There once was an ugly duckling
With feathers all stubby and brown
And the other birds in so many words said
Quack get out quack, quack get out quack, quack get out of here.
And he went with a quack
And a waddle and a quack
In a flurry of eiderdown.
That poor little ugly duckling
Went wandering far and near
And at every place they said to his face
quack get out of here.
Quack get out quack, quack get out quack, quack get out of here.
And he went with a quack
And a waddle and a quack
And a very unhappy tear.
All through the wintertime he hid himself away
Ashamed to show his face, afraid of what others might say
All through the winter in his lonely clump of wheat
Till a flock of swans spied him there and very soon agreed.
You’re a very fine swan indeed
Who? Me, a swan?
And he looked and he saw and he said
I’m not such an ugly duckling
No feathers all stubby and brown
For in fact these birds in so many words said
Quack The best in town, quack the best quack, quack the best quack, quack the best in town
Not a quack, not a quack
Not a waddle or a quack
But a glide and a whistle
And a snowy white back
And a head so noble and high
Say, "Who’s an ugly duckling?" Not I