The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling

One day, a mother duck felt her eggs begin to shake. One by one, the eggs cracked open. Eight yellow ducklings poked out their heads.

“ Peep, peep, " they said. “ Quack, quack! ” said Mother Duck. But one egg did not crack-one very big egg.

Mother Duck sat on the big egg for a few more days. Finally, it cracked open. Out popped a big bird. “ Oh! ” said Mother Duck. “ You do not look like my other ducklings, but I am your mother, and I love you. ”

The little yellow ducklings made fun of the new bird. “ You do not look like us, ” they said. “ You are big and gray. You are an ugly duckling. ” This made the new bird very sad. “ You do not look like my other ducklings, ” said Mother Duck, “ but I am your mother, and I love you. ”

The ugly duckling looked for someone to play with. He went to the farm pond. “ Will you swim with me?” he asked. “ No, ” said the ducklings. “ You are too ugly. ” “ No, ” said the frogs and turtles. “ You are an ugly duckling. ”