The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling is a fairy tale by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. It is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairy tales and has been translated into many languages. Though the fairy tale is short, Hans Christian Andersen spent considerable time with it.

In the fairy tale, the eggs of a mother duck hatch. One of the ducklings is considered ugly and suffers abuse. He leaves the barn and lives with wild ducks and geese until hunters shoot them. He later finds a home with an old woman, but her cat and hen tease him endlessly, so he goes away.

The duckling sees a flock of wild swans. Though he is delighted, he cannot join them because he is too young and cannot fly. When winter arrives, a farmer finds the duckling and takes him home. However, the farmer's noisy children frighten him and he escapes. The duckling spends a cold winter outdoors, mostly hiding in a cave.

The duckling, now fully grown, no longer wants to continue with a life of solitude. He decides to throw himself at a flock of wild swans in the belief that it is better to be killed by such beautiful birds than to experience a life of ugliness. When the swams welcome him, he is shocked. By looking at his reflection in the water, he realizes that he is not a duck but a swan. The flock takes to the air, and he spreads his wings to fly and join his new family.

Hans Christian Andersen once confessed that the story was a reflection of his own life. The swan can represent inner beauty and talent. The Ugly Duckling is about a transformation and truly reminds the reader that appearances can change.