The Ugly Duckling
The last egg in the mother duck's nest hatches into a big gray duckling, and everyone in the farmyard teases him until he runs away. After a long, lonely winter he flies to a garden in spring, bends to the water, and sees that he has grown into a beautiful white swan.
Scene 1: The Big Egg
The Ugly Duckling. One summer day, under a big burdock leaf, a mother duck sat on her nest. At last the shells cracked, and each little duckling cried: “Peep, peep!” But the biggest egg hatched last. Out crept a big gray duckling, not like the others at all.
Scene 2: A Good Swimmer
The next day, she took them to the water. Splash! The big gray duckling swam as well as the rest. The mother duck said: “He is my own child, and he is not so very ugly after all, if you look at him properly.”
Scene 3: The Duck Yard
In the farmyard, the other ducks stared, and one of them said: “What a strange-looking duckling! We don’t want him here.” The turkey cock puffed himself up and flew at him. Everyone pushed him and laughed at him, because he was so big and ugly.
Scene 4: Running Away
So at last the duckling ran away. The little birds in the hedge flew off in fright. He said sadly: “They are afraid of me, because I am so ugly.” He wandered far, and nobody wanted him.
Scene 5: The White Birds
Autumn came, and the leaves turned orange and gold. One evening at sunset, beautiful birds rose from the bushes. They were swans, dazzling white, flying away to warmer lands. The duckling stretched out his neck and gave a strange cry. How he wished to be as lovely as they!
Scene 6: Frozen Fast
Then came winter. One night it was so cold that the duckling froze fast in the ice. In the morning, a farmer broke the ice with his wooden shoe and carried him home. But the duckling was frightened and ran out into the snow. It was a long, hard winter.
Scene 7: Spring
At last the warm sun shone, the lark sang, and it was spring. His wings were strong now. They carried him to a garden, where three white swans swam on the water. The duckling said: “I will fly to those royal birds. They may chase me away, because I am so ugly. But it does not matter.”
Scene 8: A Swan!
He swam toward them, and bent his head down to the water. But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image. Not a gray duckling — a beautiful white swan! The great swans swam around him and stroked his neck with their beaks. The youngest child in the garden cried: “There is a new one! He is the most beautiful of all!” He was so happy, but not at all proud. He said softly: “I never dreamed of such happiness as this, while I was an ugly duckling.” Don’t judge anyone by how they look. A good heart is never proud.
Moral: Don't judge anyone by how they look. A good heart is never proud.
Questions about The Ugly Duckling
Where did the mother duck make her nest?
Under a big burdock leaf.
Which egg hatched last?
The biggest egg.
Who puffed himself up and flew at the duckling in the farmyard?
The turkey cock.
What happened to the duckling one very cold winter night?
He froze fast in the ice.
What did the duckling see when he looked down into the clear stream?
A beautiful white swan.
More stories to read aloud
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears — While the Three Bears take a walk until their porridge cools, a little girl called Goldilocks walks into their house and tries their porridge, chairs and beds.
- Hansel and Gretel — Left in the forest, Hansel and Gretel find their way home by moonlit white pebbles, but the next time birds eat their breadcrumbs and they come to a house of bread and cake.
- Henny Penny — An acorn falls on Henny-penny's head, and she is sure the sky is falling, so she sets off to tell the king with Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey.