The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling [1843]

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)

It was lovely summer weather in the country. The yellow corn, green oats, and golden haystacks in the meadows looked beautiful. The stork walking about on his long red legs, chattered in the Egyptian language that he had learned from his mother. The cornfields and meadows were surrounded by large forests with large brown tree trunks topped with green leaves and bright blossoms. In the midst of the forests were deep pools of clear, sapphire water.

Beside the forests was a river, and close by stood a pleasant old farmhouse. From the house, one could see down to the water, where great thistles grew so high that under the tallest dark green leaves, a small child could stand upright! This wild, secluded spot formed a snug retreat in which a duck sat on a nest, waiting for her young brood to hatch.

The duck was beginning to tire of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out of their shells, and she seldom had any visitors. The other ducks much preferred swimming in the river than climbing the slippery banks to sit under a thistle leaf and talk with her. She shifted on the itchy twigs of her nest. Finally, she heard one shell crack, and then another and another, and from each came a fuzzy creature that lifted its head and cried, “Peep, peep!”

“Quack, quack,” said the mother as she stroked each soft, yellow duckling. They looked about them on every side at the large green leaves. Their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, because green is good for the eyes. “How large the world is,” said the young ducks, when they found how much more room they had now than while inside their white eggshells.

“Do you imagine this is the whole world?” laughed their mother. “Wait till you have seen the garden; it stretches far beyond that field, but I have never ventured such a distance. Are you all out?” she continued, rising. “No, the largest egg lies there still! I wonder how long this is to last; I am quite tired of it!” Then she fluffed her feathers and seated herself again on the nest.

1. How does the author help readers “visualize” the stork?

A) by telling about its nest and what its eating

B) by telling about the color of its feathers and eyes

C) by telling the size and color of its legs and how it’s talking

D) by telling what it does when it sees the duck

2. How does the author help readers visualize the meadow?

A) by explaining how each of the buildings is used

B) by describing the colors of plants and other things

C) by telling how old the trees are

D) by describing all the fish

3. Read this sentence from the text: It was lovely summer weather in the country. Which of the following best adds imagery to help readers visualize the setting?

A) It was lovely warm summer weather in the country.

B) It was a warm, summer day and the sun’s rays bathed the countryside in a soft, golden light.

C) It was nice summer weather with plenty of sunshine all over the country.

D) It was a hot summer day, so hot that the city streets were steaming.

4. Read this sentence from the text: Beside the forests was a river, and close by stood a pleasant old farmhouse.Which of the following best adds imagery to help readers visualize the place?

A) Beside the trees runs a river, and not far away is an old farmhouse.

B) Beside the forests of trees was a long river, and close by the river there was a nice but old farmhouse.

C) A bubbling river raced beside the forests, spilling its liquid over

smooth white rocks below a steep hill on which sat an old abandoned,

red farmhouse.

D) Along the sides of the forests was a rocky river, and further down the

path there was an old white farmhouse.

5. What sounds does the author use to appeal to readers’ sense of hearing?

A) cracking of the eggs

B) peeping of the ducklings

C) quacking of the mother duck

D) all of the above