said the tom cat. The Ugly Duckling is a Disney movie that was released in April 1939. The other ducks liked much better to swim about in the river than to climb the slippery banks, and sit under a burdock leaf, to have a gossip with her. He watched until the very last bird had winged its way out of view. Once upon a time, there was a duck. There was a terrible riot going on in there, for two families were quarrelling about an eels head, and the cat got it after all. After I rallied my girlfriend, I read her this story and she fell right asleep! The main difference between the Andersen story and the Disney version is that, in the latter, the little bird's ordeal lasts for only a few minutes, not for months. You are remarkably ugly! said the Wild Ducks. But the poor Duckling which had crept last out of the egg, and looked so ugly, was bitten and pushed and jeered, as much by the ducks as by the chickens. I like how the ugly duckling came out of his shell and met some friends. The story tells of a homely little bird born in. At last the large egg broke, and a young one crept forth crying, "Peep, peep." Piff! I will not make trouble for you. A big fat tear rolled down his cheek. One of the yellow ducklings pointed. she has a red rag round her leg; thats something particularly fine, and the greatest distinction a duck can enjoy; it signifies that one does not want to lose her, and that shes to be known by the animals and by men too. This is an amazing short story for kids, the ugly duckling story. Although 'The Snow Queen', 'The Emperor's New Clothes', 'The Little Mermaid', and 'The Ugly Duckling' have the ring of timeless fairy stories, they were all original tales written by the Danish storyteller in the mid-nineteenth century. A flock of lovely baby ducks was soon born, making sweet peeping sounds when the eggs were broken. However, like the Ugly Duckling's transformation from plain to beautiful, Anderson grew up to be a world-famous author. At last, late in the day, all was still; but the poor Duckling did not dare to rise up; it waited several hours before it looked round, and then hastened away out of the moor as fast as it could. It was just as wild there as in the deepest wood, and here sat a Duck upon her nest; she had to hatch her ducklings; but she was almost tired out before the little ones came and then she so seldom had visitors. Then all at once the Duckling could flap its wings. I will go now. You would do us a big favor if you just went away from here! All of them started to quack, Get out! Shake yourselvesdont turn in your toes; a well brought-up duck turns its toes quite out, just like father and motherso! The children wanted to play with it; but the Duckling thought they wanted to hurt it, and in its terror fluttered up into the milk-pan, so that the milk spurted down into the room. IT was lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up in the meadows looked beautiful. Oh! Suddenly a big hungry dog came tearing by, chasing the two ducks. P.s. Then the Duckling noticed that one of the hinges of the door had given way, and the door hung so slanting that the Duckling could slip through the crack into the room; and that is what it did. I never forgot because for such a small child, it was a sad thing to hear from people around me. I always have this thought that makes me think that I should leave but then I realized that there is no problem with me being there. Thats a brief summary of the story of the ugly duckling, but if you want to read the tale in full, you can find a good translation here. Photo by bryn beatson on Unsplash. Ugly Duckling Syndrome refers to a series of issues people get when they grew up being told they were ugly, but then become attractive. But its okay. How can you say such a thing? said Mama Duck in a stern voice. [7], In November 2017, a Youtube Channel by the name of The Uncle Louie Variety Show made their own version of the story called "The Ugly Baby".[8]. But that is nothing to us, so long as you do not marry into our family.. Listen, comrade, said one of them. The duckling remembered the lovely birds, and felt more strangely unhappy than ever. The mother duck was so happy to see her ducklings. I am a boy duck., Then why are you still here? said the tomcat. "Hello there!" the ugly ducking happily exclaimed, greeting the gosling. Say! he said, gliding and dipping through the sky as he sped on. I am really tired of it. And she sat down again. Walt Disney had earlier produced a black-and-white Silly . ", "Let me see the egg that will not break," said the duck; "I have no doubt it is a turkey's egg. Copyright 20062023 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida. The spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. The sky turned dark. Get out of here, pretender! clucked the hen. But as it turns out, he was the ugly duckling of the group because after a year went by and they were all grown up, that scrawny puppy was the best looking of them all. come with me now, I will take you into grand society, and introduce you to the farmyard, but you must keep close to me or you may be trodden upon; and, above all, beware of the cat. Here he remained the whole night, feeling very tired and sorrowful. The Mother-Duck went down to the canal with all her family. He advanced one of the goslings who looked even larger and greyer than him. Ah, look at that, its a duck! She picked up the Ugly Duckling and dropped him inside her hut. There, above him, were the most beautiful birds he had ever seen! They uttered a very peculiar cry, spread forth their glorious great wings, and flew away from that cold region to warmer lands, to fair open lakes. Quack! We dont understand you? I read this story to my boyfriend and he fell asleep.and the moral hits hard!! The water closed over their heads, but they came up in an instant, and swam capitally; their legs went of themselves, and they were all in the water. It was late in the day before all became quiet, but even then the poor young thing did not dare to move. