Fairy Tales in First-School.ws
The Ugly Duckling
a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale

The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time, a mother duck named Della waited patiently by the riverbank for her eggs to hatch. She tucked her soft feathers around them to keep them warm against the gentle breeze. Suddenly—Pop! Three tiny eggs cracked open, and out tumbled three fluffy, yellow ducklings. They chirped happily, ready to see the world and explore the cool, blue water of the pond.

But the last egg was different. It was much bigger than the others, and it was a dull, dusty gray. Della watched it for a long time until finally, the large shell began to crack. Out wobbled a baby bird named Ash who was large and clumsy. He had thick, fuzzy gray down and a dark, charcoal-gray beak. He didn't look like his yellow siblings at all.

"You are very different," the other animals in the farmyard whispered as Ash walked by. They were not very kind to him. They poked fun at his dusty feathers and called him the Ugly Duckling. Even though Della loved him and tried to protect him, Ash felt very sad and lonely. He bowed his head, feeling like he didn't belong in the bright, sunny farmyard.

Ash decided to leave the farm to find friends who would like him just the way he was. He traveled to the marsh and met a wild bird named Drake. "Who are you?" Drake asked, tilting his head. "You look very strange with those gray feathers and that big beak." Drake didn't want to play with him. Ash sighed and kept walking, his heart feeling heavy.

Next, Ash visited a little cottage. Inside, he met a hen named Speckle and a cat named Barnaby. They stared at the gray bird with judging eyes. "Can you lay eggs?" Speckle asked. "Can you purr?" Barnaby wondered. When Ash said no, they turned their backs on him. Ash realized he couldn't stay there with them; he just wanted to find a place where he fit in.

One evening, as the sun began to set, Ash saw a flock of beautiful, snowy-white birds flying high in the sky. They had long, graceful necks and powerful wings that beat against the air. As he watched them soar, Ash felt a strange flutter in his heart. "I wish I could be like them," he whispered, watching them disappear into the soft, pink and orange clouds.

Then, winter came. The world turned white and cold, and the pond froze into thick, slippery ice. Poor Ash got stuck in the freezing water! Luckily, a kind farmer named Silas was walking by. He saw the shivering bird, gently broke the ice with his heavy boot, and tucked Ash inside his warm, woolly coat to take him home to the farmhouse.

Silas took Ash to his warm house, but the farmer’s young son, Toby, wanted to play a little too loudly. Toby chased Ash around the kitchen, trying to catch him for a hug. Ash got scared, thinking the boy was being mean. He flapped his wings, knocked over a bowl of milk, and flew right back out the door and into the cold, white snow.

It was a very long, cold winter for the lonely bird, but finally, the sun began to shine. It was Spring! Ash stretched his wings and found they were much stronger and wider than before. He flapped them hard and rose high into the air. He flew until he landed in a sparkling blue pond surrounded by bright, blooming yellow flowers.

A beautiful white swan named Cygnus swam toward him. "He won't want to play with me," Ash thought, bowing his head. But as he looked down, he saw his reflection in the still water. He didn't see a clumsy gray bird anymore. He saw a magnificent swan! Cygnus swam close and gently stroked Ash’s neck. Ash was no longer the Ugly Duckling; he was home.

THE END