Usborne Series: The Ugly Duckling( Usborne First Reading Level 4)

'..."I have six eggs," said Mother Duck. One...two....three....four....five.....six. Five eggs were smooth and small and white. But the sixth egg was 'h u g e'. All spring, the mother duck sat on her eggs, waiting for them to hatch. She waited.....and waited...and waited......' and as five ducklings cheep into the world, one after the other..... they are still kept waiting by the 'h u g e' one, which does .......eventually! But he is a little different to the rest of the brood! And as the story continues in the familiar fashion, the Ugly Duckling finds life a bit hard, sets out on his own, and finds it .....even tougher! But as the seasons change, so does the 'Ugly Duckling' ...for the better! 'The Ugly Duckling was first told by Hans Christian Andersen, who was born in Denmark in 1805. When he was young he was shy and awkward, but he grew up to be famous all over the world for his wonderful fairy tales.'