GRAY GANDER.  In all my life I never saw anything so ugly!

WHITE GOOSE.  He is neither duck nor goose!

PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN.  Nor duck nor chick!

TURKEY.  I’d be ’shamed to have a turkey look like that!

RED ROOSTER.  I’d allow no hen of mine to claim him!

MADAM DUCK.  Come now, come now, friends.  The poor child is not pretty, but he is good, and he can swim even better than the others.

TURKEY.  That he can swim well is nothing to me!

RED ROOSTER.  Nor to me!  He should be driven out, I say!

MADAM DUCK.  Let him alone; he is not doing any harm.

FIRST DUCKLING.  But, mother, no one will look at us if he stays with us!

MADAM Duck (thoughtfully.) Now perhaps it may turn out that way.

SECOND DUCKLING.  I’ll not walk about with him!

THIRD DUCKLING.  Nor I!

MADAM DUCK.  Well, well!  He must be uglier than I thought!

FIRST DUCKLING.  Besides, dear mother, he will not quack.

MADAM DUCK.  What is this?  Did he not quack but just a moment ago?

SECOND DUCKLING.  He turned his toes out, but quack he would not.

THIRD DUCKLING.  ’T is true, dear mother.

MADAM DUCK (to the Ugly Duckling).  Quack!  Quack now—­at once!

[The Ugly Duckling tries to quack, but chokes.  The fowls laugh and jeer at him.]

GRAY GANDER.  Ha, ha!  There’s a “quack” for you!

WHITE GOOSE.  Ha, ha!

PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN.  Ha, ha!

RED ROOSTER.  Ha, ha!

TURKEY.  Ha, ha!

MADAM DUCK (angrily).  Once more I tell you—­quack!

[The Ugly Duckling tries again; chokes.]

ALL FOWLS.  Ha, ha, ha, ha!

UGLY DUCKLING (weeping).  I’m sorry—­I’d quack if I could.

MADAME DUCK.  Ah, if you were only far away!

[Illustration:  THE UGLY DUCKLING]

FIRST DUCKLING.  I wish the cat would eat you!

SECOND DUCKLING.  I wish the swans would kill you!

WHITE GOOSE.  And they will when they see him—­you may be sure of that.

GRAY GANDER (nodding).  Aye, they’ll not suffer such an ugly creature to swim in the brook!

RED ROOSTER.  We must drive him off—­that’s clear!

(Running at the Ugly Duckling.)

Come now, out with you!

PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN (pecking Duckling).  Out with you!

UGLY DUCKLING.  Mother, save me!

MADAM DUCK.  Call not on me!

GRAY GANDER (striking Duckling with his wings).  Out with you!

UGLY DUCKLING (running to Ducklings).  Brothers, sisters, save me!

FIRST DUCKLING.  Come not to us!

SECOND DUCKLING.  We’ll not save you!

THIRD DUCKLING.  Away with you!

TURKEY.  At him, hens to peck him!  At him, geese to beat him!  At him, all of you!