Гадкий утёнок

           Thelilacsfilledtheairwithsweetscentandhunginclustersfromlong,greenbranchesthatbentoverawindingstream. Oh,butitwaslovelyhereinthefreshnessofspring! 

           Fromthethicketbeforehimcamethreelovelywhiteswans. Theyruffledtheirfeathersandswamlightlyinthestream. Theducklingrecognizedthesenoblecreatures,andastrangefeelingofsadnesscameuponhim. 

           "Ishallflyneartheseroyalbirds,andtheywillpeckmetobitsbecauseI,whoamsoveryugly, daretogonearthem.ButIdon’tcare. Betterbekilledbythemthantobenippedbytheducks,peckedbythehens,kickedaboutbythehen-yardgirl,orsuffersuchmiseryinwinter." 

           Soheflewintothewaterandswamtowardthesplendidswans.Theysawhim,andsweptdownuponhimwiththeirrustlingfeathersraised. "Killme!"saidthepoorcreature,andhebowedhisheaddownoverthewatertowaitfordeath. Butwhatdidheseethere,mirroredintheclearstream? Hebeheldhisownimage,anditwasnolongerthereflectionofaclumsy,dirty,graybird,uglyandoffensive.Hehimselfwasaswan! Beingborninaduckyarddoesnotmatter,ifonlyyouarehatchedfromaswan’segg. 

           Hefeltquitegladthathehadcomethroughsomuchtroubleandmisfortune,fornowhehadafullerunderstandingofhisowngoodfortune,andofbeautywhenhemetwithit. Thegreatswansswamallaroundhimandstrokedhimwiththeirbills. 

           Severallittlechildrencameintothegardentothrowgrainandbitsofbreaduponthewater.