Chapter 6 The Ugly Duckling It was a beautiful summer day.
The wheat was golden and the oats were still green.
The hay was stacked in the lower meadow with the great woods and deep lakes behind it.
In the sunniest spots stood an old mansion surrounded by a moat.
There was a duck sitting on her nest in the leaves near the water.
Her little ducklings were just about to be hatched, and she was tired of sitting.
She had been there a very long time.
Few visitors came round, and so it seemed even longer.
Most ducks flying in would swim up and down the moat, not bothering to come into the weeds to see the mother.
At last, one egg after another began to crack.
Cheep, cheep, they said upon being born.
All the chicks had come to life and were poking their heads out.
The tiny birds looked all around and then back to their mother.
Quack, quack, she said, giving them something to practice.
Quack, repeated the ducklings happily.
This is a big world, little ones, Mother Duck said.
It stretches a long way from the other side of this garden.
Let us go explore.
Are you all here?
Mother Duck counted quickly.
No, my biggest egg is still unhatched.
How long is it going to take?
I've been sitting on these eggs for so long.
The Mother Duck sighed as she waddled back to the nest, lifted her body and ruffled her feathers down on top of the one egg left.
She looked a bit discouraged.
I will sit on it a little bit longer.
I've been here this long.
At last, the egg cracked.
Cheep, cheep, said the young one as he tumbled out.
How big and ugly he was.
The other ducks looked at him.
That's a huge duckling, said the mother.
None of the others looks like that.
I wonder if he's a turkey chick that got mixed up with my eggs.
If he can swim, he's definitely a duckling.
If not, well, then who knows?
He will go in the water, even if I have to force him in myself.
All right, my darlings, let's all go to the water.
Splash, into the water, the mother duck jumped.
Quack, she said.
One little duckling dove in behind her.
He clean, jumped in.
He came up and floated beautifully.
Before long every duck was swimming, even the big ugly gray one.
They had doubted he can't be a turkey, said the mother duck, feeling sorry for the poor baby.
See how nicely he uses his legs and how straight he holds himself up.
He's my own chick.
He's not so ugly and slow when you see him up close.
The ugly little duckling followed his mother, as did all the other ducklings, into the duck yard.
This is where we will be spending a lot of our time, my darlings, Mother Duck explained.
There's plenty of water in the duck pond for us to play and swim in.
The farmer also brings our food here.
You must learn to get along with the other ducks, but be ready to defend yourselves, too.
There were two groups of ducks fighting over some food, and some quacking was going on in another part of the yard.
"'Remember to quack correctly and bend your neck to the old duck over there.
She is the grandest one of all.
She has a red rag around her leg.
No one, not man or animal, is to cross her.'
"'Follow me,' the mother said, leading her crew proudly.'
Quack now.
Don't turn your toes in.
Keep your legs wide apart.
That's it.
Now bend your necks and quack.
The ducklings did as they were told, but the other ducks in the yard laughed at them.
Look there as if there weren't too many of us here already, and look at that ugly duckling.
We won't stand for him.
A nasty duck flew by and bit the ugly duckling on the neck.
Tim B., the mother said, he's doing no harm.
Maybe not, the biter said, but he is so ugly it doesn't matter.
He needs to be taught a lesson.
You have other children who are quite handsome, said the old duck with the red rag around her leg.
It's a pity you can't make this one over again.
He may not be handsome, said Mother Duck, but he has a kind heart and swims as beautifully as any of the others.
I believe he will be very strong and find his way in the world.
The Mother Duck looked tired from teaching her little ones all morning.
Taking care to protect the gray one was especially tough.
Well, you and your ducklings may stay in the duck yard, the old duck said, feeling some pity.
Just try to stay out of my way.
Mother Duck and her little one settled in.
The first day passed without any problems, but each day afterward things grew worse and worse for the ugly duckling.
The poor thing was chased and teased by everyone, even his own brothers and sisters.
They told him We wish the cat would get you, you ugly thing.
Ducks bit him, the hens hacked him and the girl who fed the ducks kicked him aside.
His mother could barely stand it anymore.
She told him i must send you miles away from here.
It's the only way i can think to protect you.
She gave him strict directions to his uncle's pond and told him not to stray.
She kissed him goodbye and promised she would see him again soon.
The ugly duckling took off right over the hedge that divided the duck yard from the rest of the pond.
Little birds flew up into the air in fright.
They flew away because I'm so ugly, thought the poor duckling, shutting his eyes.
He blinked away some tears and continued to travel on.
Eventually he came to a swampy land where wild ducks lived.
He was so tired and miserable that he decided to rest there the whole night.
In the morning, some wild ducks flew up to see the visitor.
"'What kind of creature are you?' they asked as the duckling floated in the water.
"'You're very ugly.
Where did you come from?'
The ugly duckling let out a sigh and turned away.
He didn't want to talk to these mean creatures.
He just wanted to lie among the leaves and drink some marsh water.
Soon the wild ducks flew angrily away.
Once he was alone again, he stayed in the marsh for two whole days without anyone bothering him.
Then two wild geese came.
Hello, you are a different duck.
Where did ugly duckling put his head down in shame.
"'I live nearby,' he lied.
"'I am here for a walk.'
The two geese had no reason not to believe his story.
"'Would you like to come with us to another marsh nearby?
There are some charming wild geese there.'
At that moment the ugly duckling heard a bang from the distance.
