She hadn’t always had the longest neck, and she hadn’t always been the plumpest, or the quietest, but that was who she was now: the ugly one. When she glared at her reflection in the murky water, she always felt the urge to cry, but she never did. She probably wouldn’t even be able to do that right, she thought to herself. She was useless, and everybody knew it. Even her mother seemed to realise the ugly truth.

Upon finishing school one day, she watched longingly from the classroom window, as she viewed all of the more stylish, and prettier ducks leaving in their groups. How she wanted to be with them, to be one of them. They laughed, and joked, and then laughed even harder. She sat there waiting for them to leave, so that she wouldn’t have to show them her out of proportioned wings, or her overly webbed feet. It was simply more pleasant for them if they didn’t have to see her.

Each outburst of giggles made it harder. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d spoken to one of them, but still they spoke about her, she knew that much for sure. She heard, and remembered, every single word they said – chants of “big beak” and “fat feather” followed her from the moment she left in the morning, to the very second she managed to slam the door shut.

Each day she dreamed of leaving, of growing up and moving to the other side of the pond. There were plenty more ducks in the world, she said silently to herself. Surely they can’t all hate me?

Life seemed to become harder and harder for her, and each day she felt more lonely. One day she decided that she would try to swim to the other side of the pond, to escape from the constant teasing and mockery. As she swims she tries her hardest to avoid looking at the water, scared that her ugly reflection will just make her want to give up.

After two days of constant swimming she begins to tire. She stays still for just a second, but spies her own reflection in the pond. She decides that she must escape from the ghastly sight which she glances upon, and to get away from her reflection she must get out of the pond, continuing her search for the other side by foot.

As she waddles, she quickly begins to walk through a forest, hoping that she will be able to hide from any other ducks who could be swimming in the same direction. She meanders deeper and deeper through the forest until she finds a small cottage. She pads around the outside of this little house, before walking up to the berry red door. The door opens, and she is lovingly welcomed by an old woman. Oh how lovely, the little lady cried aloud, for she had no children and lived perfectly alone, except for her one cat, who had only one eye, and looked more than slightly worse for wear. The little duckling looked around and quacked excitedly, for nothing in the room was right, and everything looked wrong. She belonged here. It was ugly here, and she was hideous.

She stayed with the ancient wonky-eyed lady for two days, but soon felt sad, as she began to feel that she didn’t really fit in. She loved the women ever so dearly, but this was not enough to make her stay, for she hadn’t finished her adventure to the other side of the pond. One morning, she packed a small package of bread before making her way back through the unwanted forest.

She soon found herself near the water; however it was becoming much colder, as winter threatened the warming summer sun. The pond was frozen, and it burned her feet to walk across the iced water. Every step she took crippled her and all she wanted to do was return home. Winter passed slowly for the poor little duckling; however it did pass, and with the weak spring sun came a new determination to reach her destination. She began to swim quicker, and with this her feet seemed to gain strength.

One day she was paddling through the water when her eyes beheld the most beautiful bird she had ever seen. His feathers reflected the bright white sun, and his long orange beak flashed brilliantly from within his majestic plume of feathers. As she was gazing at him he glanced across at her, and she was suddenly embarrassed to be seen by such a graceful and elegant swan. She shamefully held her head down, forcing herself to stare right at her monstrous reflection, but she could see only him. She looked around, shocked that she couldn’t see herself in the cool water. She noticed that he was still watching her, and as she once again lowered her eyes from his gaze she suddenly understood: she was him, or at least looked like him.

In the long winter months she had transformed from the lonely, ugly duckling to a pure, white swan. She smiled, and for the first time she felt completely at one with herself. As she brought her head up from the water she viewed him gliding towards her. For just one second she thought of her childhood. It had been cruel, harsh and unnecessary, but she had got through it, and she had found someone who didn’t hate her. Perhaps he could even love her.

They lived in perfect harmony, each adored the other equally, and ten years on, ducks all over the pond still speak of the ugly duckling who transformed into the most beautiful swan. Many even say that their cygnets are even more beautiful, and even more striking than their mother.

Inside every duckling is a swan waiting to escape.