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? Hi, friends! Are you ready for a heartwarming tale of resilience, transformation, and finding where you belong?
Today, we’re reading The Ugly Duckling, a touching #storytime about self-acceptance and inner beauty! ??
Mama Duck watches proudly as her eggs hatch—until one remains. When it finally cracks, a large, gray duckling emerges, different from the rest. Laughed at and cast aside, he sets off alone, facing harsh seasons and unkindness. But as spring arrives, he discovers something incredible—he was never a duckling at all! Now a graceful swan, he finds the acceptance he’s longed for and learns that true beauty shines from within.
? This #readalong story reminds us that growth takes time, kindness matters, and being different is what makes us special. Cozy up and join us for this timeless classic about embracing who you truly are! ✨?
Stories to Grow By is the #1 destination for bedtime stories for kids on the internet. ??
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Our videos use OpenDyslexic, a font, designed to mitigate some common reading errors caused by dyslexia.
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stories to grow by providing the best
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treasury of stories riddles for kids and
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reader theater
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[Music]
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scripts part one one by
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one once on a farm long ago a mama duck
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sat on her nest how long must I wait for
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my babies to hatch I have to sit here
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all by myself
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but what could she do a mama duck must
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keep her eggs warm till they
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hatch at last the eggs began to crack
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one yellow duckling stepped out of its
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shell then another each little chick
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shook its
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wings look at you cried mama duck with
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joy you're all so cute quack quack quack
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they said with pride come line up said
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mama duck we will go down to the lake
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for your very first swim she counted 1 2
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3 4 5 oh dear she said with a frown I
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had six eggs I should have six
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ducklings one large egg was still in the
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nest well said mama duck it looks like
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that big egg will take more time so she
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went back to sit on her nest again again
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and wait some
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more part two unlike the
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others the next day the big egg started
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to hatch out popped a baby boy
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bird yet my goodness how different this
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one looked he was much larger than the
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others he was not yellow but dark gray
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all over and after he stepped out of his
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egg he walked with a funny Wobble
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one of the yellow ducklings pointed
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what's that he can't be one of us I have
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never seen such an ugly duckling said
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another how can you say such a thing
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said mama duck in a very Stern voice you
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are only one day old your brother
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hatched from the very same nest as you
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did now line up we will go to the lake
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for your very first swim all the way the
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other ducklings quacked ugly ugly ugly
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The Ugly Duckling did not know why the
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other ducklings were yelling at him he
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fell behind to take the last spot in
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line when they got to the lake each
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yellow duck jumped in and swam behind
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mama duck when it was his turn the ugly
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duckling jumped in too and he started to
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paddle at least he can swim mama duck
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thought to
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herself when the yellow ducklings got
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out of the water and started to play the
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ugly duckling tried to play with his
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brothers and sisters they yelled at him
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go away we will not play with you you
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are ugly and you walk
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weird when mama duck was close by she
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would not let them talk this way be nice
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she would
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scold but she was not always close
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by part three get
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out one day one of the yellow ducklings
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said to the ugly duckling you know what
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you would do us a big favor if you just
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went away all of them started to quack
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go go
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away why won't they let me stay with
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them thought the ugly duckling he hung
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his head down low they must be right I
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should
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go that night The Ugly Duckling Flew
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Over the farmyard fence to the other
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side of the lake there he met two
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grown-up
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ducks can I please stay here for for a
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while said the ugly duckling I have
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nowhere else to live what do we care
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said one of the Ducks it's a big lake
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just don't get in our way woof woof
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suddenly a big hungry dog came tearing
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by chasing the two ducks they quickly
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flew up in the air and their feathers
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fell down on the ground the Poor Ugly
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Duckling froze in fear the dog sniffed
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and sniffed at the ugly duckling then it
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turned around and walked
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away I am too ugly even for that mean
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old dog said the ugly duckling in a
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sorrowful
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voice the sky turned dark
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crack a bolt of lightning lit up the sky
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then came a big storm with heavy rains
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pouring down in just moments The Ugly
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Duckling was soaked through and through
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a cold wind started to
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blow br he held both Wings close to his
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chest if only there was some place I
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could dry
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out all at once a tiny light blinked far
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off in the woods could it be someone's
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Hut The Ugly Duckling flew to the door
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quack said he the door of the Hut
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creaked
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open what is all this noise said an old
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woman looking right and left her eyes
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were not that good but she could hear
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she looked down a duck she picked up the
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ugly duckling and dropped him inside her
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Hut you might as well stay here she said
