Down by the water an old mother duck sat and sat on her eggs.At last one egg afteranother began to crack. "Peep!Peep!Peep!"she heard.Little baby ducklings began to pop out of the eggs.Soon the ducklings came out from under the mother duck and looked around. "Are you all out now?"asked the mother duck.She got up and looked into the nest."No,"she said,"I don't have all of you yet.One egg is still here." She sat down in the nest again. The next day another duck came by the nest."Well,how goes it?"she asked. "One egg is taking a long time to hatch,"said the mother duck."The other ducklings are all out,and they are beautiful." "Let me see the egg that won't hatch,"said the other duck.When she saw it,she said,"I don't think it's a duck's egg.Let it stay there.Go and help your other children learn to swim.""I'll sit on it a little longer,"said the mother duck."I have sat on it this long.I can sit another day or two." "Do as you like,"said the other duck. At last the big egg hatched.The duckling that came out didn't look like the others.He was not little and yellow.He was big,and gray,and ugly. "What a big duckling!"said the mother duck…"How big he will be when he grows up!Can he really be a duck?Well,I know how to find out.I'll take the ducklings to the water and see if they can swim." The ugly duckling did swim.He could swim better than any of the ducklings. "Yes,he is my own duckling,"said the mother duck…"He may not be so good-looking,but see how he can swim!Really,he doesn't look bad at all." The mother duck took her children out for a walk.One of the other ducks looked at them.She said,"What a funny looking ducking that one is!We don't wand him here."She flew at the ugly duckling and bit him. "Stop!"said his mother."Let him alone!He isn't hurting anyone." Then she said to the ducklings,"Come on!Let's not stay here." They walked on and met a fat old duck."You have some good-looking children there all but one,"he said."He is really ugly.It's too bad that you can't do something to help his looks." "That can't be done,"said the mother duck…"I don't think he looks so ugly.He's a good duckling,and you should see him swim!I think he will grow up to be all right."
