Itik betina sedang mengeramkan empat biji telurnya.

tidak lama kemudian, telur pertama , kedua dan ketiga menetaskan anak-anak itik kuning yang comel. Telur keempat masih belum menetas. Telur itu bersaiz agak besar. Akhirnya telur itu pun menetaskan seekor anak itik yang besar tetapi berbulu kelabu. Oh, Tuhan ! Kamu berbeza dengan anak-anakku yang lain. Kamu sungguh besar dan hodoh, keluh ibu itik. Pada suatu petang, ibu itik membawa anak-anaknya pulang ke reban selepas mandi di kolam. Itik-itik lain di reban itu ketawa apabila melihat anak itik yang berbulu kelabu dan hodoh itu. Mereka mematuk dan mengejarnya. Anak itik itu berasa amat sedih. Keesokan paginya, anak itik yang hodoh berjalan keluar meninggalkan reban. Anak itik yang hodoh itu membawa dirinya tanpa arah tujuan. Akhirnya, dia sampai di sebuah kawasan semak. Anak itik imenyangkakan dia selamat berada di situ. Sebaliknya, menjelang petang, beberapa ekor itik liar tiba di situ. Kuek , kuek , kuek, pergi dari sini. Kamu sungguh hodoh! kata mereka. Anak itik yang hodoh itu pun terpaksa berlalu dari situ. Hari semakin lewat dan cuaca pula semakin sejuk. Dia terus berjalan hingga bertemu sebuah pondok. Penghuni pondok itu membenarkan dia masuk. Di dalam pondok itu, ada seekor kucing dan ayam betina. Bolehkah kamu bertelur? Tanya ayam betina. Tidak, jawab anak itik yang hodoh. Jika begitu, kamu pergi dari sini! kata ayam betina dan kucing itu. Sekali lagi anak itik yang hodoh terpakasa membawa diri. Ke mana-mana sahaja dia pergi,binatangbinatang lain akan berkata, Betapa buruk dan hodohnya kamu! Apabila musim sejuk tiba, seluruh kawasan mula diliputi salji. Anak itik yang hodoh tidak tahu ke mana hendak berlindung. Akibat terlalu lapar dan letih,akhirnya dia tertidur di atas salji. Keesokan paginya, seorang petani yang baik hati membawanya pulang. Petani itu memberikannya makan. Anak itik yang hodoh itu menyangkakan bahawa dirinya selamat di situ. Pada tengah hari itu, anak lelaki petani itu membawa anak itik yang hodoh itu bermain-main di dalam air. Namun, caranya yang kasar membuatkan anak itik yang hodoh berasa sungguh takut. Sebaik berkesempatan, anak itik yang hodoh pun melarikan diri. Akhirnya dia tiba di sebuah kolam. Dia mengambil keputusan untuk tinggal di situ. Pada suatu hari, apabila dia mengibaskan kedua-dua kepaknya, dia berasa amat terkejut. Dia mendapati kepaknya begitu kuat dan bulunya sudah bertukar warna putih. Dia berasa terkejut apabila mendapati dirinya boleh terbang. Dia berpusing-pusing di udara sebelum turun ke kolam. Dia ternampak bayangnya di permukaan air lalu berkata, Wah, alangkah cantiknya! Kemudian, dia ternampak sekawan burung berwarna putih dan berleher panjang sedang berenang di kolam. Burung-burung itu memandang ke arahnya dan berkata, Kamu seekor angsa yang tampan. Marilah bermain bersama kami. Saya seekor angsa? tanyanya kehairanan.

Ya. Cuba lihat bayangmu di dalam air. Betapa cantiknya bulunya yang putih dan lehermu yang panjang itu! Anak itik yang hodoh itu berasa amat gembira. Aku seekor angsa! teriaknya. Kini dia tidak lagi dipanggil anak itik yang hodoh. Dia juga tidak akan bersendirian lagi.

English Version

The female duck is incubating four eggs. Soon after, the first , second and the third egg hatched yellow ducklings. They are very cute. The fourth egg has yet to hatch. The egg is larger. Finally the egg hatched and a large duckling came out but with a grey fluffy. "Oh, God! You're so different from the other sons. You're so big and ugly, "sighed the mother duck. One evening, mother duck leads her children back after bathing at the pond. Other ducks in the coop laughed when they saw the ducklings fluffy grey and ugly. They peck and chase. The Duckling was very sad. The next morning, the ugly duckling left the house. The ugly duckling just walked as he wished without knowing where to go. Finally, he arrived at a bush area. The Duckling thought he was safe to be there. But, by the afternoon, some wild ducks arrive there. "Quack, quack, quack, go away. You're so ugly! "They said. The ugly duckling had to walk away from there. Day was getting late and the weather was getting cold. He walked until he meet a hut. The occupants of the hut let him enter. Inside the hut, there is a cat and hen. "Can you lay eggs?" Ask hens. "No," replied the ugly duckling. "If so, you're out of here!" said the hen and the cat. Once again the ugly duckling had to go away. Anywhere he goes, others animals will say, "How bad and ugly you are!" When winter comes, the whole area began to be covered with snow. The ugly duckling did not know where to find shelter. Because of that, he is too hungry and tired, he finally fell asleep in the snow. The next morning, a good-hearted farmer took him home. The farmer gave him food. The ugly duckling thought that he is safe there. At noon, the farmer's son brought the ugly duckling to a small pool. The ugly duckling felt scared because the farmers son plays roughly with him. The ugly duckling escaped from the farmers son when he got a chance. Finally the ugly duckling found a pond. The ugly duckling decided to stay there. One day, the ugly duckling felt shocked when he starts to flap his both wings. He felt his wing and it was strong and his wing was white in colour and not grey anymore.

The ugly duckling was amazed when he found that he can fly. He fly around before he get back to the pond. The ugly duckling saw his reflection on the water and he was so beautiful. Later, he saw a group of birds like him with long neck swimming in the pond. The group of birds saw him and said You are a beautiful swan. Lets play together. I am a swan? said the ugly duckling surprisingly. Yes you are. Look at you reflection on the water. You have such a beautiful feather and a long neck. said the other swan. The ugly duckling was so happy. I am a swan! shouted the ugly duckling happily. From that moment he was no more called as the ugly duckling and he is not alone anymore.