Best Classic Fairy Tales for Kids, season 1

© 2023

© Text: Abel Studios, 2023

© Cover art: Abel Studios, 2023

ISBN 978-90-834501-6-2 | NUR 281

No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form by print, internet, photoprint, microfilm or any other (digital) means without written permission from the publishing house.

www.abel-studios.com

Episodes

1. The Ugly Duckling

2. The Emperor’s New Clothes

3. The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese

4. Rapunzel

5. Cinderella

6. Snow white

7. Sleeping Beauty

8. Puss in Boots

9. Peter Rabbit

1. The Ugly Duckling

It was so beautiful in the country. It was the summertime. The wheatfields were golden, the oats were green and the hay stood in great stacks in the green meadows. The stork paraded about among them on his long red legs, chattering away in Egyptian, the language he had learnt from his lady mother.

All around the meadows and cornfields grew thick woods and in the midst of the forest was a deep lake. Yes, it was beautiful. It was delightful in the country!

In a sunny spot stood a pleasant farmhouse, circled all about with deep canals, and from the walls down to the water’s edge grew great burdocks, so high that under the tallest of them a little child might stand upright.

The spot was as wild as if it had been in the very centre of the thick wood. In this snug retreat sat a duck upon her nest, watching for her young brood to hatch. But the pleasure she had felt at first was almost gone. She had begun to think it a wearisome task, for the little ones were so long coming out of their shells, and she seldom had visitors. The other ducks liked much better to swim about the canals than to climb the slippery banks and sit under the burdock leaves to have a gossip with her. It was a long time to stay so much by herself.

At length, however, one shell cracked and soon another, and from each came a living creature that lifted its head and cried: “Peep, peep!”

“Quack, quack!” said the mother, and then they all tried to say it too, as well as they could, while they looked all about them on every side on the tall green leaves. Their mother allowed them to look about as much as they liked, because green is good for the eyes.

“What a great world it is, to be sure!” said the little ones, when they found how much more room they had then when they were in the eggshell.

“Is this all the world, do you imagine?” said the mother. “Wait until you’ve seen the garden! Far beyond that, it stretched down to the pastor’s field, though I have never ventured to such a distance. Are you all out?” she continued, rising to look. “No, not all, the largest egg lies there yet, I declare. I wonder how long this business is to last? I am really beginning to be tired of it!” But for all that, she sat down again.

“Well, and how are you today?” quacked an old duck, who came to pay her a visit.

“There’s one egg that takes a deal of hatching. The shell is hard and will not break,” said the fond mother, who sat still upon her nest. “But just look at the others. Have I not a pretty family? Are they not the prettiest little ducklings you ever saw? They are the image of their father—the good for nothing! He never comes to see me.”

“Let me see the egg that will not break,” said the old duck. “I’ve no doubt it’s a turkey’s egg, or a guinea fowl. The same thing happened to me once, and a deal of trouble it gave me, for the young ones are afraid of the water. I quacked and clucked, but all to no purpose. Yes, I am right; it’s a Guinea fowl, upon my word; so take my advice and leave it where it is. Come to the water and teach the other children to swim.”

“I think I will sit a little while longer,” said the mother. “I have sat so long, a day or two more won’t matter.”

“Very well, please yourself,” said the old duck, rising; and she went away.

At last the great egg broke, and the latest bird cried “Peep, peep,” as he crept forth from the shell. How big and ugly he was! The mother duck stared at him and did not know what to think. “Really,” she said, “this is an enormous duckling, and it is not at all like any of the others. I wonder if he will turn out to be a Guinea fowl. Well, we shall see when we get to the water — for into the water he must go, even if I have to push him in myself.”

On the next day the weather was delightful. The sun shone brightly on the green burdock leaves, and the mother duck took her whole family down to the water and jumped in with a splash. “Quack, quack!” cried she, and one after another the little ducklings jumped in. The water closed over their heads, but they came up again in an instant and swam about quite prettily, with their legs paddling under them as easily as possible; their legs went out of their own accord; and the ugly grey-coat was also in the water, swimming with them.

“Oh,” said the mother, “that is not a Guinea fowl. See how well he uses his legs, and how erect he holds himself! He is my own child, and he is not so very ugly after all, if you look at him properly. Quack, quack! Come with me now. I will take you into grand society and introduce you to the farmyard, but you must keep close to me or you may be trodden upon; and, above all, beware of the cat.”

When they reached the farmyard, there was a wretched riot going on; two families were fighting for an eel’s head, which, after all, was carried off by the cat. “See, children, that is the way of the world,” said the mother duck, wetting her beak, for she would have liked the eel’s head herself.

“Come, now, use your legs, and let me see how well you can behave. You must bow your heads prettily to that old duck yonder; she is the highest born of them all and has Spanish blood; therefore she is well off. Don’t you see she has a red rag tied to her leg, which is something very grand and a great honour for a duck; it shows that everyone is anxious not to lose her, and that she is to be noticed by both man and beast. Come, now, don’t turn in your toes; a well-bred duckling spreads his feet wide apart, just like his father and mother, in this way; now bend your necks and say ‘Quack!’”

The ducklings did as they were told, but the other ducks stared, and said, “Look, here comes another brood—as if there were not enough of us already! And bless me, what a queer-looking object one of them is; we don’t want him here”; and then one flew out and bit him on the neck.

“Let him alone,” said the mother; “he is not doing any harm.”

“Yes, but he is so big and ugly. He’s a perfect fright,” said the spiteful duck, “and therefore he must be turned out. A little biting will do him good.”

“The others are very pretty children,” said the old duck with the rag on her leg, “all but that one. I wish his mother could smooth him up a bit; he is really ill-favoured.”

“That is impossible, your grace,” replied the mother. “He is not pretty, but he has a very good disposition and swims as well as the others or even better. I think he will grow up pretty, and perhaps be smaller. He has remained too long in the egg, and therefore his figure is not properly formed,” and then she stroked his neck and smoothed the feathers, saying: “It is a drake, and therefore not of so much consequence. I think he will grow up strong and able to take care of himself.”

“The other ducklings are graceful enough,” said the old duck. “Now make yourself at home, and if you find an eel’s head you can bring it to me.”

“He is too big, and ugly,” they all said. So it went on from day to day; it got worse and worse. The poor duckling was driven about by every one; even his brothers and sisters were unkind to him. The ducks pecked him, the chickens beat him, and the girl who fed the poultry pushed him with her feet. So at last he ran away, frightening the little birds in the hedge as he flew over the palings. “They are afraid because I am so ugly,” he said. So he flew still farther, until he came out on a large moor inhabited by wild ducks. Here he remained the whole night, feeling very sorrowful.

In the morning, when the wild ducks rose in the air, they stared at their new comrade. “What sort of a duck are you?” they all said, coming round him.