The Ugly Duck

this is the story of the ugly duckling once upon a time on a lovely summer's day a mumma duck sat upon her nest inside her nest were six eggs almost ready to hatch she heard a creak and a crick and a crack come quick my eggs are ready to hatch mama duck said to the other ducks the other ducks gathered around as the eggs cracked open one by one and out peaked five little yellow fuzzy heads they chirped and they cheaped and they chittered oh my said one of the ducks what adorable little ducklings but mama duck was worried she had six eggs in her nest but only five had hatched maybe this one's not ready yet said an old duck and then crack the six egg split open oh my said mama duck the six little duckling was not little and not at all yellow in fact he was quite large and gray and his beak was black why is he grey quacked one of the other ducks and why is his beak black asked another duck what an ugly duckling snorted a pig don't be rude shouted mama duck he's not ugly he is special mama duck insisted she did not care that the six little duckling looked different she was very proud of all her ducklings yellow or grey the next day mumma duck took all six of her ducklings to the pond the five cute yellow ducklings swam and played that the ugly duckling did not feel like swimming or playing mama he asked why am i gray instead of yellow like the others mama duck smiled at her duckling and said because you are special but why is my beak black the little duckling asked because it makes you unique mama duck replied but the ugly duckling did not understand and the more he looked at his small cute yellow brothers and sisters the more he felt ugly and alone i would be better off by myself he thought so when mama duck was not looking the ugly duckling swam across the pond and waddled over to the field leaving his family far behind there must be other ducklings like me the ugly duckling decided i will go and find them he walked all night and into the morning when the sun rose again he came to a meadow in it were some turkeys excuse me said the ugly duckling politely have you seen any darklings like me no said the turkeys we've never seen any ducklings as grey as you the ugly duckling kept waddling past the meadow until he came to a stream swimming in it with some geese hardened me said the ugly duckling have you seen any ducklings like me no said the geese we've never seen any ducklings as large as you so the ugly duckling kept waddling past the stream until he came to a barn inside it was some chickens sorry to bother you said the ugly duckling have you seen any darklings like me no said the chickens we've never seen any ducklings with a beak as black as yours and so the ugly duckling kept waddling past the barn until he came to a tall tree perched on a branch was a wise old owl hello said the ugly duckling have you seen any ducklings like me no who did the owl i've never seen any ducklings like you this is hopeless cried the ugly duckling mama duck told me i was special and unique but i'm just a ugly duckling hmm said the wise old owl perhaps mama duck was trying to tell you that it doesn't matter what's on the outside true happiness is found on the inside but the ugly duckling did not understand he kept on waddling past the tall tree until he came to a lake but there were no birds to talk to there i can't find others like me said the ugly duckling i will stay here in this lake and hide in these weeds forever the ugly duckling crawled into the tall green reeds where he could stay hidden for the rest of his life soon summer became fall and the leaves turned brown and red and gold but still the ugly duckling hid in the reeds of the lake winter came and snow fell but still the ugly duckling stayed hidden he decided he would never show his face again then springtime came and the warm sunshine brought flowers and green grass still the ugly ducklings stayed hidden until one day he heard a splash he dared to peek out from his hiding place in the reeds right before him was a beautiful white bird with a long graceful neck and a bright orange beak it was a swan and it was the prettiest bird he had ever seen wow said the ugly duckling to himself i wish i was that beautiful the swan heard his words and paddled towards him the ugly duckling tried to back away into his reeds but then the swan called out to him why are you hiding the swan asked come swim with me the ugly duckling could not believe it you don't think i'm ugly he asked of course not laugh the swan you look just like me the ugly duckling looked down and saw his reflection in the lake he gasped he had grown during the long months of fall and winter and now he had beautiful white feathers a long graceful neck and a bright orange beak he was not an ugly duckling at all i'm a swan said the ugly duckling happily as he came out from the reeds as he swam around with his new swan friend the ugly duckling heard a sound quack quack quack a family of six ducks was swimming in the lake it was mama duck and her five young duck children my family the ugly duckling said as he swam over to them happily it's me your ugly duckling but i'm not a duck i'm a beautiful sword mama duck smiled it's never mattered to us if you were yellow or gray or a duck or a swan she told him what mattered was who you were on the inside and finally the ugly duckling understood he had been unique and special all along he just had to see it for himself .