Once upon a time, in a cozy little farm, there was a mother duck who was very happy because her eggs were about to hatch. ðĶ She had five beautiful eggs, but one of them was much larger than the others. One sunny morning, the eggs began to crack open, and out came four fluffy, yellow ducklings. They chirped happily and waddled around their mother. However, the biggest egg still hadn’t hatched. The mother duck was puzzled but waited patiently.
Finally, the big egg cracked open, and out came a large, grey duckling. He was not like his brothers and sisters. He was bigger and looked different. The other ducklings laughed at him and called him the “Ugly Duckling”. ðĢ
“Why are you so different?” they teased. “You don’t belong with us.”
The mother duck tried to comfort him, but the Ugly Duckling felt very sad. Everywhere he went, he was mocked and teased. The chickens, the turkeys, and even the other animals on the farm made fun of him. ððĶ
One day, the Ugly Duckling couldn’t take it anymore. He decided to run away from the farm to find a place where he would be accepted. He wandered through fields and forests, feeling lonely and miserable. ðēð
Winter came, and it was cold. The Ugly Duckling had no one to care for him. He found a shelter by a lake and hid there, shivering in the snow. âïļ But as spring arrived, the sun began to warm the earth, and the flowers started to bloom. ð·
One day, the Ugly Duckling saw a group of beautiful swans gliding on the lake. He had never seen anything so graceful and lovely. ðĶĒ He felt a strong desire to join them but was afraid they would laugh at him, too. However, he couldn’t resist and swam toward them.
To his surprise, the swans did not mock him. Instead, they welcomed him warmly. One of the swans looked at him and said,
“You are one of us. You are a beautiful swan.”
The Ugly Duckling was shocked. He looked at his reflection in the water and saw that he had grown into a magnificent, white swan. He was no longer the Ugly Duckling. He was beautiful and graceful, just like the other swans. ð
He was overjoyed and realized that he had found where he truly belonged. The swans became his new family, and he was finally happy. He glided gracefully on the lake, feeling proud of who he was. ðĶĒâĻ
The Ugly Duckling had learned a very important lesson: no matter how different you may feel, there is always a place where you belong. And sometimes, what makes you different is what makes you special.
Moral of the Story
The moral of this story is to accept yourself as you are and to never judge others by their appearance. Everyone is unique and special in their own way. Sometimes, the things that make us different are the things that make us beautiful.
Follow Up Questions:
- Why did the other animals make fun of the Ugly Duckling?
- How did the Ugly Duckling feel when he saw the swans?
- What did the Ugly Duckling learn at the end of the story?
