Page 22 - English Reader - 4

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The Ugly Duckling
The Ugly Duckling

Warm-Up
Warm-Up
Given below are birds that can float on water. Name them.

_______________ _______________ _______________

Mother Duck was sitting on her eggs. After a few days, the eggs began to crack one by
one and the little chicks came out of the eggs. But when Mother Duck got up, she saw

that the largest egg had not yet hatched. So, she sat on it again.

She sat on it for many days and at last the egg burst, and out tumbled the last duckling.
Mother Duck was taken aback when she saw that the chick was not yellow and fluffy
like the others, but was grey and ugly!

“He looks different from the others,” she said,

“But he is big and well-built.”

The next day, Mother Duck went down to
the pond with her little ones and, splash! She
jumped into the water. One by one, all the

ducklings jumped after her.

“Quack, quack!” said the Mother Duck, feeling
very proud of her brood as she went round the
pond.

“Those are fine children,” said an old duck that

was passing by, “all except that one,” she said pointing to the grey duckling.
“He may not be handsome,” said Mother Duck, “but he is very smart and he is a good

swimmer.”

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