Dive into a world of transformation and self-discovery with H.C. Andersen’s timeless tale, “The Ugly Duckling.” This touching story explores themes of identity, belonging, and inner beauty, captivating readers of all ages. Experience a journey from rejection to acceptance, from loneliness to love, and from being an “ugly duckling” to becoming a majestic swan.
The Story of The Ugly Duckling
Once upon a time, on a summer day long ago, the wheat fields were golden, the oats green, and the hay was stacked in mounds on the meadows.
Surrounded by forests and lakes stood a magnificent old manor house. This summer, the burdock leaves had grown so large that they almost hid the view of the water.
In the shelter of the burdock leaves, a mother duck sat on her nest, safe from weasels and the cunning fox. She was sitting on her eggs and had grown bored, for they took their time hatching.
Finally, she felt a cracking and light taps, and small cracks began to show on the smooth shells. Pop! With a snap and a “Peep! Peep!” a multitude of golden ducklings appeared.
Their mother let out a delighted “Quack!” as she counted each downy, golden head.
But wait! The largest egg in the nest, her secret pride, still lay there. Never before had she laid such an enormous and magnificent egg. How long would it take?
The Arrival of the Ugly Duckling
Suddenly there was a light tap, a cracking sound, and a small snap. The ducklings and their mother waited in excitement for their last little brother or sister to appear. But they quacked in disgust at the sight of the little duckling that emerged.
For he was large, gray, and ugly. He had enormous feet and a huge beak and looked nothing like his brothers and sisters.
The next day the weather was lovely, and the ducklings were to go for their first swim. One duckling plopped into the water after the other, and they floated in a golden row.
Even the big, gray duckling could swim. Despite his clumsy size, he held himself upright and graceful.
Mother Duck quacked joyfully. “Look how beautifully he uses his large feet. He is indeed my own son! Stay close to me now, and beware of the cat.”
The duck family waddled into the duck yard. The sight of the large, gray duckling immediately caused a stir.
How strange he looks! said the other ducks. “Look at his big feet and his dull, gray feathers. We don’t want him in our yard.” And a beautiful drake flew over and pecked him on the neck.
“Leave him alone! He does no harm!” quacked Mother Duck. “He is too big and strange,” replied the beautiful drake. “And therefore he deserves a good pecking.”
An old gray duck looked down her beak at Mother Duck’s brood. “Your other children are very pretty,” she said. “Except for him. He has the wrong shape. It’s a shame you can’t hatch him again.”
The Ugly Duckling’s Escape
Mother Duck was saddened. She knew he was big, gray, and ugly, but he was still her little duckling.
Alas! Life only got worse for the poor ugly duckling. Every day he was bitten, pushed, and teased by the ducks and even the chickens. “He is too big. He is too ugly!” they clucked.
The turkey was the worst. He puffed himself up like a ship in full sail and gobbled and gobbled at him until he was red in the face.
One day, the poor ugly duckling could take no more. He ran away from home, far away, until he reached a marsh where only wild ducks lived.
“You are an ugly fellow,” said the wild ducks. “But you can stay here, as long as you don’t marry into our family.”
But the poor ugly duckling wasn’t thinking about marriage. He just wanted to hide in the reeds where no one could see him and mock him.
Escape from Hunters and Winter’s Harsh Trials
One day, two wild geese flew by. “Hey buddy!” they said. “You are so ugly that we like you! Would you like to be a migratory bird like us?”
They told him about a wonderful marsh not far from there, full of sweet young geese. “They will love you!” promised the friendly geese.
But just as the three birds took off, there was a terrible: Bang! Bang! of gunfire in the air.
The ugly duckling’s new friends fell dead in the reeds, and the water turned blood-red.
At that moment, hunters and hunting dogs came splashing through the marsh. The poor ugly duckling was terrified, but there was no time to hide in the reeds.
A dog opened its huge jaws and bared its sharp teeth at him. But just as it was about to bite the duckling, it suddenly turned away and ran off.
“I am so ugly that even the dog doesn’t want to bite me!” thought the poor duckling. He didn’t know whether to be glad or sad.
Winter came and it got so cold, so cold. The water froze, and one night the duckling froze fast in the ice.
There he sat until morning when a farmer saw him. He broke the ice with a wooden shoe and carried the duckling home to warm him by the fireplace.
But the duckling was terrified. He flapped into the milk pail, spilling milk all over the room, and finally landed in the butter tub.
The farmer’s wife was furious and chased him out into the cold. Back in the marsh, he spent a long and lonely winter, struggling to survive.
Spring and the Incredible Transformation
At last, the snow melted, and the larks began to sing. It was spring, and the duckling lifted his wings. They were bigger and stronger than before and carried him high into the air.
Before he knew it, he found himself by a lovely lake, surrounded by lilacs and apple trees. Three magnificent swans, white and graceful, came swimming.
Their beauty filled the duckling with despair. “I am so sad and gray. They will peck me to death,” he thought. “But maybe it’s better to be killed by these royal birds than to be mocked and despised and starve to death.”
He bowed his head in despair. But then he suddenly saw his own reflection in the water and got a shock. His ugly feathers were now snow-white. His neck was curved and slender. He had become a swan!
The other swans swam over to him. Instead of pecking him, they stroked him with their beaks.
Nearby, some children shouted in delight at the sight of him. “There’s a new swan!” they cried, and threw some bread crumbs to him.
“Once I was an ugly duckling,” he said. “And now I am the most beautiful of all birds.”
But because he knew how it felt to be despised and bullied, he was never cruel to any other creature and became the most splendid swan anyone had ever seen.
Read the story in danish: Den Grimme Ælling.
