{"id":792,"date":"2022-01-30T06:23:22","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T06:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdr.foobrdigital.com\/?p=792"},"modified":"2022-01-30T06:23:22","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T06:23:22","slug":"the-ugly-duckling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/30\/the-ugly-duckling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ugly Duckling\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On a farm long ago<\/strong>, a Mama Duck sat on her nest.  \u201cHow long must I wait for my babies to hatch?\u201d she said.  \u201cI have to sit here all alone! And no one comes to visit me.\u201d  But what could she do? A Mama duck must keep her eggs warm till they hatch.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At last, the eggs began to crack.  One by one, yellow ducklings stepped out of their shells.  They shook their wings and said, \u201cQuack, quack!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook at all of you!\u201d said Mama Duck with joy.  \u201cYou are all so cute!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuack, quack!\u201d they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mama Duck said, \u201cCome and line up.  We will go down to the lake for your very first swim.\u201d  She counted \u2013 one, two, three, four, five. \u201cOh dear!\u201d she said.  \u201cI should have six ducklings!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But one large egg was still in the nest. \u201cWell,” said Mama Duck, “it looks like that big egg will take more time.\u201d So she had to go sit on her nest again and wait some more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next day, the big egg started to hatch.  Out came a baby boy bird. But if one may say so, it was an odd-looking thing.  This bird was much bigger than others. He was not yellow at all – he was dark-gray from his head to his feet.  And he walked with a funny wobble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the yellow ducklings pointed.  \u201cWhat is THAT? He cannot be one of us!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have never seen such an ugly duckling!\u201d said another.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow can you say such a thing?\u201d said Mama Duck in a stern voice. \u201cYou are only one day old!  Your brother hatched from the very same nest as you did. Now line up. We will go to the lake for your very first swim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the other ducklings quacked, \u201cUgly!  Ugly! Ugly!\u201d The Ugly Duckling did not know why the other ducklings were yelling at him.  He took the last spot in the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each yellow duck jumped in the river and swam behind Mama Duck.  When it was his turn, the Ugly Duckling jumped in and started to paddle, too.  \u201cAt least he can swim,\u201d Mama Duck said to herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they left the water and started to play, the Ugly Duckling tried to play with his brothers and sisters, too.  They yelled, \u201cGo away! We will not play with you! You are ugly. And you walk weird, too!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When Mama Duck was close by, she would not let them talk in this way.  \u201cBe nice!\u201d she would scold. But she was not always close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day, one of the yellow ducklings said to the Ugly Duckling, \u201cYou know what?  You would do us a big favor if you just went away from here!\u201d All of them started to quack, \u201cGet out!  Get out! Get out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy won\u2019t they let me stay here?\u201d said the Ugly Duckling to himself.  He hung his head down low. \u201cAh, they are right. I should go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That night, the Ugly Duckling flew over the farmyard fence.  He flew till he landed on the other side of the lake.  There he met two grown-up ducks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I please stay here for awhile?\u201d said the Ugly Duckling.  \u201cI have nowhere else to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do we care?\u201d said one of the ducks.  \u201cJust don\u2019t get in our way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWoof! Woof!\u201d  Suddenly a big hungry dog came tearing by, chasing the two ducks.  They quickly flew up in the air, and their feathers fell down on the ground.  The poor Ugly Duckling froze in fear. The dog sniffed and sniffed at the Ugly Duckling, then turned away.  \u201cI am too ugly even for the big hungry dog to want,\u201d said the Ugly Duckling with his head hung low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sky turned dark.  Crack!<\/em>  A bolt of lightning.  Then came a big storm, with heavy rains pouring down from the sky.  In just moments, the Ugly Duckling was soaked through and through. Then a cold wind started to blow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrrr!\u201d he said with both wings held close to his chest.  \u201cIf only there was a place I could get dry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All at once, a tiny light blinked far off in the woods.  \u201cCould it be someone\u2019s hut?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He flew to the door.  \u201cQuack?\u201d said the Ugly Duckling.  The door of the hut creaked open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is all this noise?\u201d said an old woman, looking right and left.  