This famous story is popular with kids. It goes like this.

Long time ago there was a Mommy duck. She was sitting on her eggs, waiting for her babies to be born. 

One egg was bigger than the others, but the duck didn't mind.

One day the babies were born. All the babies were little yellow ducklings, but the last one was grey and big. It was born from the big egg.

The other ducks came to see the ducklings. "They are all pretty", they said, "but this big grey baby is ugly".

The Mommy duck said, "I don't mind, he is my baby. He is only one day old, he will be pretty, too."

But the other ducklings started to make fun of him. "Ugly, Ugly", they shouted. The grey duckling didn't know why.

The family went to the lake. Mommy duck jumped into the water. All the ducklings jumped into the water, even Ugly Duckling.

All the ducklings started to swim. Ugly Duckling was good at swimming. He saw his mirror image in the water. "Why am I big and grey? Why am I not yellow and small?", he asked his mother. The Mommy duck replied, "You can be beautiful inside. Be nice".

But the other ducklings didn't like him. "We don't play with you. You are ugly. Go away", they said.

Ugly duckling was sad and left his family. He lived at the lake, in the grass. One day a big hungry dog came to the lake. The Ugly Duckling was afraid of the dog. The dog looked at him, then turned away. "I am too ugly, even the big hungry dog doesn't want to eat me", he thought.

There were swans in the lake. They were the most beautiful birds, with white feathers and long necks. "Why am I so ugly and why are other birds so beautiful?" he thought. He didn't go near them.

Time passed, day after day. The Ugly Duckling grew bigger and bigger. His wings were bigger and bigger.

One day he went to swim and didn't notice the swans close to him. He heard their voices and turned around. He was afraid of them. "I have to run away," he thought. "These beautiful birds will kill me".

"Don't worry, I will go now", he said to them. But the swans were friendly. "Why are you going?" they said. "Come and play with us. We will be friends."

The Ugly Duckling bent his head. Now he saw his image in the water. What he saw was not an ugly duckling but a beautiful swan. He was no longer an ugly duckling. He was a beautiful swan!