Andersen's Fairy Tales - Illustrated Short Classics

Author: (Denmark) Hans Christian Andersen / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The Ugly Duckling had wandered alone for a long time, from summer to autumn, as the weather grew colder. One day, a group of swans flew over the Ugly Duckling’s head, chirping happily, "Oh! Oh!" They had beautiful, wide wings, slender necks, and a proud demeanor, heading to a warmer place for the winter. The Ugly Duckling looked enviously at the swans, imitating their "Oh! Oh!" calls, then shyly lowered his head. The swans flew further away, leaving the Ugly Duckling standing in place. How he longed to fly freely like them!
Winter arrived, and the weather grew very cold. To avoid freezing in the river, the Ugly Duckling swam back and forth every day. But he grew too tired and finally collapsed by the riverbank. One morning, a farmer discovered the Ugly Duckling. Seeing that he was still breathing, the farmer took him home and gave him to his wife to care for. The Ugly Duckling woke up in a warm room. Several children were delighted and ran over to play with him. But the poor Ugly Duckling, fearing they would bully him, hid and scattered the room in chaos. The farmer’s wife grew angry and chased him out of the house. Thus, the Ugly Duckling wandered alone all winter.
When the cold winter finally passed and the warm spring returned, the Ugly Duckling had grown much larger. He tried flapping his wings and was surprised to find he could fly. In the sky, he saw a beautiful lake with several noble swans swimming on the surface. Overjoyed, he landed carefully on the shore and slowly approached the swans. P12-14