Member-only story
The Ugly Duckling Isn’t Ugly
Turns out cygnets are cute as heck.
I’m sorry to shatter any childhood illusions but it’s time to grow up and face reality. The popular children’s story and song is based on lies. The entire premise is faulty. The titular “ugly duckling” from the story is shunned as ugly until he grows up and realizes he is a beautiful swan. The only problem is cygnets are adorable.
It’s a great story, and one of my childhood favorites. With three older brothers who did everything bigger, better, and faster than me and a baby sister who was effortlessly cuter than I could ever hope to be, I identified with that ugly duckling immediately and completely.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a swan lurking inside of my ugly self.
It’s a classic hero’s journey tale. Our hero is born into a world where he doesn’t quite belong. He leaves home facing many trials along the way. He finds some companions but all fail him in some way or another and in the end, he must stand alone.
At his darkest moment when he thinks all hope is lost, he risks it all to join a flock of swans fully expecting rejection.
“I shall fly near these royal birds, and they will peck me to bits because I, who am so very ugly, dare to go near them. But I don’t care. Better be killed by them than to be nipped…
