The Ugly Duckling: Part One

In part one of this well-known tale by Hans Christian Andersen, a duckling who looks quite different from the other ducklings in his mother's brood is born into an uncaring world. How will he cope with being insulted and shunned? Parts one, two, and three are all available on a playlist.

Music by Julius H.

Transcript

Hello,

It's Mandy here again.

Thanks so much for joining me to listen to part one of the Ugly Duckling.

It really is lovely to welcome you.

Whatever kind of day you've had,

It's time to switch off now.

There's no way you need to be except here.

There's no one you have to deal with right now.

You've nothing to do except listen to my voice and let yourself gradually settle while your busy mind,

Hard at work all day,

Finds a simple and rewarding focus in tonight's story.

So whether you're sitting or lying,

Go right ahead and make yourself really comfortable and we'll begin.

The Ugly Duckling part one.

It was lovely summer weather in the country and the golden corn,

The green oats and the haystacks piled up in the meadows looked beautiful.

The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language which he had learned from his mother.

The cornfields and meadows were surrounded by large forests in the midst of which were deep pools.

It was indeed delightful to walk about in the country.

In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farmhouse close by a deep river and from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves so high that under the tallest of them a little child could stand upright.

The spot was as wild as the center of a thick wood.

In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest watching for her young brood to hatch.

She was beginning to get tired of her task for the little ones were a long time coming out of their shells and she seldom had any visitors.

The other ducks liked much better to swim about in the river than to climb the slippery banks and sit under a burdock leaf to have a gossip with her.

At length one shell cracked and then another and from each egg came a living creature that lifted its head and cried peep peep.

Quack quack said the mother and then they all quacked as well as they could and looked about them on every side at the large green leaves.

Their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked because green is good for the eyes.

How large the world is said the young ducks when they found how much more room they now had than while they were inside the eggshell.

Do you imagine this is the whole world asked the mother.

Wait till you have seen the garden.

It stretches far beyond that to the parson's field but I have never ventured to such a distance.

Are you all out she continued rising.

No I declare the largest egg lies there still.

Hmm I wonder how long this is to last.

I'm quite tired of it and she seated herself again on the nest.

Well and how are you getting on asked an old duck who paid her a visit.

One egg is not hatched yet said the duck.

It will not break but just look at all the others.

Are they not the prettiest little ducklings you ever saw.

They are the image of their father who is so unkind he never comes to see them.

Let me see the egg that will not break said the duck.

I have no doubt it is a turkey's egg.

I was persuaded to hatch some once and after all my care and trouble with the young ones they were afraid of the water.

I quacked and clucked but all to no purpose.

I couldn't get them to venture in.

Let me look at the egg.

Hmm yes that is a turkey's egg.

Take my advice leave it where it is and teach the other children to swim.

I think I will sit on it a little while longer said the duck.

As I have sat so long already a few more days will be nothing.

Please yourself said the old duck and she went away.

At last the large egg broke and a young one crept forth crying peep peep.

It was very large and ugly.

The duck stared at it and exclaimed it is very large and not at all like the others.

I wonder if it really is a turkey.

We shall soon find out however when we go to the water.

It must go in if I have to push it myself.

On the next day the weather was delightful and the sun shone brightly on the green burdock leaves so the mother duck took her young brood down to the water and jumped in with a splash.

Quack quack cried she and one after another the little ducklings jumped in.

The water closed over their heads but they came up again in an instant and swam about quite prettily with their legs paddling under them as easily as possible and the ugly duckling was also in the water swimming with them.

Oh said the mother that is not a turkey.

How well he uses his legs and how upright he holds himself.

He is my own child and he is not so very ugly after all if you look at him properly.

Quack quack come with me now I will take you into grand society and introduce you to the farmyard but you must keep close to me or you may be trodden upon and above all beware of the cat.

When they reached the farmyard there was a great disturbance.

Two families were fighting for an eel's head which after all was carried off by the cat.

See children that is the way of the world said the mother duck wetting her beak for she would have liked the eel's head herself.

Come now use your legs and let me see how well you can behave.

You must bow your heads prettily to that old duck yonder.

She is the highest born of them all and has Spanish blood therefore she is well off.

Don't you see she has a red flag tied to her leg which is something very grand and a great honour for a duck.

It shows that everyone is anxious not to lose her as she can be recognised both by man and beast.

Come now don't turn your toes.

A well-bred duckling spreads his feet wide apart just like his father and mother like this.

Now bend your neck and say quack.

The ducklings did as they were bid but the other duck stared and said look here comes another brood as if there were not enough of us already and what a queer looking object one of them is.

We don't want him here and then one flew out and bit him in the neck.

Leave him alone said the mother he is not doing any harm.

Yes but he is so big and ugly said the spiteful duck and therefore he must be turned out.

The others are very pretty children said the old duck with the rag on her leg.

Oh but that one I wish his mother could improve him a little.

That is impossible your grace replied the mother.

He is not pretty but he has a very good disposition and swims as well or even better than the others.

I think he will grow up pretty and perhaps be smaller.

He has remained too long in the egg and therefore his figure is not properly formed and she stroked his neck and smoothed his feathers saying it is a drake and therefore not of so much consequence.

I think he will grow up strong and able to take care of himself.

The other ducklings are graceful enough said the old duck.

Now make yourself at home and if you can find an eel's head you can bring it to me.

And so they made themselves comfortable but the poor duckling who had crept out of his shell last of all and looked so ugly was bitten and pushed and made fun of not only by the duck but by all the poultry.

He is too big they all said and the turkey cock who had been born into the world with spurs and fancied himself really an emperor puffed himself out like a vessel in full sail and flew at the duckling and became quite red in the head with passion so that the poor little thing did not know where to go and was quite miserable.

So it went on from day to day it got worse and worse.

The poor duckling was driven about by everyone even his brothers and sisters were unkind to him and would say oh you ugly creature I wish the cat would get you.

The ducks pecked him the chickens beat him and the goats and the sheep and the I wish the cat would get you.

The ducks pecked him the chickens beat him and the girl who fed the poultry kicked him with her feet so at last he ran away frightening the little birds in the hedge as he flew out over the palings.

They are afraid of me because I'm ugly he said so he closed his eyes and flew still further until he came out on a large moor inhabited by wild ducks.

Here he remained the whole night feeling very tired and sorrowful.

To be continued.