The Ugly Duckling - Danish

In a cozy nest near a big, sparkling river, a little gray bird hatched from his egg. While the sun was warm and the flowers smelled sweet, he felt very different from his fluffy, yellow brothers and sisters. They quacked and swam, but he was big and gray, and everyone whispered that he wasn't like them. This is the story of how he learned to find his real family, and people call it The Ugly Duckling.

The other ducks in the farmyard were not very kind. They teased him for his gray feathers and his clumsy feet, which made the little bird feel so sad that one day, he ran away. He waddled through fields and forests all alone, looking for a place where he belonged. The leaves turned red and gold, and soon, snow fell from the sky, covering everything in a soft, white blanket. The winter was very long and very cold, and he was often hungry and lonely, but he kept hoping for warmer days and a friendly face.

When spring finally returned, the sun melted the ice, and the world became green again. One sunny morning, he saw three graceful, white birds swimming on the lake. They were the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. He felt shy, but he swam toward them. As he got closer, he looked down at his reflection in the water and gasped. He wasn't a big, gray, ugly duckling anymore. He had grown into a swan, with a long, elegant neck and feathers as white as snow. The other swans welcomed him, and for the first time, he felt happy and loved. His story was first told long ago in Denmark by a wonderful storyteller named Hans Christian Andersen on November 11th, 1843. It reminds us that everyone is special and beautiful, and sometimes we just need time to grow. It also helps us remember to be kind, because you never know when you might meet a swan who thinks it's a duckling.