Ducks hatched in the duck. One of them was late, and apparently did not succeed. The old duck scared her mother that it was a turkey, not otherwise, but he swam better than the other ducklings. All the inhabitants of the poultry yard attacked the ugly duckling, even the poultry house pushed away from the feed. Mother at first stood up, but then also took up arms against an ugly son. Once the duckling could not stand it and ran into the swamp, where wild geese lived, acquaintance with which ended sadly: although two young gander and offered the wonderful duckling to be friends, they were killed by hunters (the hunting dog ran past the duckling - “apparently, I'm so ugly that even a dog is disgusted to eat me! ”). At night, he reached the hut in which the old woman, cat and chicken lived. The woman sheltered him, mistaking him for a fat duck, but the cat and chicken, who considered themselves the best half of the world, poisoned the new roommate, because he did not know how to lay eggs and purr. When the duckling was drawn to swimming, the chicken said that it was all because of stupidity, and the freak went to live on the lake, where everyone was still laughing at him. Once he saw swans and loved them as he had never loved anyone.

In winter, the duckling is frozen in ice; the peasant brought home, warmed up, but in fright the chick naughty and ran away. All winter he sat in the reeds. In the spring it took off and saw swimming swans. The duckling decided to surrender to the will of beautiful birds - and saw his reflection: he also became a swan! And according to the children and the swans themselves - the most beautiful and young. He did not even dream of this happiness when he was an ugly duckling.