Once upon a time, in a little village by the sea, there lived a mother duck and her many ducklings. Among them was a special little duckling that was born with a rather unusual appearance. This duckling had grayish-brown feathers, webbed feet like the others, but its neck was longer and its legs were not as strong.
The other ducklings would call out, “Quack, quack!” and play together in the water, but the little gray duckling would waddle along, feeling out of place. It tried to join in, but the other ducks would laugh and say, “Look at that ugly creature!” or “That’s not one of us!”
The little duckling felt sad and lonely. It wondered why it was so different from the others. It tried to make friends, but no one wanted to be friends with an ugly duckling. The little duckling spent many days alone, swimming in the water and looking at the sky.
One day, as the little duckling was floating on the sea, it saw a beautiful swan gliding gracefully over the water. The swan’s feathers were white and its neck was long and elegant. The little duckling was amazed and wished it could be like that swan.
Years passed, and the little duckling grew up. It still had the same grayish-brown feathers and was often called an “ugly duckling.” But something inside it had changed. It began to notice the beauty of the world around it, the colors of the flowers, the songs of the birds, and the gentle waves of the sea.
One day, as the little duckling was looking at its reflection in the water, it noticed that its feathers had changed. They were now smooth and white, and it had a long, graceful neck like the swan it had admired so long ago. The little duckling was thrilled and realized that it was no longer an ugly duckling.
It flew up to the sky and saw the world from a different perspective. It felt free and happy, finally at peace with itself. The other birds in the sky called out to it, “Welcome, our new friend!” and the little duckling knew it had found its place in the world.
And so, the little gray duckling that was once called ugly became a beautiful swan, living happily ever after, free from the judgment of others and proud of who it was.
