The Ugly Duckling

as not an ugly duckling- or a duckling at all-but a swan-a beautiful white swan! You see, a bird who comes a swan's egg is a swan even if the egg happens to be hatched by a duck, and ducks think that no one is pretty except a duck. They think anyone who doesn't look like a duck is ugly, even the most beautiful swan. But now the “ugly duckling” knew why he had felt so much love for the beautiful swans, and he knew he was as beautiful himself as they were. The swans recognized him too, as one of them, and they swam around him stroking him with their beaks. By and by some children came down to the lake to throw breadcrumbs to the swans. “Look!” cried the youngest. “There's a beautif