The Ugly Duckling
It
was
so
beautiful
out
on
the
country
,
it
was
summer
-
the
wheat
fields
were
golden
,
the
oats
were
green
,
and
down
among
the
green
meadows
the
hay
was
stacked
.
There
the
stork
minced
about
on
his
red
legs
,
clacking
away
in
Egyptian
,
which
was
the
language
his
mother
had
taught
him
.
Round
about
the
field
and
meadow
lands
rose
vast
forests
,
in
which
deep
lakes
lay
hidden
.
Yes
,
it
was
indeed
lovely
out
there
in
the
country
.
In
the
midst
of
the
sunshine
there
stood
an
old
manor
house
that
had
a
deep
moat
around
it
.
From
the
walls
of
the
manor
right
down
to
the
water
's
edge
great
burdock
leaves
grew
,
and
there
were
some
so
tall
that
little
children
could
stand
upright
beneath
the
biggest
of
them
.
In
this
wilderness
of
leaves
,
which
was
as
dense
as
the
forests
itself
,
a
duck
sat
on
her
nest
,
hatching
her
ducklings
.
She
was
becoming
somewhat
weary
,
because
sitting
is
such
a
dull
business
and
scarcely
anyone
came
to
see
her
.
The
other
ducks
would
much
rather
swim
in
the
moat
than
waddle
out
and
squat
under
the
burdock
leaf
to
gossip
with
her
.
But
at
last
the
eggshells
began
to
crack
,
one
after
another
.
"
Peep
,
peep
!
"
said
the
little
things
,
as
they
came
to
life
and
poked
out
their
heads
.
"
Quack
,
quack
!
"
said
the
duck
,
and
quick
as
quick
can
be
they
all
waddled
out
to
have
a
look
at
the
green
world
under
the
leaves
.
Their
mother
let
them
look
as
much
as
they
pleased
,
because
green
is
good
for
the
eyes
.
"
How
wide
the
world
is
,
"
said
all
the
young
ducks
,
for
they
certainly
had
much
more
room
now
than
they
had
when
they
were
in
their
eggshells
.
"
Do
you
think
this
is
the
whole
world
?
"
their
mother
asked
.
"
Why
it
extends
on
and
on
,
clear
across
to
the
other
side
of
the
garden
and
right
on
into
the
parson
's
field
,
though
that
is
further
than
I
have
ever
been
.
I
do
hope
you
are
all
hatched
,
"
she
said
as
she
got
up
.
"
No
,
not
quite
all
.
The
biggest
egg
still
lies
here
.
How
much
longer
is
this
going
to
take
?
I
am
really
rather
tired
of
it
all
,
"
she
said
,
but
she
settled
back
on
her
nest
.
"
Well
,
how
goes
it
?
"
asked
an
old
duck
who
came
to
pay
her
a
call
.
"
It
takes
a
long
time
with
that
one
egg
,
"
said
the
duck
on
the
nest
.
"
It
wo
n't
crack
,
but
look
at
the
others
.
They
are
the
cutest
little
ducklings
I
've
ever
seen
.
They
look
exactly
like
their
father
,
the
wretch
!
He
has
n't
come
to
see
me
at
all
.
"
"
Let
's
have
a
look
at
the
egg
that
wo
n't
crack
,
"
the
old
duck
said
.
"
It
's
a
turkey
egg
,
and
you
can
take
my
word
for
it
.
I
was
fooled
like
that
once
myself
.
What
trouble
and
care
I
had
with
those
turkey
children
,
for
I
may
as
well
tell
you
,
they
are
afraid
of
the
water
.
simply
could
not
get
them
into
it
.
I
quacked
and
snapped
at
them
,
but
it
was
n't
a
bit
of
use
.
Let
me
see
the
egg
.
Certainly
,
it
's
a
turkey
egg
.
Let
it
lie
,
and
go
teach
your
other
children
to
swim
.
"
"
Oh
,
I
'll
sit
a
little
longer
.
I
've
been
at
it
so
long
already
that
I
may
as
well
sit
here
half
the
summer
.
"
