d out. How large it was! How ugly it was!

"I wonder if it can be a turkey chick," said the mother. "Well, we shall
see when we go to the pond. It must go into the water, even if I have to
push it in myself."

Next day the mother duck and all her little ones went down to the water.
Splash! she jumped in, and all the ducklings went in, too. They swam
about very easily, and the ugly duckling swam with them.

"No, it is not a turkey," said the mother duck. "See how well he can use
his legs. He is my own child! And he is not so very ugly either."

II

Then she took her family into the duck yard. As they went along, she
told the ducklings how to act.

"Keep close to me, so that no one can step on you," she said. "Come;
now, don't turn your toes in. A well-brought-up duck turns its toes out,
just like father and mother. Bow your heads before that old duck yonder.
She is the grandest duck here. One can tell that by the red rag around
her leg. That's a great honor, the greatest honor a duck can have. It
shows that the mistress doesn't want to lose her. Now bend your necks
and say 'Quack!'"

They did so, but the other ducks did not seem glad to see them.

"Look!" they cried. "Here comes another brood, as if there were not
enough of us already. And oh, dear, how ugly that large one is! We won't
stand him."

Then one of the ducks flew at the ugly duckling and bit him in the neck.

[Illustration: The ugly duckling and the other ducks]

"Let him alone," said the mother; "he is doing no harm."

"Perhaps not," said the duck who had bitten the poor duckling, "but he
is too ugly to stay here. He must be driven out."

"Those are pretty children that the mother has," said the old duck with
the rag around her leg. "They are all pretty but that one. What a pity!"

"Yes," replied the mother duck, "he is not handsome, but he is
good-tempered, and he swims as well as any of the others. I think he
will grow to be pretty. Perhaps he stayed too long in the egg."

"Well, make yourselves at home," said the old duck. "If you find an
eel's head, you may bring it to me."

And they did make themselves at home--all but the poor ugly duckling.
His life was made quite miserable. The ducks bit him, and the hens
pecked him. So it went on the first day, and each day it grew worse.

The poor duckling was very unhappy. At last he could stand it no longer,
and he ran away. As he flew over the fence, he frightened the little
birds on the