Гидке каченя
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.
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