there once was an ugly duckling with feathers all stubby and brown and the other birds said in so many words get out of town get out get out get out of town and he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack in a flurry of eiderdown that poor little ugly duckling went wandering far and near but at every place they said to his face now get out get out get out of here and he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack and a very unhappy tear all through the wintertime he hid himself away ashamed to show his face afraid of what others might say all through the winter in his lonely clump of wheat till a flock of swans spied him there and very soon agreed you re a very fine swan indeed a swan me a swan ah go on and he said yes you re a swan take a look at yourself in the lake and you ll see and he looked and he saw and he said i am a swan whee i m not such an ugly duckling no feathers all stubby and brown for in fact these birds in so many words said the best in town the best the best the best in town not a quack not a quack not a waddle or a quack but a glide and a whistle and a snowy white back and a head so noble and high say who s an ugly duckling not i not i 