It is a beautiful summer day. A mother duck sits on her eggs. She waits for her babies. One egg is very big. The eggs start to open. Small yellow ducklings come out. They are cute and fluffy. But the big egg does not open. The mother duck waits more. Finally, the big egg opens. A strange bird comes out. He is big and gray. He is not yellow like the others. The other ducks laugh at him. They call him ugly. The ugly duckling is very sad. He runs away from home. He is alone and cold. Winter comes and it is very hard. He finds food in the snow. Spring comes at last. The ugly duckling sees beautiful white birds. They are swans. He looks in the water. He sees a beautiful white swan. It is him! He is not a duck. He is a beautiful swan. The other swans welcome him. He is happy at last.
English Story (A1)The Ugly Duckling
This A1 English story is designed for beginners learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
A young duckling is different from his siblings. The other ducks call him ugly and he runs away. After a hard winter, he discovers he is actually a beautiful swan.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
3 questions
1
What color was the strange duckling?
2
What did the ugly duckling discover in spring?
3
Why did the ugly duckling run away from home?
Vocabulary
25 words from this story
