A duck sat atop its eggs.

They hatched one by one and soon, there were

six yellow-feathered ducklings chirping excitedly.

The last egg took longer to hatch and from it emerged a strange-looking
duckling with grey feathers. Everybody thought the grey duckling was
ugly, including its own mother.

The dejected duckling ran away and lived alone in a swamp until the
winter came. Seeing the duckling starving in winter, a farmer took pity on
it and gave it food and shelter.

However, the duckling was afraid of the farmer’s noisy children and fled
to a cave by a frozen lake.

When spring came, a flock of beautiful swans descended on the lake.

The duckling, who was now fully grown but lonely, approached the
swans fully expecting to be rejected.

To its surprise, the swans welcomed him. He saw his reflection in the
water and realized that he wasn’t an ugly duckling anymore, but a
beautiful swan.

It joined the flock and flew off with his new family.