Both the wild geese dove among the leaves and disappeared.
Whole flocks of wild geese flew up from the tall grass as the loud noise rang out again and again.
The duckling was confused.
What had happened?
Where had everyone gone?
The ugly duckling was scared.
He sensed danger, so he hid within the tall grass and waited.
It wasn't until the end of the day that he felt safe to leave the marsh.
When he did go, he flew across fields and meadows fighting the wind.
He found it hard to make his way.
The ugly duckling knew he couldn't go back to where he had come from.
He wasn't liked there.
Instead, he explored new places, hoping to find a happy home somewhere.
He came upon a small stream not too far down the road from a little cottage.
It was empty of ducks and geese.
Taking a great running leap off the bank, the ugly duckling landed in the water.
It felt wonderful.
He floated along the top, then bobbed up and down, splashing everywhere.
He had a few hours to himself to feel the joy of being in the water once again.
But as he'd expected, other creatures soon came to the pond.
They made fun of the ugly duckling when they arrived.
It seemed this lovely place wasn't right for him either.
The autumn was coming.
The leaves were turning colors and the wind was making them dance.
The sky looked cold and the clouds were heavy.
The poor little duckling didn't know what to do.
He had seen other birds gather in flocks and fly high overhead together.
Was that what he was supposed to do?
His mother hadn't had a chance to teach him these things before he left home.
The ugly duckling was cold and uncomfortable.
He tried snuggling in some bushes to keep warm.
Nothing worked.
He was still miserable, cold, and, what he hated most, lonely.
One evening, as the duckling paced back and forth, a flock of grand birds arrived.
The duckling had never seen anything so beautiful.
The birds were a pearly white with long, slender necks.
They swam elegantly on the water and made soft calls that were graceful and lovely.
The duckling watched them for a minute.
He was filled with disappointment as they spread their wings and flew away to warmer lands.
The duckling was overcome by a strange feeling.
He wanted to follow them, but he knew he'd never be able to keep up with the stunning creatures.
When they were out of sight, he dove down into the water, touched the bottom with his beak and came to the top again.
He was still trembling with a strange feeling.
He didn't know what the birds were or where they had flown, or why he felt the need to see them again.
He never felt more ugly than at that moment.
The winter came fast and the ugly duckling thought he'd found a secure place to live through the season.
Maybe the graceful birds would eventually return, he thought.
It was so cold that he had to swim the pond in circles every day to keep it from freezing.
Every night the hole in which he swam got smaller and smaller.
At last he was so weary that he could move no more.
The poor duckling had frozen into the ice.
Early the next morning, a poor old man came along and found the frozen duckling.
He walked out to the duckling and broke the ice round him.
He then carried the poor thing home.
The man's wife gave him food and warmed him up, but the man's three children were not so kind.
The boys wanted to play with the duckling, but they were rough. pulled his tail and poked his neck.
They chased him through the house and onto the counters where he spilled milk and knocked over the flower.
The man's wife shrieked, but the old man just laughed.
When the oldest child opened the door, the duckling flew outside, for that was his only chance to escape the craziness.
He flew into the bushes in the newly fallen snow and There he rested and tried to catch his breath while recovering from the horrors of that house.
There were other bad things that happened to the ugly duckling during that winter, but it would be too sad to tell them all.
Through the harsh season, he continued the search for food, warmth, and love.
But eventually the sun made the earth warm again.
The larks began to sing.
The marsh became green again, and the ugly duckling welcomed the spring with joy.
At least he'd now have the beautiful earth for company, if not the other birds.
The ugly duckling spread his wings, surprised at the strength he felt in them after that brutal winter.
He lifted himself high in the air and looked down upon the scene below.
He saw a large garden where the apple trees were in full bloom and the air smelled like lilacs.
Where the apple trees stopped, a beautiful lake began.
In that lake he saw three brilliant white birds, the same birds he had seen before winter arrived.
He had been thinking about them all through the cold months.
They were swimming toward him, their feathers barely touching the top of the water.
If I go down to them, they will peck at me because I am so ugly, the duckling said to himself.
But that doesn't matter.
I would rather risk it all to meet those lovely birds.
I must find out what they are.
So the ugly duckling flew down to the edge of the lake where the swans were bathing.
They saw him and moved over to where he was, their feathers ruffled.
Make fun of me.
Go ahead, peck at me. said the poor creature bowing his head toward the water.
He shut his eyes tight and waited for the pain, but he felt none.
The duckling slowly opened his eyes and was startled beyond words.
He saw his own reflection in the lake's glassy water staring back at him.
But he did not see a dark gray bird, ugly and clumsy.
He was a swan.
He must have accidentally been born into a family of regular ducks.
He finally knew who he was and where he belonged.
The other swans invited him into the lake, and he joined them proudly.
The big swans swam around him and stroked him with their bills.
For the first time, the ugly duckling had a real family.
Some little children came with bread and corn to throw into the lake for the swans to eat.
There is a new swan, one of the children cried.
A new one has come.
They clapped their hands and danced around, making up songs about the new bird.
He is the most beautiful one by far, one of the girls said.
The other children all agreed.
The little swan felt shy.
He hid his head beneath his wing, unsure of how to take these kind words, but he was so happy.
He promised himself he would never forget about how things once were.
He would never forget about how he was teased and abused and how he spent many months alone, friendless and without family.
He ruffled his feathers joyfully and raised his slender neck with pride.
His heart sang.
I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.
