He fluttered slowly to the ground and paused for a few minutes and while he was gazing about him, there walked slowly by a flock of some beautiful birds. Fascinated, he watched them one by one step into the canal, and float quietly upon the waters.
'I will follow them,' said the duckling to himself; 'ugly though I am, I would rather be killed by them than suffer all I have suffered from cold and hunger, and from the ducks and fowls who should have treated me kindly.' And flying quickly down to the water, he swam after them as fast as he could.
When they saw him coming, some of the younger ones swam out to meet him with cries of welcome, which again the duckling hardly understood. He approached and turning to one of the older birds, he said:
'If I am to die, I would rather you should kill me. I don't know why I was ever hatched, for I am too ugly to live.' And as he spoke, he bowed his head and looked down into the water.
Reflected in the still pool he saw many white shapes, with long necks and golden bills, and, without thinking, he looked for the dull grey body and the awkward skinny neck. But no such thing was there. Instead, he beheld beneath him a beautiful white swan!
'The new one is the best of all,' said the children when they came down to feed the swans with biscuit and cake. 'His feathers are whiter and his beak more shiny than the rest.' And when he heard that, the duckling thought that it was worth while having
undergone all the persecution and loneliness that he had passed through, as otherwise he would have never known what it was to be really happy.
