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The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time, on a quiet little farm, a mother duck sat on her nest. One by one, her eggs began to hatch. “Quack, quack!” said the fluffy yellow ducklings as they came out. But one egg was much bigger than the others.

When the last egg finally cracked open, out came a big, gray duckling. He didn’t look like the others at all.

The other ducklings stared.

“You’re so big and weird!” one said.

“You’re not cute like us,” another whispered.

“My dear, you may not be as pretty as your siblings, but you are just as special,” Momma duck said, giving the duckling lots of love.

The gray duckling felt sad. He didn’t understand why he looked different. Wherever he went, the other animals laughed at him. The chickens clucked, the cats sneered, and the ducks waddled away. “Go away, ugly duckling!” they said.

“You don’t look like us,” said the rabbits.

“Why are you so gray?” asked the bluebirds.

So the poor duckling ran off, looking for a place where he would belong.

As autumn came, he found a beautiful lake shining in the sunlight. There, he saw a group of graceful white swans swimming on the water, their wings shining like silver.

Enchanted by their beauty, the little duckling went closer. But he stopped. He remembered how others had treated him. He was afraid the swans would laugh at him too.

To his surprise, the swans turned and smiled.

“Hello there, little friend. You are welcome to join us,” said the kindest swan.

“But I’m not beautiful likeyou,” the duckling said quietly. “I’m just an ugly duckling.”

The kind swan nodded gently. “You may think that now, but beauty is not just about looks. It’s about being kind, brave, and true to yourself. Come, let us be friends.”

With new hope and happiness, the little duckling swam into the lake. The swans welcomed him warmly. They played games, splashed in the water, and laughed under the moon.

One morning, the duckling looked into the lake—and gasped.

A beautiful creature stared back at him.

His dull gray feathers were gone. He now had bright white feathers, a long neck, and gentle eyes. He had grown into a beautiful swan—just like his new friends.

From that day on, the little duckling was no longer the “Ugly Duckling.” He had become a brave and graceful swan, ready to face any challenge that came his way. And he knew that true beauty was inside.

The End!

⭐ And so, dear little dreamer, as “The Ugly Duckling’s Tale” comes to an end. Use your imagination, let your dreams guide you, and answer the questions to uncover the secrets of “The Ugly Duckling’s Tale.” May you dream of finding friends who accept you for who you are and learning that true beauty comes from within. Goodnight, sweet little dreamer, and may your dreams be filled with the wonder of the brave swan’s tale and the joy of living happily ever after.

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Scene 1: The Playground

Narrator:

One sunny day, at the playground, Mother Duck waited.

One by one, her eggs cracked!

Duckling 1 & Duckling 2:

“Quack! Quack! Hello, Mommy!”

Narrator:

But one egg was very big.

When it cracked—out came a big, gray duckling.

Duckling 1:

“You are so big!”

Duckling 2:

“You look strange.”

Mother Duck:

“Don’t be mean. He is special too.”

Narrator:

But the gray duckling felt sad.

Scene 2: At the Playground

Cat:

“Haha! You look funny!”

Rabbit:

“You are not like us.”

Duckling 1 & Duckling 2:

“Go away!”

Narrator:

The gray duckling was very sad.

He ran away from the playground.

Scene 3: At the Park

Narrator:

The gray duckling found a quiet park.

He saw some beautiful white swans in the pond.

Ugly Duckling:

“They are so pretty.

But they will laugh at me too.”

Swan:

“Hello, little friend!

Come and play with us.”

Ugly Duckling:

“I am ugly.

I am not like you.”

Swan:

“You are kind. You are brave.

Come and swim with us.”

Narrator:

The gray duckling played and swam with the swans.

He was happy.

Scene 4: The Surprise

Narrator:

One morning, the duckling saw the water.

He looked.

He gasped!

Ugly Duckling:

“Wow! That is me?!”

Narrator:

He was not gray.

He was white and beautiful.

He was a swan!

Swan:

“You are one of us now.”

Duckling 1 & Duckling 2 (running in):

“Wow! You are beautiful!”

Mother Duck:

“I always knew you were special.”

Narrator:

The ugly duckling was not ugly anymore.

He was happy.

He was loved.

All:

“True beauty is inside!”

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Language: Short, simple sentences with lots of repetition (“You are so big!”, “He was happy.”)

Plot: Removed chickens, bluebirds, autumn/winter references, and long emotional scenes.

Setting: Changed farm & lake to playground and park (more familiar for children).

Characters: Reduced number of animals (kept only cat, rabbit, swan). Combined siblings into Duckling 1 & Duckling 2 for simplicity.

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Our group made those adaptions in order to make it easier and relatable for the young learners. Simplified sentence structure will help the pupils to understand the stories better and able to emphatise with characters.

For me, language is the most challenging to adapt. This is because we need to change the structurebut keeping the grammar right and suitable for the learners. Means, there is still new knowledege for the pupils to learn.

These adaptations will help ESL learners as it is a fun and engaging learning session where pupils can have fun innreading or acting out the story. Moreover, it will expand their vocabulary and enhances their teamwork in learning English together woth their friends.

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Why did your group make those adaptations?
Our group made the adaptations to The Ugly Duckling so that ESL learners can understand and enjoy the drama. We simplified the language by using short, easy sentences and repeated some words so students can remember them. We shortened the plot by removing extra animals and scenes, which made the story faster and easier to follow. We changed the setting to a playground and park because these are places students know well. We also reduced the characters so everyone has a simple part and clear lines to say.

Which adaptation was most challenging?

The most challenging adaptation was language. It was hard to make the sentences short and simple while still keeping the story interesting and meaningful. We had to think carefully about which words ESL students would know and which ones might be too difficult.

How will this adaptation help ESL learners perform successfully?

This adaptation will help ESL learners because the story is short, the words are simple, and the setting is familiar. Students will feel more confident to speak and act. With fewer characters and easy lines, everyone can focus on speaking clearly, showing actions, and having fun.