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the midst of which were deep pools. He jumped back. The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language, which he had learnt from his mother. Location. "You are exceedingly ugly," said the wild ducks, "but that will not matter if you do not want to marry one of our family. So at last he ran away, frightening the little birds in the hedge as he flew over the palings. [1], Speculation suggests that Andersen was the illegitimate son of Prince Christian Frederik (later King Christian VIII of Denmark), and found this out some time before he wrote the book, and then that being a swan in the story was a metaphor not just for inner beauty and talent but also for secret royal lineage. And you walk weird, too!. But what did he see in the clear stream below? Shes the grandest of all here; shes of Spanish bloodthats why shes so fat; and dye see? The winter grew colder and colder; he was obliged to swim about on the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the space on which he swam became smaller and smaller. Will you go with us, and become a bird of passage? "How large the world is," said the young ducks, when they found how much more room they now had than while they were inside the egg-shell. 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They are the image of their father, who is so unkind, he never comes to see. Staying strong, asking for help and being persistent will pay off even if you arent aware at the time. Their feathers are so white, their necks so long, their wings so pretty. Why was it so close to him? But surprise, surprise the swans dont devour him but instead welcome him with open arms (or wings) as one of their own. The story has become a classic, recognized worldwide for its themes of personal transformation, self-acceptance, and the importance of inner beauty. For the rest of the winter, the farmer cared for the Ugly Duckling. One fine day, the eggs started cracking and hatching and tiny little ducklings started coming out of the shells one after another. And the other birds said in so many words. Their long white bodies and slender necks seemed to just glide through the sky. He wants so much to swim with them in the river. Neighborhood. I could not get them to venture in. Maybe you were not perfect yesterday but maybe today youll be perfect, like the ugly duckling. And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him. My friend wanted me to tell him a story to fall asleep to, this is the one I picked.10/10. "Do you imagine this is the whole world?" When Andersen first came up with the story in 1842, he planned on calling it The Young Swans, but decided that the surprise twist should be kept back until the end of the story. This is a rare prize! she said. 2023 Stories to Grow By, a nonprofit organization. Thanks for all the bedtime stories! time to do my share ???? What is this? he said. Not far from here is another moor, in which there are some pretty wild geese, all unmarried. The 1954 Tom and Jerry cartoon Downhearted Duckling is also based on the famous story. So he runs into the river. These are all life experiences that teach us important lessons about acceptance and kindness towards others, and one of the most famous examples of such a lesson in children's literature is Danish storyteller Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale 'The Ugly Duckling,' published in 1843. "Can you lay eggs?" It was the summer time. succeed. 1. At last the great egg burst. [6], In 1999, Jerry Pinkney adapted the story as a children's picture book. Well," said Mama Duck, "it looks like that big egg will take more time. So she had to go sit on her nest again and wait some more. S Park Ave and Merrick Road. This story shows to not be mean to people and always show respect ?. He thought how he had been persecuted and despised; and now he heard them saying that he was the most beautiful of all birds. There was therefore a narrow opening near the bottom large enough for him to slip through, which he did very quietly, and got a shelter for the night. 0. I am too ugly even for the big hungry dog to want, said the Ugly Duckling with his head hung low. His mother loved him a lot, but the environment made him very aware that he was different. Francesca M. Marinaro has a PhD in English from the University of Florida and has been teaching English composition and Literature since 2007. The warmth revived the poor little creature; but when the children wanted to play with him, the duckling thought they would do him some harm; so he started up in terror, fluttered into the milk-pan, and splashed the milk about the room. Next, form a thesis statement that clearly states what you believe the most powerful theme to be. Soon he found a new lake. The Super Readers soar into the story of "The Ugly Duckling", who . "Listen, friend," said one of them to the duckling, "you are so ugly, that we like you very well. . It was a beautiful spring. . then, as winter approached, the wind caught them as they fell and whirled them in the cold air. "I am too ugly even for the big hungry