THE UGLY DUCKLING

On beautiful summer morning, the eggs that mother Duck had hatched were beginning
to break, one by one. Little by little, the ducklings came out, filling the parents and their
friends with happiness. They were so happy that they hardly noticed that one egg, the
larges of all, was still intact.

Everyone, including the newly hatched ducklings, turned their attention to the egg to see
when it would hatch. After a few minutes, the egg began to move. Soon the beak could
be seen, then the body, and legs of the smiling duck. It was the largest, and to
everyone´s surprise, very different from the others. And since he was different everyone
began to call him the Ugly Duckling.

Mother Duck, embarrassed for having had such an ugly duckling, waved it away while
giving attention to the other ducklings. The ugly duckling began to realize that they did
not want him there. And as he grew older, he became even uglier, and had to put up
with everyone´s ridicule. So, very early the next morning, the duckling decided to leave
the farm.

Sad and alone, the duckling followed a path through the woods until he reached another
farm. There, an old farm girl picked him up, gave him food and drink, and the duckling
believed that he had found someone who loved him. But, after a few days, he realized
that the old woman was bad and he only wanted to fatten him into second course. The
ugly duckling ran out of there as best he could.

Winter had arrived, and with it, the cold, the hunger and the persecution of the hunters
for the ugly duckling. He had a very bad time. But he survived until the arrival of spring.
The days became hotter and full of colors. And the duckling began to perk up again.

One day, passing by a pond, he saw the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. They
were swans! And they were elegant, delicate and they moved like true dancers, through
the water. The duckling still self-conscious about her figure and her clumsiness,
approached one of them and asked her if she could bathe in the pond as well.

And one of the swans answered:

-well, of course! Are you one of us.

And the duckling said:

-How am I one of yours? I am ugly and clumsy, the complete opposite of you. You are
elegant and you are elegant and your feathers shine in the sun´s rays.

And they told him:

-Then, look at your reflection in the water of the pond and you will see how we are not
deceiving you.

The duckling looked at himself and what he saw left him speechless. It had grown and
turned into a beautiful swan! And in this moment, he knew that he had never been ugly.
He was not a duck but a swan. And so the new swan joined the others and lived happily
ever after

END