Then she said to the ducklings, "Now, my dears, have a good time."

But the poor, big, ugly duckling did not have a good time.

The hens all bit him. The big ducks walked on him.

The poor duckling was very sad. He did not want to be so ugly. But
he could not help it.

He ran to hide under some bushes. The little birds in the bushes were
afraid and flew away.

* * * * * * *

because house would
away hard lived

"It is all because I am so ugly," said the duckling. So he ran away.

At night he came to an old house. The house looked as if it would fall
down. It was so old. But the wind blew so hard that the duckling went
into the house.

[Illustration: THE UGLY DUCKLING FINDS THE OLD HOUSE.]

An old woman lived there with her cat and her hen.

The old woman said, "I will keep the duck. I will have some eggs."

* * * * * * *