Tale of the ugly duckling

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.

ugly ducklingShe 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.