The Ugly Duckling
Once upon a time, there was a little bird that was born with a very ugly appearance. His feathers were patchy and his legs were wobbly. The other birds in the flock laughed at him and called him “The Ugly Duckling.”
The Ugly Duckling felt very sad and alone. He thought that he would never fit in with the other birds. He wandered away from the flock and lived by himself in the forest.
One day, the Ugly Duckling found a small pond. He saw his reflection in the water and was surprised to see that he was much more beautiful than he had thought. His feathers were now shiny and white, and his legs were strong and sure.
The Ugly Duckling began to feel happy and hopeful. He realized that he was not ugly at all, but rather special. He began to fly with the other birds and join in their songs.
But the Ugly Duckling still felt a little bit different. He didn’t have any friends and he still felt alone. One day, he met a beautiful swan and fell in love with her. He followed her to a lake and watched her swim gracefully.
The Ugly Duckling tried to swim like the swan, but he couldn’t. He was so disappointed. He sat on the shore and cried.
The swan came to him and asked what was wrong. The Ugly Duckling told her about his feelings of loneliness and his inability to swim like the other birds.
The swan listened carefully and then said, “You are not alone, and you can swim like the other birds. You just need to believe in yourself.”
The Ugly Duckling felt a little better, but he still didn’t know how to swim. The swan taught him how to dive and splash and glide through the water. The Ugly Duckling practiced every day until he was swimming as beautifully as the swan.
Finally, the Ugly Duckling realized that he had always been special. He had just needed to believe in himself and to be patient. He became a beautiful swan and found a place among the other swans.
And from that day on, the Ugly Duckling was never alone again. He had found his true self and had learned that beauty comes from within.
