It was a bright summer morning. Among the tall green reeds, a mother duck sat patiently on her nest, waiting for her eggs to hatch.

One by one, the eggs cracked—pop! pop! pop!—and fluffy yellow ducklings tumbled out, chirping happily. But one egg, the largest of all, still didn’t open.

At last, the big egg cracked with a loud cr-r-rack! Out came a duckling—but oh, what a strange one! He was large, clumsy, and gray instead of yellow. The other ducklings stared. “How ugly he is!” they whispered. But their mother sighed kindly, “He may not be pretty, but he’s still my child.”

The next day, the ducklings followed their mother into the pond. The water sparkled in the sun. The gray duckling swam as well as any of them, maybe even better! His mother said, “He’s not so bad after all.” But the others still teased him wherever he went.

As days passed, the poor duckling was pecked, pushed, and laughed at by the other ducklings and even the chickens. “You don’t belong here!” they quacked.

At last, he ran away—over fences, through fields—until he reached a wide marsh. There, he hid among the reeds, trembling and alone.

The leaves turned gold and fell. The wind grew cold, and the ugly duckling shivered in the tall grass. Wild ducks and geese flew overhead, calling out in freedom. The duckling longed to follow, but he was too young and weak.

Snow began to fall. The pond froze, and the duckling nearly froze too. He found shelter in a poor farmer’s hut.

The farmer’s children tried to play with him inside the hut, but he was startled and flew into the milk pail! They laughed, and he escaped again into the cold world.

Winter was cruel. Ice covered the lakes, and the duckling wandered hungry and tired. One morning, a kind man broke the ice and carried him to a warm barn. Yet even there, the other animals hissed and pecked him. The duckling’s heart ached. “Why am I so different?” he whispered.

At last, the snow melted, and the sun returned. The air was soft again, and tiny green shoots pushed through the ground. The duckling spread his wings—they felt strong now! He flew high into the sky, free at last.

One day, he landed by a shining lake. Three magnificent white birds glided across the water—swans! The duckling watched them in awe. “They are so beautiful,” he said. “I wish I could be like them.”

He bent down to drink, and there, in the clear water, he saw—not a gray, ugly duckling—but a beautiful white swan! His feathers shone like snow; his long neck curved gracefully. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

The other swans came gliding toward him. They bowed their heads gently, welcoming him into their family. Around them, the trees bloomed with spring flowers. Children by the lake shouted, “Look! A new swan has come!” The young swan lifted his wings and felt the sunlight on his feathers. Once, everyone had laughed at him, but now, they admired his beauty. He remembered his long, lonely winter—but his heart was filled with joy. “I never dreamed such happiness could be mine,” he whispered. And he glided into the golden sunset, graceful and free.