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but mind you I expect you to lay
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eggs a tom cat and hen both crept up to
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the ugly
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duckling who Do You Think You Are the
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Tom Cat hissed coming here and taking up
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room by the
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fire squawk said the hen I the only one
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around here who Lays eggs you don't know
6:01
the first thing about laying eggs you
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got that right said the ugly duckling
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I'm a boy
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duck then why are you here sneered the
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Tom Cat didn't you hear what the old
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woman said imposter get out of here
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yipped the hen go away Jered the Tom
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Cat the door was still a bit open so the
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Poor Ugly Duckling crept out the door
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and back into the storm no one ever
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wants me said the ugly duckling with a
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tear in its
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eye part four a new
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Lake the storm ended finally he found
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another Lake looking in the Water The
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Ugly Duckling saw a reflection from
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above a flock of large birds were flying
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overhead above him he turned to admire
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them they were the most beautiful birds
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he had ever seen their long body and
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slender necks winged through the sky
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with ease and Grace he watched until the
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very last one had disappeared from
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view the ugly duckling stayed at the
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lake as the days grew shorter the leaves
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turned deep red and gold and fell to the
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ground winter came setting its blanket
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of white snow the cold wind blew and the
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clouds darkened
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he had to dive into small holes in the
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ice to find fish to eat under the ice it
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was all he could do to keep paddling so
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the water wouldn't freeze around him
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trapping him underneath the
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lake he became terribly tired the ice
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got thicker still and the wind blew
7:48
harder in a moment two giant hands swept
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him up you poor things said a farmer he
7:55
held the ugly duckling close to his
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thick warm wool jacket he didn't fly
8:00
south with the others the farmer was
8:02
carrying him someplace
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where the next months were lovely warmth
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from the heat of the fire and from the
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heart of the farmer enveloped our poor
8:14
hero for the rest of the winter the
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farmer cared for the ugly
8:19
duckling part five
8:23
spring at last spring came little dots
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of green spotted the tree branches short
8:30
bright flowers popped up from the ground
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it's time for you to go back to the lake
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and swim again as you were born to do
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said the farmer he took the duckling
8:40
back to the lake where he had found him
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and set him on the water I feel good
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said the young bird flapping his wings
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why I don't think I ever felt as strong
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as I do right now spring passed then
8:53
summer the leaves started to change
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colors when one day The Ugly Duckling
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heard quiet splashing sounds behind him
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he turned around a flock of those same
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beautiful birds he had once seen winging
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through the sky now sat on the
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lake don't worry he said to the
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beautiful birds holding out one of his
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wings I'm leaving I won't make trouble
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for you when he happened to glance down
9:20
at the lake he saw a reflection in the
9:23
water that looked like one of those
9:25
beautiful birds why was the bird so
9:28
close to him he jumped back the
9:30
reflection jumped back too what's this
9:34
he thought puzzled our troubled hero
9:37
stretched his neck and strangely the
9:39
reflection of the beautiful bird in the
9:41
lake stretched its neck
9:44
too why are you leaving so soon called
9:47
out one of the beautiful birds come back
9:49
said another stay with us said yet
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another Swan we'll be
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friends then the bird who used to be the
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ugly duckling realized what had happened
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he was no longer an ugly gray bird that
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wobbled when it walked he had grown into
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a beautiful
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Swan then a dark thought crossed his
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mind you only want me because I'm a swan
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and I look like you said he that's not
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it at all said the first Swan who had
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spoken we saw you all alone down here
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and thought you might want to join us we
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don't care how birds look why take a
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look at Pelican over over
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there no one would take me for a swan
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squawked Pelican how did you end up with
10:36
them asked our hero who used to be an
10:38
ugly duckling stayed up too late the
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night before Shrugged Pelican slept till
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noon my flock took off without me was
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sure glad the swans came along when they
10:49
did thanks
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guys said the second Swan who had spoken
10:55
and there's
10:56
Egret what can I tell you said egret I
10:59
loved to ride those wind
11:01
currents then found out my entire flock
11:04
was gone by then there was no way I
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could catch up if the swans didn't come
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along and invite me to join them who
11:11
knows where I'd be
11:13
now the hero he used to be an ugly
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duckling considered these stories yet
11:18
still was
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skeptical winter may get a little cold
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on the lake he said but no one bothers
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me here and spring comes
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eventually eventually said the first one
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why suffer if you don't have to where we
11:33
fly to the sun shines hot all day long
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imagine it thick delicious Pond weed for
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as far as you can see algae Waterside
11:43
grasses the
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works I see your point admitted our hero
11:49
besides said the third Swan I bet you'd
11:52
love to fly farther than just circling
11:55
around this Lake we sure
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do another good point our hero often
12:01
imagined how lovely it would be to
12:03
stretch out and just fly fly and fly
12:06
some more the bird who used to be an
12:09
ugly duckling considered these birds may
12:12
be beautiful to look at but they are
12:14
also beautiful inside this is the flock
12:18
for
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me and so the entire flock including
12:22
their newest friend flapped their wings
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together and in one moment the flock
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took off into the Clear Blue Sky
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[Music]
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