The Ugly Duckling

The careless swan mother accidentally left the swan egg in the duck’s nest.

The duck mother thought it was her own egg and wondered, “Why is this duck egg so big? It’s been incubating for so long, and the ducklings from other eggs have already hatched.”

After some time, the large duck egg finally showed some activity, and a duckling hatched from it.

The duck mother was happy at first, but upon seeing the duckling, she felt a bit disappointed.

She thought to herself, “Why doesn’t this duckling resemble me at all? It’s so ugly and so big!”

Other animals and even the owner found it unattractive because it didn’t look like a duck. They all considered it ugly and started calling it the “Ugly Duckling.”

Little did they know, this “Ugly Duckling” was actually a little swan.

The little swan also believed it was an ugly duckling because it looked different from the other ducklings.

Nobody liked it; they mocked it and bullied it.

Heartbroken, the Ugly Duckling left the place where it was born.

It encountered a group of wild ducks, and they said, “You claim to be a duck, but you really are ugly. No wonder they call you the Ugly Duckling.”

It arrived at a farmhouse where an old woman lived with her hen and cat.

Upon seeing the Ugly Duckling, the old woman remarked, “I’ll have duck eggs to eat in the future!”

After some time passed without the Ugly Duckling laying any eggs, the hen and cat began to look down on it.

They said, “You can’t lay eggs, nor can you meow to please the owner. You’re truly useless!”

Feeling even more disheartened, the Ugly Duckling left the farmhouse.

As winter grew colder, the water froze, and the poor Ugly Duckling got stuck in the ice while swimming and fainted.

A passing farmer saw this and broke the ice to rescue the Ugly Duckling, taking it back home.

However, one day, the Ugly Duckling accidentally knocked over a milk pail, and the woman of the house chased it away again.

Exhausted and not knowing where to go, the Ugly Duckling fell asleep in the darkness.

The next day, as the sun rose, the Ugly Duckling woke up and went to the riverbank to drink some water.

It lifted its head and saw a flock of beautiful birds flying by in the distance. Their feathers were as white as snow, and their long necks were elegant.

Enviously, the Ugly Duckling thought to itself, “If only I were as beautiful as them. Then surely many people would like me. But alas, I am just an ugly duckling, hated by everyone.”

The Ugly Duckling sighed in frustration and shed tears.

At that moment, it noticed the flock of beautiful birds had flown over to it and were kindly looking at it.

The Ugly Duckling said, “Would you be willing to be friends with me? Don’t you think I’m an ugly duckling?”

One of the birds replied, “What are you talking about? You’re just like us, a beautiful swan, not an ugly duckling.”

Closing its eyes, the Ugly Duckling said, “You’re so kind to me, the kindest since I was born. But I know I’m an ugly duckling. I’m already content that you’re willing to be my friend.”

Another swan chimed in, “What are you saying? You truly are a swan. If you don’t believe us, look at your reflection in the water. You’ll see that you look just like us.”

The Ugly Duckling opened its eyes and saw its reflection in the water, indeed looking just like these beautiful birds. It didn’t realize when it had transformed into a beautiful white swan.

At that moment, someone passed by and pointed at the Ugly Duckling, saying, “Look, that little swan is so cute and beautiful!”

Tears welled up in the Ugly Duckling’s eyes again. It never imagined it would one day be praised like this.

As the Ugly Duckling transformed into a white swan, everyone praised it, and happiness filled its heart.

However, the Ugly Duckling never became proud because of this. It was more inclined to help those who were mocked and bullied, as it had experienced it before.

Therefore, everyone praised it not only for its outer beauty but also for its kind heart, making them love it even more.