The duckling thought that others might hold a different opinion on the
subject, but the hen would not listen to such doubts. "Can you lay eggs?"
she asked. "No." "Then have the goodness to hold your tongue." "Can you
raise your back, or purr, or throw out sparks?" said the tom cat. "No."
"Then you have no right to express an opinion when sensible people are speaking." So 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.
"What an absurd idea," said the hen. "You have nothing else to do, therefore you have foolish
fancies. If you could purr or lay eggs, they would pass away."
"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."
"Delightful, indeed!" said the hen, "why you must be crazy! Ask 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. Do you think she would like to swim, or to let the water close
over her head?"
"You don't understand me," said the duckling.
"We don't understand you? Who can understand you, I wonder? Do you consider yourself more clever
that the cat, or the old woman? I will say nothing of myself. Don't imagine such nonsense, child,
and thank your good fortune that you have been received here. Are you not in a warm room, and
in society from which you may learn something. But you are a chatterer, and you company is not
very agreeable. Believe me, I speak only for your own good. I may tell you unpleasant truths,
but that is a proof of my friendship. I advise you, therefore, to lay eggs, and learn to purr as
quickly as possible."
"I believe I must go out into the world again," said the duckling, "Yes, do," said the hen. So
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. Autumn came, and the leaves in the
forest turned to orange and gold, then, as winter approached, the wind caught them as they fell
and whirled them in the cold air. The clouds heavy with hail and snow-flakes, hung low in the
sky, and the raven stood on the ferns crying.
"Croak, croak." It made one shiver with cold to look at him. All this was very sad for the poor
little duckling. One evening, just as the sun set amid radiant clouds, there came a large flock
of beautiful birds out of the bushes. The duckling had never seen any like them before. They were
swans, and they curved their graceful necks, while their soft plumage shown with dazzling white-
ness. They uttered a singular cry, as they spread their glorious wings and flew away from those
cold regions to warmer countries across the sea. As they mounted higher and higher in the air,
the ugly little duckling felt quite a strange sensation as he watched them. He whirled himself
in the water like a wheel, stretched out his neck towards them, and uttered a cry so strange
that it frightened himself. Could 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. He 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. He was not envious of these beautiful
creatures, but wished to be as lovely as they. Poor ugly creature, how gladly he would have lived
even with the ducks had they only given him encouragement.