THE UGLY DUCKLING

It was a beautiful summer morning in the pond. All the animals that lived there felt happy under the warm sun, especially a paw that from one moment to another, hoped that their ducklings would come to the world.

- It's a wonderful day! - thought the paw while resting on the eggs to give them heat - It would be ideal that today my children were born. I'm looking forward to seeing them because they are sure to be the most beautiful in the world.

And it seems that their wishes were fulfilled, because in the middle of the afternoon, when the whole camp was silent, there were some crunches that awoke the mother-to-be.

Yes, the time had come! The shells began to break and very slowly, the little heads of the chicks appeared.

"But how precious you are, my children! Exclaimed the proud mother. "That's how cute I thought you were.

Only one chick left to go. It turns out he was not so skilful and had trouble breaking the shell with his little beak. In the end he also managed to stretch his neck and peek out his huge head out of the shell.

- Mommy mommy! Said the strange chick in a shrill voice.

The leg, when she saw him, was astonished! He was not a plump yellow duck like the others, but a big, fat, black duck who looked nothing like his brothers.

For fifteen days and fifteen nights he wandered the country and ate what little he could find. I did not know what to do or where to go. No one loved him and he felt very unhappy.

But one day his luck changed! He came by chance to a lagoon of crystalline waters, and there, gliding on the surface, he saw a family of precious swans. Some were white, some black, but all slender and majestic. I've never seen such beautiful animals. A little embarrassed, he raised his voice and said:

- Hello! Can I take a dip in your pond? I've been walking for days and I need to freshen up a bit.

-Of course! Here you are welcome You are one of us! Said one who seemed to be the oldest.

- One of your own? I do not understand…

- Yes, one of ours. Do not you know your own appearance? Get down and look at yourself in the water. Today it is so clean it looks like a mirror.

And so did the duckling. He leaned over the shore and ... I could not believe it! What he saw shocked him. He was no longer a fat duck, but in recent days he had become a beautiful black swan with long neck and beautiful plumage.

Her heart leaped with joy! I had never experienced such a magical moment. He realized that he had never been an ugly duck, but that he had been born a swan, and now he wore all his splendor.

- Join us - we invited your new friends - From now on, we will take care of you and you will be one more of our clan.

And happy, very happy, the duck that was swan, got into the lagoon and shared the walk with those who really wanted him.

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