ater. The
duckling saw these lovely birds and felt more strangely unhappy than
ever.

"I will fly to these royal birds," he exclaimed, "and they will kill me
because, ugly as I am, I dare to approach them. But it does not matter;
better be killed by them than pecked by the ducks, beaten by the hens,
pushed about by the maiden who feeds the poultry, or starved with hunger
in the winter."

Then he flew to the water and swam towards the beautiful swans. The
moment they espied the stranger they rushed to meet him with
outstretched wings.

"Kill me," said the poor bird and he bent his head down to the surface
of the water and awaited death.

But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image--no longer
a dark-gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and
beautiful swan.

To be born in a duck's nest in a farmyard is of no consequence to a bird
if it is hatched from a swan's egg. He now felt glad at having suffered
sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all
the pleasure and happiness around him; for the great swans swam round
the newcomer and stroked his neck with their beaks, as a welcome.

Into the garden presently came some little children and threw bread and
cake into the water.

[Illustration: The new one is the most beautiful of all...]

"See," cried the youngest, "there is a new one;" and the rest were
delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping
their hands and shouting joyously, "There is another swan come; a new
one has arrived."

Then they threw more bread and cake into the water and said, "The new
one is the most beautiful of all, he is so young and pretty." And the
old swans bowed their heads before him.

Then he felt quite ashamed and hid his head under his wing, for he did
not know what to do, he was so happy--yet he was not at all proud. He
had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them
say he was the most beautiful of all the birds. Even the elder tree bent
down its boughs into the water before him, and the sun shone warm and
bright. Then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried
joyfully, from the depths of his heart, "I never dreamed of such
happiness as this while I was the despised ugly duckling."

[Illustration]

LITTLE IDA'S FLOWERS

"MY POOR flowers are quite faded!" said little Ida. "Only yesterday
evening they were so pretty, and now all the leaves