dog to want," said the Ugly Duckling with his head . The lake was turning to ice. He is delighted and excited, but he cannot join them, for he is too young and cannot fly. He had huge feet and a broad beak and didn't look like a duckling. and from the thicket came three glorious white swans; they rustled their wings, and swam lightly on the water. quack! she said, and one duckling after another plunged in. Get out of town. How they terrified the poor duckling! . . so young and handsome! and the old swans bowed their heads before him. Into the garden came little children, who threw bread and corn into the water; and the youngest cried, There is a new one! and the other children shouted joyously, Yes, a new one has arrived! And they clapped their hands and danced about, and ran to their father and mother; and bread and cake were thrown into the water; and they all said, The new one is the most beautiful of all! The most important lesson the Ugly Duckling learns is to not to treat others poorly just because of what they look like. The film is a comic adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde storyline and the opening credits include "with ideas stolen from Robert Louis Stevenson". We will go down to the lake for your very first swim. She counted one, two, three, four, five. He is delighted and excited but cannot join them, for he is too young, ugly, and unable to fly. Still be friends with them whether they are ugly or normal. That night, the Ugly Duckling flew over the farmyard fence. The poor little Duckling certainly had not a good time. It was so beautiful in the country. We will go to the lake for your very first swim.. He decides to throw himself at a flock of swans, feeling that it is better to be killed by such beautiful birds than to live a life of ugliness. Game . Some hardships are difficult and make us feel unworthy. The tale has become a symbol and a shorthand for the spurned outsider whose virtues are ignored by the world, only for them to transform into a successful person at a later date. I advise you, therefore, to lay eggs, and learn to purr as quickly as possible.". Lit2Go Edition. To be born in a duck's nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequence to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan's egg. Looking into the water, the Ugly Duckling saw the reflection of a flock of large white birds flying. Ugly! I think he will grow up pretty, and perhaps be smaller; he has remained too long in the egg, and therefore his figure is not properly formed;" and then she stroked his neck and smoothed the feathers, saying, "It is a drake, and therefore not of so much consequence. The storm continued so violent, that the duckling could go no farther; he sat down by the cottage, and then he noticed that the door was not quite closed in consequence of one of the hinges having given way. Towards evening, he reached a poor little cottage that seemed ready to fall, and only remained standing because it could not decide on which side to fall first. The other ducks liked better to swim about in the canals than to run up to sit down under a burdock, and cackle with her. And the great swans swam round it, and stroked it with their beaks. The sun shines warmly. This doesnt make The Ugly Duckling an unusual fairy tale by any means: its the equivalent of the poor orphan girl discovering shes really the princess, or the kitchen boy discovering hes heir to the throne. he had no thoughts of marriage; all he wanted was permission to lie among the rushes, and drink some of the water on the moor. We will not play with you! The clouds, heavy with hail and snow-flakes, hung low in the sky, and the raven stood on the ferns crying, "Croak, croak." All her baby ducks jump in. The real beauty is in the good Manner we have. But my friends didnt like me cause Im too short and when we play together, they said that Im troublesome. The main character of the story that bears the title after him. "Then have the goodness to hold your tongue." "You don't understand me," said the duckling. But one large egg was still in the nest. ", "Yes, but he is so big and ugly," said the spiteful duck "and therefore he must be turned out. It was very large and ugly. But you are a chatterer, and your company is not very agreeable. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you The Ugly Duckling TF6 6HA 01952 257979 info@theugly-duckling.co.uk Kill me! said the poor creature, and bent its head down upon the water, expecting nothing but death. They were dazzlingly white, with long, flexible necksthey were swans. For more information, including classroom activities, readability data, and original sources, please visit https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5107/the-ugly-duckling/. ", When they reached the farmyard, there was a great disturbance, two families were fighting for an eel's head, which, after all, was carried off by the cat. If that title had not been a misnomer and the ugly duckling had just grown up to be an ugly and misshapen duck, no happy ending would have been possible. At length it froze so hard that the ice in the water crackled as he moved, and the duckling had to paddle with his legs as well as he could, to keep the space from closing up. If only I could be like them.'. Hans Christian Andersen, "The Ugly Duckling," Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories, Lit2Go Edition, (0), accessed April 18, 2023, https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5107/the-ugly-duckling/. 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