One sunny spring day, a mother duck sat on her eggs. Tap, tap, tap! The eggs began to crack. "Hello, my babies!" said Mother Duck. Pop! Pop! Four tiny yellow ducks came out. Then... crack! One more egg opened. Out came a big gray duckling. "Oh my," said Mother Duck. "You look... different." The gray duckling looked at his yellow siblings. They were small and fluffy. He was big and gray. The other ducklings giggled. "You don't look like us!" they said. The gray duckling felt sad. He could:
The gray duckling smiled and waddled to his siblings. "Let's play!" he said in a kind voice. But the yellow ducklings ran away fast. "You're too big!" they laughed. "You might step on us!" The gray duckling's heart felt heavy. He saw the pond nearby. Mother Duck was teaching the others to swim. "Come, dear," she called to him. "Time for swimming lessons!" The gray duckling looked at the water. He could see his reflection. He did look different.
The gray duckling took small steps to the pond. He put one foot in the water. It felt nice and cool. "That's it," said Mother Duck. "Come in!" The gray duckling slid into the pond. To his surprise, he could swim very well! Better than his yellow siblings! "Look at you go!" said Mother Duck with pride. "You're a natural swimmer!" The gray duckling paddled around the pond. He made big circles in the water. His yellow siblings watched with big eyes. "Can you teach us?" asked one yellow duckling. "You swim so good!" said another. The gray duckling felt happy. For the first time, his siblings wanted his help! Just then, some chickens came to the pond. They pointed their beaks and laughed. "What a funny looking duck!" they said.
The gray duckling felt hurt by the chickens' mean words. He swam to the edge of the pond. His siblings called after him, "Wait! Don't go!" But the gray duckling walked away. His wet feathers dripped on the grass. He walked past the barn and the big red fence. He found a quiet spot under a tree. The leaves made nice shade. He sat there all alone. Then he heard a soft voice. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?" It was a beautiful white swan at the edge of the farm. The swan's feathers were bright and shiny. She looked so kind and gentle. The gray duckling had never seen anyone like her. "The other animals laugh at me," said the gray duckling. "They say I look funny." The swan looked at him with soft eyes. "Sometimes being different is special," she said. "Would you like to hear a secret?"
"When I was young," said the swan, "I looked just like you." The gray duckling's eyes grew wide. "Really?" he asked. "Yes," smiled the swan. "Gray feathers and all." "But now you're so beautiful!" said the duckling. "How did that happen?" The swan stretched her long neck. "Time and patience," she said. "You're not an ugly duckling at all." "You're a baby swan!" The gray duckling felt his heart jump with joy. "Is that why I swim so well?" he asked. "Is that why I look different?" "Yes, little one," said the swan. "Soon your gray feathers will turn white." "You will grow tall and graceful." Just then, they heard voices calling. "Gray duckling! Where are you?" It was Mother Duck and his siblings. They looked worried about him. The gray duckling - now knowing he was a swan - could:
The little swan-to-be ran back to his family. His heart was full of happy news! "Mother! Siblings!" he called out. "I know why I'm different!" "I'm not a duck at all - I'm a swan!" Mother Duck's eyes got big and round. "Oh my!" she said. "That explains everything!" She hugged him with her wings. The yellow ducklings jumped up and down. "Our brother is going to be a swan!" "That's so special!" they cheered. The chickens who had been mean came closer. They heard all the happy noise. They looked sorry for being unkind. "We were wrong to laugh," they said. "Can you forgive us?" The little swan-to-be looked at them. He remembered how sad their words made him feel. But now he felt strong and proud.
The little swan-to-be smiled at the chickens. "Yes, I forgive you," he said. "We can all be friends!" Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. The gray duckling grew taller and stronger. One morning, he woke up and looked at the pond. His reflection showed something amazing! His gray feathers had turned snow white. He had grown into a beautiful swan, Just like his friend had promised. His duck family came to see him every day. They would swim together in the pond, Sharing stories and happy moments. The farm animals all loved him now. Not because of his white feathers, But because of his kind heart. And he lived happily ever after, Knowing that being different Was what made him special all along. The End
