One summer, a mother duck sat on her eggs by the water. One by one, the little ducklings came out, small and yellow. But the last egg was very big, and it took a long time to open.
At last the big egg opened too. Out came a duckling, but he was large and grey, not yellow like the others. "How ugly he is!" said the other ducks. They pushed him and laughed at him. Even his brothers and sisters were unkind.
The poor duckling was so sad that he ran away from the farm. He lived alone by a cold lake. Everywhere he went, the animals said he was ugly, and no one wanted him.
Winter came, and it was very cold. The lake began to freeze, and the duckling was almost caught in the ice. A kind farmer found him and took him home, but the duckling was still lonely and afraid.
At last spring came again. The duckling was now big and strong. One warm day he saw three beautiful white birds on the water. They were swans. He was sure they would laugh at him, but he swam to them anyway.
As he came near, he looked down into the clear water — and he saw himself. He was not an ugly grey duckling any more. He was a beautiful white swan! The other swans came around him and welcomed him.
Some children ran to the water and said, "Look, the new swan is the most beautiful of all!" The young swan was so happy. He had been unhappy for a long time, but now he knew he was exactly what he was meant to be.
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