The Ugly Duckling

Kaye Danny

There once was an ugly duckling 
With feathers all stubby and brown 
And the other birds said in so many words 

Get out of town 
Get out, get out, get out of town 
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 
But at every place they said to his face 

Now get out of here, get out, get out, 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! 
A swan? Me a swan? Ah, go on! 
And he said yes, you’re a swan 
Take a look at yourself in the lake and you’ll see 
And he looked, and he saw, and he said 
I am a swan! Whee! 

I’m not such an ugly duckling 
No feathers all stubby and brown 
For in fact these birds in so many words said 
The best in town, the best, the best 
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! 
Not I!