Her eyes were not that good. Then she looked down. \u201cAh, look at that, it\u2019s a duck!\u201d  She picked up the Ugly Duckling and dropped him inside her hut. \u201cYou can stay here, but only if you lay eggs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tomcat and hen crept up to the Ugly Duckling.  \u201cWho do you think you are, coming in here and taking up room by the fire!\u201d said the tomcat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSquawk!\u201d said the hen.  \u201cI do not need anyone else in this hut laying eggs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo not worry about that,\u201d said the Ugly Duckling.  \u201cI am a boy duck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen why are you still here?\u201d said the tomcat.  \u201cDid you not hear what the old woman said?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet out of here, pretender!\u201d clucked the hen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet out!  Get out!\u201c hissed the tomcat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The door was still a bit open, so our poor Ugly Duckling slipped out the door, and back into the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one ever wants me,\u201d said the Ugly Duckling with a tear in his eye.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The storm ended.  Soon he found a new lake.  Looking into the water, the Ugly Duckling saw the reflection of a flock of large white birds flying.  He looked overhead and could not believe what he saw. There, above him, were the most beautiful birds he had ever seen!  Their long white bodies and slender necks seemed to just glide through the sky. He watched until the very last bird had winged its way out of view.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stayed at that lake all by himself, and time passed.  The leaves of the trees turned deep red and gold, and then the leaves fell to the ground.  Winter came, setting a blanket of white snow all over. The cold wind and the dark clouds made the Ugly Duckling feel even more sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had to go into the cold, cold lake to fish, but it was getting harder to swim.  The lake was turning to ice. One day, it was all he could do was to paddle the water to keep it from freezing around him, and trapping him in the lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am so tired!\u201d he said, paddling with all his might.  The ice got thicker and drew closer to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a moment, two giant hands swept him up.  \u201cYou poor thing!\u201d said a farmer. He held the Ugly Duckling close to his thick wool jacket and took the bird to his home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never was a warm fireplace more welcome!  For the rest of the winter, the farmer cared for the Ugly Duckling.  Then spring came. Tips of green covered the trees. Short, bright flowers popped up from the ground.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is time for you to go to the lake to swim again, as you were born to do,\u201d said the farmer.  He took the duckling back to the lake where he had found him, and set him with care on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGosh, I feel strong,\u201d said the young bird, flapping his wings.  \u201cWhy, I never felt as strong as I do right now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He heard quiet splashing sounds behind him, and turned around.  A flock of those same beautiful birds he had seen in the sky before landed behind him on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo not worry!\u201d he said to them, holding out one wing.  \u201cI will go now. I will not make trouble for you.\u201d A big fat tear rolled down his cheek.  He turned to go away. When he opened his eyes, he saw a reflection in the water of one of those beautiful white birds.  Why was it so close to him? He jumped back. And the reflection jumped back, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is this?\u201d he said.  He stretched his neck, and the reflection of the beautiful bird stretched its neck, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy are you going so soon?\u201d said one of the beautiful birds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStay here, with us!\u201d said another.  \u201cWe\u2019ll be great friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the bird who used to be the Ugly Duckling knew what had happened!  He was no longer an ugly gray bird that wobbled when it walked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one moment, all the swans flapped their wings and took off into the sky. \u201cCome with us,\u201d one called back. \u201cTake the lead!\u201d So he flapped his wings fast and took his place in front of the whole flock.  All his new friends flapped their wings behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSay!\u201d he said, gliding and dipping through the sky as he sped on. \u00a0\u201cWho\u2019s an ugly duckling now? Surely, Not I!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The End<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On a farm long ago, a Mama Duck sat on her nest.  \u201cHow long must I wait for my babies to hatch?\u201d she said.  \u201cI have to sit here all alone! And no one comes to visit me.\u201d  But what could she do? A Mama duck must keep her eggs warm till they hatch.   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mudassirbackup.infinitycodestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}