TheUglyDucklingAmotherduckwasbroodingonhereggsnearthemarginofapond.Aflockoflovelybabyduckswassoonborn,makingsweetpeepingsoundswhentheeggswerebroken.Butoneeggremainedunbroken."Itisstrange.Whyhasthiseggnotbroken"Themotherduckcontinuedherbrooding.Atlast,theeggwasbrokenandababyduckwasborn.Howeverthatbabyduckwasveryuglycomparedtotheotherbabyducks.Themotherduckwasworried,butstillshetookthebabyducksnearthewaterandtaughtthemhowtoswim.Theuglyducklingalsoswamwithhisbrothersandsisters,movinghislegseagerly."Itisluckythough.Thatbabyswimswell."Stillhisbrotherspeckedattheuglyducklingwiththeirbills."Howhideousthisbabyduckis.Wedon'twanttoseeyou.Gotoacat."Hisbrothersgaveaveryhardtimetothepoorduckling."Stopit,don'tdothat!"Themotherducksighedandsaid,"Ah!Iwishthatthisbabycouldlivehappilyatanotherplace."Thebabyduckheardwhathismothersaidanddroppedtearsofsorrowsaying,"Mom,Iwillleave.Good-bye."Theuglyducklinglefthisnestbeyondthepond.Whenheenteredtheforest,otherbirdswerefrightenedbythebabyduckandranaway."WhydotheyrunawayIsitbecauseIamsoawful"Thebabyduckbecamesadderandploddedalongthefield.Nearthewaterbesidethefield,twowildduckswereplayingaround."Yah,whatisthatuglyduckLet'smakefunofhim."Thetwowildducksflewupintheairandthrewstonesatthebabyduck."Bang!Bang!"Atthattime,ahuntershothisgun.Thetwowildducksfelldowndeadtotheground."UhWhatisthissmallbird"Thehuntertookhometheawkwardlittlebabyduckalongwiththetwowildducks."Dad,whatisthispoor-lookingbird""Itookitwithmeinordertogiveittoyou,myson.Itwastremblingwithfearinthewater."Thechildrengaveahardtimetothebabyduckbypullingitswingsandtail."Thathurts!Ow!"Thebabyduckspilledajugofmilkwhilerunningawayfromthecruelhandsofthechildren.Thedishesonthetablewerealsobroken.Theangryhuntersentoutthebabyduckwithaflourishofhisbroomstick.Andsotheafterbeingcastoutfromthehouseofthehunter,theuglyducklingspentalongandcoldwinteralone.Finallyspringcame.Thebabyduckhadagoodstretchandflewupintheairvigorously."Uh!Iamflying!"Uponthelake,aflockofwhiteandprettyswanswereplayingaroundwhileswimming."Theyareindeedprettybirds."Thebabyduckbecamesad."ThosebirdsmaynotlikemeasIamsougly."Thebabyducktriedtorunawayfromthegroupofbeautifulswans."Hi!WhereareyougoingComeandplayaroundwithus!"Thebabyduckapproachedtheswanshesitatingly.Atthatmoment,thebabyducksawhisownappearancereflectedtothelake.Therewasonemorebeautifulswanglidinggracefullyacrossthewater.Theuglyducklingwhoovercameallsufferinghadfinallybecomeabeautifulswan.Andsohelivedhappilyeverafter.