Hans Christian Andersen’s 1843 tale about a duckling mocked for looking different is “The Ugly Duckling.”
The story follows a young bird rejected by the creatures around him because he appears unlike the other ducklings. After enduring ridicule and isolation, he grows into a beautiful swan. The revelation changes how readers understand his earlier suffering: he was not an unattractive duck, but a swan raised in the wrong setting.
Andersen published the tale in 1843. It is often treated as an autobiographical allegory because Andersen experienced poverty, social insecurity, and criticism before becoming successful, although the story should not be read as a literal account of his childhood.
The tale has given English the familiar phrase “ugly duckling” for someone whose qualities emerge later. Its message concerns identity, belonging, and transformation.