The Ugly Duckling

The door hung open crookedly, and the duckling slipped in out of the rain. Inside he found a woman with a pet cat named Sonnie and a pet hen who, because of her little legs, was called Chickabiddy-Shortshanks. The ugly duckling fell asleep at once and no one noticed him. But in the morning the cat purred and the hen clucked and the woman said “what's the matter?” Her eyesight wasn't very good and she thought, “Maybe this is a rare prize duck who will lay eggs for me.” “Can you lay eggs?” the hen asked. “No,” replied the duckling. “Can you purr and arch your back?” asked the cat. “No.” “Then what can you do?” they wanted to know. “I can swim,” exclaimed the ugly duckling. “It'