The Ugly Duckling · page 21 2101No." "Then have the goodness to hold your tongue." "102Can you raise your back, or purr, or throw out sparks?" said the tom cat. "103No." "Then you have no right to express an opinion when sensible people are speaking."104So the duckling sat in a corner, feeling very low spirited, till the sunshine and the fresh air came into the room through the open door, and then he began to feel such a great longing for a swim on the water, that he could not help telling the hen.105"What an absurd idea," said the hen. "106You have nothing else to do, therefore you have foolish fancies.107If you could purr or lay eggs, they would pass away."108"But it is so delightful to swim about on the water," said the duckling, "and so refreshing to feel it close over your head, while you dive down to the bottom."109"Delightful, indeed!" said the hen, "why you must be crazy!110Ask the cat, he is the cleverest animal I know, ask him how he would like to swim about on the water, or to dive under it, for I will not speak of my own opinion; ask our mistress, the old woman--there is no one in the world more clever than she is.111Do you think she would like to swim, or to let the water close over her head?"112"You don't understand me," said the duckling.113"We don't understand you?114Who can understand you, I wonder?115Do you consider yourself more clever than the cat, or the old woman?116I will say nothing of myself.checked by a teacher117Don't imagine such nonsense, child, and thank your good fortune that you have been received here.118Are you not in a warm room, and in society from which you may learn something.119But you are a chatterer, and your company is not very agreeable.120Believe me, I speak only for your own good.121I may tell you unpleasant truths, but that is a proof of my friendship.122I advise you, therefore, to lay eggs, and learn to purr as quickly as possible."123"I believe I must go out into the world again," said the duckling.124"Yes, do," said the hen.125So the duckling left the cottage, and soon found water on which it could swim and dive, but was avoided by all other animals, because of its ugly appearance.126Autumn came, and the leaves in the forest turned to orange and gold.127Then, as winter approached, the wind caught them as they fell and whirled them in the cold air.128The clouds, heavy with hail and snow-flakes, hung low in the sky, and the raven stood on the ferns crying, "Croak, croak."129It made one shiver with cold to look at him.130All this was very sad for the poor little duckling.131One evening, just as the sun set amid radiant clouds, there came a large flock of beautiful birds out of the bushes.132The duckling had never seen any like them before.133They were swans, and they curved their graceful necks, while their soft plumage shown with dazzling whiteness.134They uttered a singular cry, as they spread their glorious wings and flew away from those cold regions to warmer countries across the sea.135As they mounted higher and higher in the air, the ugly little duckling felt quite a strange sensation as he watched them.136He whirled himself in the water like a wheel, stretched out his neck towards them, and uttered a cry so strange that it frightened himself.137Could he ever forget those beautiful, happy birds; and when at last they were out of his sight, he dived under the water, and rose again almost beside himself with excitement.138He knew not the names of these birds, nor where they had flown, but he felt towards them as he had never felt for any other bird in the world.139He was not envious of these beautiful creatures, but wished to be as lovely as they.140Poor ugly creature, how gladly he would have lived even with the ducks had they only given him encouragement.141The winter grew colder and colder; he was obliged to swim about on the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the space on which he swam became smaller and smaller.142At length it froze so hard that the ice in the water crackled as he moved, and the duckling had to paddle with his legs as well as he could, to keep the space from closing up.143He became exhausted at last, and lay still and helpless, frozen fast in the ice.144Early in the morning, a peasant, who was passing by, saw what had happened.145He broke the ice in pieces with his wooden shoe, and carried the duckling home to his wife.146The warmth revived the poor little creature; but when the children wanted to play with him, the duckling thought they would do him some harm; so he started up in terror, fluttered into the milk-pan, and splashed the milk about the room.147Then the woman clapped her hands, which frightened him still more.148He flew first into the butter-cask, then into the meal-tub, and out again.149What a condition he was in!150The woman screamed, and struck at him with the tongs; the children laughed and screamed, and tumbled over each other, in their efforts to catch him; but luckily he escaped.151The door stood open; the poor creature could just manage to slip out among the bushes, and lie down quite exhausted in the newly fallen snow.152It would be very sad, were I to relate all the misery and privations which the poor little duckling endured during the hard winter; but when it had passed, he found himself lying one morning in a moor, amongst the rushes.153He felt the warm sun shining, and heard the lark singing, and saw that all around was beautiful spring.154Then the young bird felt that his wings were strong, as he flapped them against his sides, and rose high into the air.155They bore him onwards, until he found himself in a large garden, before he well knew how it had happened.156The apple-trees were in full blossom, and the fragrant elders bent their long green branches down to the stream which wound round a smooth lawn.157Everything looked beautiful, in the freshness of early spring.158From a thicket close by came three beautiful white swans, rustling their feathers, and swimming lightly over the smooth water.159The duckling remembered the lovely birds, and felt more strangely unhappy than ever.160"I will fly to those royal birds," he exclaimed, "and they will kill me, because I am so ugly, and dare to approach them; but it does not matter: better be killed by them than pecked by the ducks, beaten by the hens, pushed about by the maiden who feeds the poultry, or starved with hunger in the winter."161Then he flew to the water, and swam towards the beautiful swans.162The moment they espied the stranger, they rushed to meet him with outstretched wings.163"Kill me," said the poor bird; and he bent his head down to the surface of the water, and awaited death.164But what did he see in the clear stream below?165His own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan.166To be born in a duck's nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequence to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan's egg.checked by a teacher167He now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him; for the great swans swam round the new-comer, and stroked his neck with their beaks, as a welcome.168Into the garden presently came some little children, and threw bread and cake into the water.169"See," cried the youngest, "there is a new one;" and the rest were delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping their hands, and shouting joyously, "There is another swan come; a new one has arrived."170Then they threw more bread and cake into the water, and said, "The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty."171And the old swans bowed their heads before him.172Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud.173He had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds.174Even the elder-tree bent down its bows into the water before him, and the sun shone warm and bright.175Then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried joyfully, from the depths of his heart, "I never dreamed of such happiness as this, while I was an ugly duckling."1 2← previousTwo Maidensnext →Under the Willow-tree, part 1↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/201/page/2/