short stories with author and summary
Answers
'The Ugly Duckling' is one of Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairytales. With a powerful message about self-image and acceptance, the story is valued for its ability to teach children the importance of kindness to others. This lesson gives you a brief plot summary and analysis, discusses the story's major characters, and finishes with a quiz to test your knowledge.
Introduction to the Ugly Duckling
Think of a time in your life when you felt left out or different; maybe you were the new kid in your school or your neighborhood, or the only person of your cultural background in your class. Maybe you can remember being teased for wearing glasses or braces, or for not being the best at kickball. These are all life experiences that teach us important lessons about acceptance and kindness towards others, and one of the most famous examples of such a lesson in children's literature is Danish storyteller Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale 'The Ugly Duckling,' published in 1843.
Story Summary
The story tells of a plain-looking little bird (the Ugly Duckling) born in a barnyard. His brothers and sisters as well as the other birds and animals on the farm tease him for being plain and ugly, so he runs off to live with a flock of wild ducks and geese until hunters shoot down the flock. Alone again, the Ugly Duckling finds a home with an old woman, but her cat and hen also tease him, so he doesn't stay there long.
In his wanderings, the Ugly Duckling comes across a flock of migrating swans, and he wishes to join them but can't because he's too young and can't fly well enough. When winter sets in, a farmer rescues the Ugly Duckling, but the farmer's children and other animals frighten him with their noise and teasing, so again, he flees. He spends a cold and lonely winter hiding in a cave until springtime, when the flock of swans comes to the lake near his hiding place.
When the Ugly Duckling approaches the swans, he's delighted to find that they accept him and treat him like one of them. When he looks at his reflection in the lake, he realizes, to his astonishment, that he's matured into a beautiful swan himself. When the swans fly off from the lake, he spreads his wings and joins them, finally having found a family who accepts him.
Story Analysis
'The Ugly Duckling' is a popular story about personal transformation and self-image. It is sometimes said that Anderson wrote the story based on his own experiences as a boy, being teased for the shape of his nose and facial features and for his social awkwardness. However, like the Ugly Duckling's transformation from plain to beautiful, Anderson grew up to be a world-famous author.
Characteristic of the fairytale story, Anderson's tale shows a character overcoming a challenge and miraculously arriving at a happy ending. The Ugly Duckling's transformation might not be magical in the same way we think of magic in stories like 'Cinderella'; there's no fairy godmother waving a wand to make the Ugly Duckling beautiful, but the magic is in his self-discovery and how much being loved and accepted alters his appearance as much as his natural growing up.
Part of the duckling's struggle comes from the treatment he receives from others, but also from the fact that he simply accepts their perception of him and doesn't realize, until he gets a good look at himself, how truly beautiful and wonderful he is. While he transforms into a beautiful swan on the outside, the real transformation occurs inside him; only when he finds a group who accepts him at face-value does he have the courage to examine his own reflection. The moral of the story teaches us to accept one another no matter how different we might appear.
Answer:
One of the Danish storytellers Hans Christian Andersen's most well-known fairytales is "The Ugly Duckling." The tale, with its strong message of self-acceptance and self-image, is prized for its capacity to instill in young readers the virtue of being nice to others. The main characters in the story are covered in detail, and this session concludes with a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
Explanation:
Introduction to the Ugly Duckling:
Consider a point in your life when you experienced feelings of exclusion or difference; perhaps you were the new child in school or neighborhood or the only student from your cultural background in your class. Perhaps you can recall being made fun of for having braces or spectacles, or for having poor kickball skills. All of these experiences in life teach us valuable lessons about accepting people and being kind to them. One of the most well-known stories for children is the fairytale "The Ugly Duckling" by Danish author Hans Christian Anderson, which was first published in 1843.
Story Summary:
The Ugly Duckling is a plain-appearing baby duck that was born on a farm, according to the legend. He rushes away to live with a flock of wild ducks and geese until hunters kill the flock because his siblings and the other birds and animals on the farm ridicule him for being plain and unattractive. The Ugly Duckling, who is once more alone, finds a home with an elderly woman, but she teases him, and he leaves quickly.
In his wanderings, the Ugly Duckling encounters a group of swans that are migrating, but he is unable to join them since he is too young and unable to fly well enough. When winter arrives, a farmer saves the Ugly Duckling, but the children and other animals of the farmer frighten him and cause him to escape once more. Until the group of swans arrives at the lake close to his hiding location in the spring, he spends a cold and lonely winter hidden in a cave.
The Ugly Duckling is happy to discover that the swans accept him and treat him like one of them when he approaches them. To his surprise, he discovers that he has developed into a lovely swan as he looks at his reflection in the water. He opens his wings and follows the swans as they leave the lake, having at last found a family that will welcome him.
#SPJ2