The ugly duckling
Hans Crhistian Andersen fairy tale
The summer had begun; fields waving their golden ears, while the cut hay smelled the fields.
In a secluded place, hidden by thick bushes near a pond, mother duck had started the new hatching.
Since it received very few visits, the time passed very slowly and was eager to get out there to see their offspring … finally, one after another, the shells cracked and let out some adorable yellow ducklings.
– Pip! Pip! Pip! Exclaimed the new born, the world is big and it is nice to live! –
– The world does not end here – it warned the mother duck, – extends far beyond the lake, close to the village, but I’ve never gone. Is everybody in? – It asked.
As it approached, it noticed that the biggest egg had not yet hatched and it marveled.
It then began to hatch again with air of annoyance.
– Good morning! How are you? – It asked an old duck a little curious who had come to visit her at that moment.
– The shell of this large egg does not want to open up, look for other small, are not they wonderful ? –
– Show me a bit this egg. – Said the old duck in reply. – Ah! Wow! One would say a turkey egg! I had too, long ago, this surprise: what I had mistaken for a duckling was actually a turkey and we never wanted to get into the water. This egg is certainly a turkey egg.
Abandon it and teaches othersย pretty ducklings to swim! –
– Oh! A day that you think I care! I can still smolder for a while ‘. – Said the duck well determined.-
– You are the most stubborn that I know! – Then it muttered the old duck away.At last the large egg opened and let out a big and ugly duckling all gray.
– It will be a turkey! – It was concerned with the duck. – Bah! I’ll know tomorrow! –
The next day, in fact, the duck took her small family to a nearby stream and jumped in the water: the ducklings followed it all, including the ugly and gray.
– I already feel more relieved, – it sighed the duck, – at least is not a turkey! Now, come children, I will introduce to your cousins.-
The small group walked laboriously up the pond and ducklings say hallo to the other ducks.
– Oh! Look, the newcomers! As if we were already there! … And this gray duckling not want it! – He said a large duck, biting the poor on the neck.-
– Do not hurt him! – It cried the mother duck furious – It is so big and bad that it urges to abuse him! – Added the large duck with a mocking tone .-
It is a shame that it is so awkward, the others are all adorable, – chimed in the old duck who had gone to see the brood.
– It will not be nice now, but it may be then, growing up, change; and then he has a good character and swims better than his brothers, – assured the mother duck, –
-The beauty, for a male, it does not matter, – concluded, and stroked it with their beaks – you go, my little ones, have fun and swim well but beware the dangers! –
However, the duckling, from that day was mocked by all the barnyard animals: chickens and ducks jostled him, while the turkey, puffing out his feathers, frightened him.
In the days that followed, things got worse: the factor kicked him and his brothers never missed a chance to mock him and abuse him.
The little duckling was very unhappy. One day, tired of the situation, ran from under the hedge.
Birds, seeing him, took refuge in the bushes. “I’m so bad that I fear!” it thought the duckling.Went on his way and fled, exhausted, in a swamp inhabited by wild ducks who agreed to give him a place among the reeds.
Towards evening, came two wild geese who mistreated the poor duckling already so unfortunate.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out … the two geese fell dead in the water!
The hunters, places around the marsh, kept shooting. Then the values โโdogs sailed the rushes and reeds.
As night fell, the noise stopped.
The ugly duckling took the opportunity to run away as fast as possible. Through fields and meadows, while a violent storm raged.
After a few hours of marching, it came to a shack whose door was ajar.
The duckling slipped inside: it was the home of an old woman who lived with a cat and a chicken.
At the sight of the duckling, the cat began to meow and the hen began to cluck, so that the old woman, who had poor eyesight, she exclaimed:
– Oh, a magnificent duck! That beauty, I will have eggs … hope it is not a male duck! Well, we’ll see, we wait a bit ! – The old waited three long weeks … but the eggs not arrived and began to wonder if it was really a duck! One day, the cat and the hen that laid down the law in the hovel, questioned the duckling:
– You know spawn? – Asked the hen;
– No … – answered the duckling a bit surprised.
– Can you do the wheel? – Asked the cat;
– No, I never learned to do it! – It said the duckling increasingly amazed.
– Then you go sit in a corner and do not move more! – They ordered him the two animals nastily.
Suddenly, a ray of sunshine and a breath of breeze came in through the door.
The duckling had a great desire to swim and ran away from those animals amazed and bad.
Autumn was approaching, the leaves became red and then fell.
One evening, the duckling saw some beautiful white birds with long necks that flew to the warm countries.
It looked long spinning like a top in the water of the creek to see them better: they were swans!
How it envied them!
The winter came cold and biting; duckling did every day a bit of exercises to warm up in the creek. One night he had a very strong shake its little paws because the water froze around: but the ice encircled it by the minute …
until, exhausted and frozen, fainted.
The next day a farmer found him almost lifeless; He broke the ice around it and brought it to his boys who surrounded to play with it. Alas, the poor fellow was terribly frightened and jumped first in a milk can and then in a box of flour. Finally it managed to get out and took off chased by the farmer’s wife.
Once again the ugly duckling ran far for refuge, exhausted, into a hole in the snow.
The winter was long and suffering very great … but one day the larks sang, and the sun warmed the earth: the spring was finally here!
The duckling noticed that his wings beat with more force and they were also very tough to carry it further and further away. Then it went to look for new places and settled in a flowery meadow. A majestic willow bathed its branches in the water of a pond where three swans were graceful evolutions.
It knew those wonderful birds! The duckling lunged desperately toward them shouting:
– Kill me, I am not worthy of you! –
Suddenly it saw his reflection in the water: what a surprise! What happiness! It did not dare believe it was no longer a gray duckling became a swan …: like them !!
The three swans came and caressed with its beak giving it welcome, while some guys around the pond declaimed loudly its beauty and elegance.
It put his head under the wings, almost shameful many congratulations and good luck: ite was for so long an ugly duckling
was finally happy and admired.
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(@ August 22, 2015)