вЂ“ В«I canВґt understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!В» she said to herself Before she had time to think about it, the last egg hatched. One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: 'Look at that young swan! HeВґs the finest of them all!' And he almost burst with happiness.Д«ut one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didnВґt hatch. Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans. 'ItВґs a long story,' replied the young swan, still astounded. 'WeВґre swans like you!' they said, warmly. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends. The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. 'Goodness! How IВґve changed! I hardly recognize myself!' That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water. However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided: In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter. The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmerВґs house. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. 'If only I could look like them, just for a day!' said the duckling, admiringly. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. 'If nobody wants me, IВґll hid here forever.' He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds. Then one night, finding the hutch door open, he escaped. 'IВґll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!' 'Oh, dear me!' moaned the now terrified duckling. 'If you wonВґt lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!' The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling: 'Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!' 'Just wait! If you donВґt lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!' I hope itВґs a female and lays plenty of eggs!' said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor.Д«ut the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him. Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywomanВґs cottage.

The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard. 'DonВґt stay here! Go away! ItВґs dangerous. He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question.

The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. 'Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?' He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds. Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. 'Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?' 'Why are you so different from the others?'ДЄnd the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. 'Poor little ugly duckling!' she would say.

He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him. His brothers didnВґt want to play with him, he was so clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasnВґt pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. 'I canВґt understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!' she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched.ДЄ strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell. Mother Duck couldnВґt recall laying that seventh egg. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings.Д«ut one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didnВґt hatch. Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs.

La historia del patito feo