The Ugly Duckling
Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a mother duck who laid a number of eggs. Among them was an egg that was much larger and different from the others. The mother duck was worried, but she hatched the egg, and out came a little duckling that was very different from its siblings.
This duckling was not like the other ducks. It was gray and speckled, and its feathers were not as smooth and shiny as the others’. The other ducks would peck at it and call it “ugly,” and the duckling felt very lonely.
The little duckling grew up, but it still felt out of place. It tried to swim with the other ducks, but it was not as graceful as they were. It tried to find food with them, but it was not as quick as they were. The duckling was often left behind and felt even more isolated.
One day, as the little duckling was wandering through the forest, it met an old cat. The cat looked at the duckling and said, “You are not like the other ducks, but you are very beautiful in your own way. Why do you think you are ugly?”
The duckling thought about this and realized that maybe the other ducks were just jealous because they didn’t understand what beauty really was. It decided to be happy with who it was and not worry about what others thought.
As the seasons changed, the little duckling grew stronger and more confident. One day, when it was flying over the lake, it saw its reflection in the water. To its surprise, it saw a beautiful swan with a shiny, white plumage. The duckling realized that it had grown into a swan, just like the one it had seen in the water.
The other swans were amazed at the new arrival. They had never seen a swan like this before, with its gray and speckled feathers. But as the little swan flew higher and higher, its feathers began to change. The gray and speckled feathers turned into the white, shimmering feathers of a true swan.
The other swans were delighted to see the new member of their family. They welcomed the little swan with open wings, and from that day on, it was no longer lonely or sad. It had found its true beauty and its place among the swans.
And so, the little duckling that was once called ugly became the most beautiful swan in the entire kingdom, a symbol of transformation and the beauty that lies within every creature.
