The Ugly Duckling is a classic fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, and is part of Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales. The story is about an unusual duckling who is rejected and bullied by his peers because of his ugly appearance. However, after a series of difficult experiences, the ugly duckling eventually grows into an elegant white swan. This fairy tale not only has a touching plot, but also contains a profound philosophy of life, encouraging people not to give up hope and persevere in the face of difficulties.
Chapter 1: The Secret in the Dome
On a sunny summer day, there lived a mother duck in the grass by the pond. She was incubating her eggs and looking forward to the arrival of new life. Finally, one day, with a few “buzzes and pops”, the eggshells cracked open and a group of cute little ducklings poked their heads out. However, when the last egg cracked, everyone was surprised to see that the duckling was big and strange, not fluffy and round like the other ducklings.
The mother duck looked at this special baby and wondered a little, “Is this really my baby? Why is it so different?” Nevertheless, she decided to accept this “special” baby.
The next day, the weather was sunny and the mother duck took her babies for a walk on the farm. When the animals saw the ugly duckling, they started to talk: “Look, that duckling is ugly! To make matters worse, one of the ducks swooped right in and pecked the ugly duckling hard on the neck.
The mother duck rushed to the ugly duckling‘s defense: “Please don’t hurt it! It hasn’t done anything wrong.” But the duck that attacked the ugly duckling said coldly, “Because it is so ugly, it deserves to be beaten.”
The mother duck sighed, tenderly combed the ugly duckling’s feathers, and comforted, “Although it doesn’t look very pretty now, it has a good character and swims better than the others. I believe that one day, it will become beautiful.”
Unfortunately, no matter how the mother duck explained, the ugly duckling could never fit into the group. It became the object of ridicule for all the chickens and ducks, and lived in sadness and loneliness every day.
Chapter 2: Escape and Adventure
As time went by, the ugly duckling found it more and more difficult to endure this life. Finally, one day, it summoned up the courage to climb over the fence and escape from its familiar home. Along the way, it stumbled and fell until it was exhausted and stopped to rest in a swamp.
As night fell, it was quiet. Suddenly, there was the sound of a gunshot in the sky, and two geese fell. Immediately afterward, the whole flock of geese flew into the air in panic – it turned out to be the hunter came!
The hunter’s hounds soon appeared in front of the ugly duckling. It was so frightened that it buried its head in its wings, not daring to move. However, the hound just sniffed it, then turned and ran away.
The ugly duckling breathed a sigh of relief and laughed to itself, “Alas …… I am really so ugly that even the hunting dog does not bother to bite me.” After saying this, it lay down again and fell into deep despair.
After dawn, the ugly duckling continued to embark on the journey. It went through the forest, crossed the fields, and finally came to a farmhouse. Hungry and tired, he found the courage to enter the house.
Inside lived an old woman, a cat and a hen. The old woman spotted the ugly duckling and said happily, “What good luck! Maybe this is a duck that lays eggs!”
So the ugly duckling was forced to stay here to be tested. However, three weeks passed and it still had not laid an egg. The old woman was very disappointed.
One day, the ugly duckling sat in a corner and stared at the fresh air and bright sunshine in his mind. He suddenly realized that he longed for a life of freedom, rather than being trapped in this small space.
So, the ugly duckling said goodbye to the old woman and returned to the bosom of nature.
Chapter 3: Metamorphosis and Rebirth
Autumn came, the leaves turned yellow, and the wind swept the fallen leaves in the air. One night, the ugly duckling happened to see a flock of beautiful birds flying up from the shrubbery. Their feathers were as white as snow, their necks were long and elegant, and their wings exuded a noble flavor.
The ugly duckling looked at these birds with a dumbfounded look, and an inexplicable excitement welled up in its heart. It had never seen such beautiful creatures, and it could never forget them.
When winter came, the weather became colder and colder, and the water gradually froze over. In order to survive, the ugly duckling had to keep swimming. However, the cold still knocked him down and he passed out on the ice, his body frozen stiff.
Luckily, a farmer finds the dying duckling and takes him home. The farmer’s wife tries to take care of him, but the ugly duckling, mistaking them to be trying to hurt him, panics and jumps into a milk dish, making a mess all over the house.
Eventually, the ugly duckling takes the opportunity to escape from the house and hide in the snow. All winter long, it struggled to survive in the bitter cold.
Spring finally came, and the warm sunshine filled the earth. The ugly duckling lay in the reeds and suddenly felt his wings full of strength. It tried to flap its wings and flew!
Without realizing it, it flew to a big garden. There, three beautiful white swans were swimming leisurely. The ugly duckling recognized these noble birds and was both excited and apprehensive.
“I’ll fly to them,” thought the ugly duckling, ”even if they kill me, it’s better than being laughed at all the time.”
So he bravely swam toward the swans and hung his head low, waiting for death. However, as it looked down into the water, it realized that its reflection had transformed into an elegant white swan!
The swans gather around and touch it affectionately. The children in the garden exclaimed excitedly, “Look, there’s a new swan! And the prettiest one of all!”
Hearing all this praise, the ugly duckling bowed its head shyly, not knowing what to do. But it was filled with joy inside and couldn’t help making a joyful sound, “When I was an ugly duckling, I never dreamed I would be as happy as I am today!”
Conclusion: The Power of Confidence and Persistence
Through the story of the ugly duckling, we have learned an important truth: everyone has his or her own uniqueness, and don’t deny yourself because of external comments. Even if you are faced with setbacks and difficulties, as long as you keep your confidence and work hard to pursue your dreams, you will one day have your own moment of glory.
Dear children, whether you feel lost or unappreciated now, please remember that just like the ugly duckling, you have the potential to become the brightest being. Be a good kid who is confident and courageous!
