Once upon a time, beneath a bright blue sky, there lay a peaceful farm beside a quiet lake. Spring breezes drifted gently through the air, rustling the leaves and carrying the scent of fresh grass. Hidden among the reeds near the water, a mother duck sat patiently on her nest, warming her eggs. At last, the long-awaited day arrived, and one by one, the eggs began to hatch. Tiny ducklings emerged, soft and yellow, each as sweet and delicate as the next.
One egg, however, was much larger than the others and remained unbroken long after the rest had hatched. When it finally cracked open with a loud snap, a strange-looking duckling appeared. It was gray, awkward, and far less fluffy than its siblings. The other ducks immediately began to whisper.
“Just look at it,” they murmured. “How odd it looks! It’s nothing like the others.”
Although the mother duck tried to protect her unusual chick with kindness, the animals around the farm continued to mock it. They called it ugly and treated it as if it didn’t belong. The young bird did its best to endure the teasing, but being rejected day after day caused deep pain.
“Why am I like this?” it wondered sadly. “Why am I so different?”
With each passing day, it felt more alone and out of place.
Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, the little bird decided to leave. It crossed the lake and wandered far away, hoping to find somewhere it could truly belong. The journey was difficult. Dark, cold days in the forest tested its strength, and long nights were filled with hunger and loneliness. Still, deep inside, a small spark of hope refused to fade. When spring returned once more, the weary traveler rested beside another lake.
At that moment, a group of swans glided gracefully onto the water. Their white feathers shimmered, reflecting the sky like living stars. Drawn to them, the lonely bird looked down into the water—and froze. Staring back was not a gray, awkward creature, but a magnificent swan with a long neck and brilliant white wings. It could hardly believe its eyes. It had never been a duck at all; it had been a swan from the very beginning.
At last, it felt free, confident, and beautiful. Remembering all it had suffered, it understood that those hardships had led it to discover its true self. No longer ugly or alone, it spread its wings and rose into the sky, leaving pain behind and embracing peace. Thus, the swan’s story ended not in sorrow, but in a beautiful new beginning.