There was once a mother duck.  This mother duck had no children yet for none of her eggs had hatched .

She waited patiently day and night for her babies to hatch .  One day, as she was sitting on her nest of eggs the mother duck felt something move beneath her .

CRACK!!  CRACK!!  CRACK!!  CRACK!!

Filled with happiness, the mother duck watched as, one by one, her eggs hatched.  She was so excited to lead her children to the pond and teach them all the ways of being a duck.  Unfortunately for the mother duck, one egg was left to hatch.  This egg was larger than the rest.  This egg was browner than the rest.  Her little ducks impatiently waited for two more days and nights.

“I want to go to the pond, Mother,” one baby duck quacked.

“Let’s go!  Let’s go!” two more quacked excitedly.

But the mother duck made them all wait, for she promised herself that she would love all her children the same.

At the crack of dawn on the third day of waiting, the large brown egg began to vibrate.  It shook and shook as all of the ducks watched in awe.

Then suddenly:  CRAAAAACK!!!

Out from the large brown egg popped a large, strange looking head of a bird that didn’t look much like a duck.  This baby’s beak was a little too long, his feathers were a little too scruffy, and his face was a little too ugly!

But, nonetheless, the mother duck promised herself that she would love all her children the same.

She led her children into the nearby pond and began to teach each duckling how to be a proper duck.

She taught them how to quack.  Each duckling quacked.

QUACK!!  QUACK!!  QUACK!!  QUACK!!

The ugly duckling quacked.

CRAOAUK!! 

All of the ducks in the pond stared at the ugly ducking and began to laugh.  The mother duckling sadly took her little ducklings over to a different part of the pond.  The other ducklings were giggling and making fun of the ugly one.  Two nearby ducks swam by and pecked at the ugly duckling’s feathers.

“This one looks nothing like your others!” one jested.

“This one is ugly!” the other scoffed.

The ugly duckling hung his head in shame.  The mother duckling became very embarrassed of her ugly duckling and made him stay in the corner of the pond while the others practiced swimming, diving, quacking, and splashing.

One evening, as all of the ducks in the pond had gone to sleep, the ugly duckling decided that it was time for him to leave.He knew he was causing his mother distress and he did not want to live in a place where he felt unwanted.

So the little ugly duckling ran away.

He waddled far away from the pond where he was born.  He waddled through small marsh plants and large river reeds.  He waddled over bundles of sticks and piles of dung.  All this waddling made him dirtier than ever.

He approached a new pond that was filled with a family of different ducks.  These ducks were happily swimming and quacking.  He advanced one of the ducklings who looked to be just a bit larger and older than the ugly duckling.

“Hello there!” beamed the ugly duckling to the other duckling.  With this, the new family of ducks turned and stared at the ugly duckling.

“And who are you?” asked the mother duck.

“What are you?” asked the father duck.

“You sure are ugly!” all the ducklings chimed in.

As this family of ducks began to quack and laugh at the ugly ducking, he waddled off again in search of a nicer family to call his own.

He waddled far away from the pond with the family of ducks.  He waddled through small marsh plants and large river reeds.  He waddled over bundles of sticks and piles of dung.  All this waddling made him even dirtier than before!

Next the ugly duckling came to an even larger pond filled with a family of geese.  The goslings were a brown-gray like he was!  Happily, the ugly duckling waddled to the water’s edge, plopped his little body in the water, and swam towards the family of geese.  He advanced one of the goslings who looked even larger and greyer than him.

“Hello there!” the ugly ducking happily exclaimed, greeting the gosling.  With this, the family of geese turned and stared at the ugly duckling.

“And who are you?” asked the mother goose.

“What are you?” asked the father goose.

“You sure are ugly!” all the goslings chimed in.

As this family of ducks began to honk and laugh at the ugly ducking.  Before the duckling could waddle off the geese surrounded him and the father goose said, “Though you are quite strange looking you may stay with us!  You are more than welcome to join our family.”

The ugly duckling couldn’t be happier.  The geese were very kind to him though their honks hurt his ears.