Which Hans Christian Andersen tale was first published in 1843 and follows a rejected cygnet?

Hans Christian Andersen’s tale about a rejected cygnet is The Ugly Duckling, first published in 1843. The story follows a young bird mocked because he looks different from the ducklings around him.

The bird eventually leaves the farmyard and endures a harsh winter before discovering that he has grown into a beautiful swan. Its central transformation makes the tale a familiar story about exclusion, identity and eventual belonging.

Andersen published the story in Copenhagen on 11 November 1843. It is often described as autobiographical because Andersen himself experienced poverty, ridicule and social rejection before becoming famous, although the tale should not be treated as a literal account of his life. “Ugly duckling” later became a common phrase for someone whose qualities emerge with time.