Part Two I: The Summary
The Ugly Duckling
By: Jihoon Kim
The ephemeral, tranquil sunrise was greeted with a salvo of breeching of eggs. All
the eggs but a prodigious, sable egg did not hatch. The crestfallen mother sits on the
unbroken egg to give the egg more warmth. 1, 2, 3, consecutive hours sluggishly rolled by. At
last when the egg hatched, out came an appalling young “duck.” Unfortunately, and soon
enough, the ugly duckling was manifest proof this duckling did not belong here. The
frightened duckling mother continuously attempts to formulate numerous logical excuses to
cease ghastly stories of the ugly duckling.
At last, after a long period of brutal harassment and bigotry, the duck is coerced to
leave the family. The ugly duckling treks though many adversities as a vagabond, and barely
survives though the entire summer and fall. One extremity is when he is incapacitated by a
frigid pond.
Miraculously rescued by an amiable human being, the elderly human soothes his
detriments gingerly, with infinite care. Furthermore, as days slides pass, the duckling
meanderingly thinks over if he genuinely belongs here. He instinctively knows that he
respectively does not belong there and has to enter the wild once more.
Relinquishing his food, shelter, and his rescuer, the ugly duckling leaves toward his
fate, or his destiny.
The Ugly duckling saunters to a pond where elegant white swans are swimming.
Despite the fact that he has to risk the contingency of being killed, he headstrongly advances
ahead. To his own amazement, the swans ecstatically accept him as an authentic member of
the swans. Gazing at his own reflection in the pond, he sees himself, too as a graceful swan.
The swans proclaim that he is the most beautiful of them all.
Now, he has thoroughly realizes that all his suffering has come to a content ending.
At this pivotal moment, he has learned 2 essential aspects:
1. Do not judge a book by its cover.
2. Never underestimate a person, subject, or an animal.
Part Two II: Early Memories
Initially, my beloved Mother read this life teaching book, “The Ugly Duckling” to
me. She would almost, daily read this book, “The Ugly Duckling” to constantly remind
me to mind numerous life lessons during my childhood. When I first heard of it, I was
approximately 5, the normal and typical age where children grow preliminary
independence and feasibly, stereotypes.
At that age, I primarily inferred that appearance was literally everything. I had utterly
had no notion if internal characteristics mattered. The first aspect I used to urge to ask
about was first, their true appearances. Ideal loyalty, bravery, kindness was a just a
typical apparition that was disdained by me. As one famous adage proclaims proudly that
appearance is not lethal:
"The Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but The Lord
looks on the heart."
This “collection of venerable papers”, “The Ugly Duckling”, came from the
distinguished author, Hans Christian Andersen, in Denmark, 1844. When my Mom first
introduced me to this book, I was in the Santa Monica, with my relatives near the windy
coast of California.
I was introduced this book when I was scolded by my Mom after I mocked and
showed aggression to a guest. My Mom brought up this book, “The Ugly Duckling” by
Han Christian Andersen which was an extremely cryptic book to be rightfully taught that
appearance did was not crucial. During reading the book, this ratified that the book can
easily overturn the reader’s mood from happy, to crestfallen. Imagine this. If you emerge
from an egg and was unexpectedly tormented, how would we feel? For example, one part
of the book said that “He is so big and ugly.”
After I gleam back in my younger days, I acquired that the actual reason that I
remember this book was because of the essential lessons and elements it clearly
contained. As slowly experiencing adolescence, it is apparent that this book molded me,
as a human which I am today. My characteristics, my kindness, and my mere way of
thinking.