothingliketheotherducks.Infact,shedidnotreallylooklikemuchofaduckatall.Shewasbig,gray,uglyandstrangelooking."Well,shecertainlyisanunusuallookingduckling,"saidtheOldDuck."Hmm,saidtheMotherDuck."Shemustbesobigandoddbecauseshewasintheeggforsolong.Sheisratherprettyifyoulookatheracertainway.Intime,Iamsureshewillgrowintoaproperlookingduck."TheMotherDuckledherchildrentothepondandone-by-one,theyalljumpedin.Theugly,grayducklingswamverywell.Actually,sheswamevenbetterthantheotherducklings.TheMotherDuckwashappilysurprised.Shewasveryworriedthatshemighthavebeenapoorswimmerbecauseshewassobig.Butaftertheirswim,theMotherDuckandherfamilywentintothebarnyard.Alloftheanimalsstoppedintheirtracksassoonastheynoticedtheuglyduckling.Theybegantocomeuptoherandteaseher.Oneyoungduckevenbither.Ahencameandgrabbedsomeoftheuglyduckling'sfeathersinherbeakandpulleduntiltheUglyDucklingbegantocry.Andthen,alloftheanimalsbegantosingandlaugh,"Look,look,here,here,ho,ho,boo-hoo,seetheUglyDucklingcry.Look,look,here,here,ho,ho,boo-hoo,seetheUglyDucklingcry.Herneckistoolong.Herfeathersaredry.""Leaveheralone,"saidtheMotherDuck."She'snothurtinganyone.""Yes,butsheisjustsobiganduglythatsheshouldbeforcedtoleavethefarmsothatwedon'thavetolookather,"saidtheDuckwhohadbittentheuglyduckling."Don'tsaythat!"shoutedtheMotherDuck."Shemaynotbeprettybutsheisverykindandsweetandaverygoodswimmer.Asamatteroffact,sheswimsevenbetterthanherbrothersandsisters,andIthinkthatintime,shewillbecomesmallerandprettier.Nowjustleaveheralone."Eventhoughhermothertriedtomakethemallseethatshewasagoodduck,thenextfewdayswereterriblefortheuglyduckling.TheotheranimalsofthefarmyarddidnotobeytheMotherDuck'sordertoleavetheUglyDucklingalone.Instead,theybecameevenmeanertotheUglyDucklingandsoonherbrothersandsistersbegantoteasehertoo.Andeventually,hermotherbecametootiredtodefendheranymore.Andso,onenight,theUglyDucklingsnuckawayfromthefarmintothegreat,wideworld.Shetraveledalong,longwayuntilshefinallyfoundahugefieldandfellasleep.Inthemorning,theUglyDucklingawoketofindherselfsurroundedbyseveralwildducks.Oneoftheducksbegantoteaseherforbeingsougly.Anotherducktoldher,"It'sokaythatyouaresouglyaslongasyoudon'tmarryintoourfamily."TheUglyDucklingsoonmovedon.Aftertravelingforawhile,theUglyDucklingfoundagaggleofgeeseandstoppedtolookatthem.Shehopedthatshemightbeabletojointhem.Assheapproached,sheheardaloud,"BANG!BANG!"Twogeesefelldeadtotheground.Inthedistance,theUglyDucklingsawsomemenwithhuntingrifles.Shegotveryscaredanddecidedtorunawayfromthegeese.Sheranandranuntilshewasveryfarawayandverytired.Shecouldhardlybreathefromrunningsofast.Shestoppedandturnedaround.Shecouldnolongerseethegeesebutsherealizedthatshewasstandingnexttoabeautifullake.Shesawthemostbeautifulbirdsthatshehadeverseenglidingonthesurfaceofthelake'sclear,bluewater.Theyhadlongnecksandsoftwhitefeathers."Oh,thoseprettybirdswillneverallowmetojointhemorswimwiththem.They'resobeautifulandIamsougly,"thoughttheuglyduckling.Suddenly,thebeautifulbirdsnoticedtheUglyDucklingandswamtowardtheedgeofthelakewhereshewasstanding.Oneofthemsaid,"Hello,youngswan.Wheredidyoucomefrom?""Me?"saidtheUglyDucklinginsurprise,"Icamefromaplacethatisveryfaraway.Idon'tknowwhataswanisbutIamaduck.Whatisaswan?"Thebeautifulbirdsbegantolaugh."Whatisaswan?Why,weareswansandsoareyou.Youarenotaduck.Imagine!Youasaduck!Aswanwouldmakeaveryfunny-lookingduck.Butyouarethemostbeautifulyoungswanhere.Comelivewithusandwewillraiseyou.""I'maswan!IAMbeautiful!"rejoicedtheswanwhowasnolongeranuglyduckling."Finally,Iamaccepted,"theswanthoughttoherselfjoyfully.Andtheyoungswanlivedamongtheotherswanshappilyeverafter.