The Ugly Duckling Story ~ A Fairy Tale Story for Kids in English 

This is the Fairy Tale Story of The Ugly Duckling. It has been adapted from Hans Christian Andersen and is brought to you by Stories to Grow by. 

On a farm long ago, a Mama Duck sat on her nest.  “How long must I wait for my babies to hatch?” she said.  “I have to sit here all alone! And with no one coming to visit me.”  But what else could she do? A Mama duck must keep her eggs warm till they hatch.

At last, the eggs began to crack.  One by one, yellow ducklings stepped out of their shells.  They shook their wings and said, “Quack, quack!”

“Look at all of you!” said Mama Duck with joy.  “You are so cute!”

“Quack, quack!” they said.

Mama Duck said, “Come and line up.  We will go down to the lake for your very first swim.”  She counted – one, two, three, four, five. “Oh dear!” she said.  “I should have six ducklings!”

One large egg was still in the nest!  “Dear me! That big egg will take a bit more time.” So Mama Duck had to go back to her nest and sit some more.

“Well, that big egg will take a bit more time.”

The next day, the last big egg started to hatch.  Out came a baby boy bird. But, it was an odd-looking thing.  This bird was much bigger than others. He was not yellow at all - he was dark-gray from his head to his feet.  And he moved with a funny wobble when he walked.

One of the yellow ducklings pointed.  “Who is THAT? He cannot be one of us!”

“I have never seen such an ugly duckling!” said another.

“How can you say that?” said Mama Duck in a stern voice. “You are only one day old!  Your brother hatched from the very same nest you did. Now line up, one and all. We will go to the lake for your very first swim.”

Yet the other ducklings quacked, “Ugly!  Ugly! Ugly!” The Ugly Duckling did not know why the other ducklings were yelling at him.  He took the end spot in the line.

“What is THAT?  He cannot be one of us!”