Fairy-Tale Ending

[rowyn]

Do you suppose that the ugly duckling was self-confident once he grew up and joined the other swans? Did he understand that he was a beautiful and graceful swan, and that the other swans liked him and thought well of him?

Or did he always find himself thinking, for the rest of his life, I'm still the same person I always was, and I was an ugly child so I must still be ugly now? Maybe he could tell that the other swans were beautiful, but could never think that he was. Or maybe he thought They look like me; they must be ugly, too. Maybe he thought that they were only being nice to him; they didn't really think he was beautiful. They just felt sorry for him.

Maybe he wanted to believe that things were different. That the ducklings had all been wrong about him. That he was beautiful and he belonged and his own kind loved him. But there was always that nagging doubt, lingering from those formative years of constant rejection, that memory that wouldn't let go --

I'll always be an ugly duckling.

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

I'd say that the shock of seeing that he wasn't a duckling at all but a gorgeous swan would be enough to drive the thought out of his head once and for all. And apparently all the other swans think he's a hottie, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Actually that would make an interesting follow-up society: the former Ugly Duckling having to deal with swan society, having learned duck customs all his life. And does he think that swans are beautiful or does he hold to duck standards of beauty, having considered himself ugly for a duck all his life?

Just imagine the swan courtiers snickering down their wings at the 'long lost prince'...

[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

Maybe he goes all Michael Jackson and starts doing things like dyeing his head green and getting his neck surgically shortened, until all birds agree he's the world's ugliest swan.

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[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Sorta like a Tarzan of the Apes thing with swans?

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[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Only if all the apes made fun of Tarzan for being furless and weak compared to them, if you want to use that for a metaphor!

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

For some reason, this reminds me of that red bean/ginger ice cream incident at EPCOT. =) What makes for an "ugly duckling" makes for a handsome swan. Sometimes, it just takes a suggestion to make you look at the same thing from an entirely different perspective.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

The ugly duckling, in some stories, believed that he was beautiful after all. In others, the focus is on what the others thought.

But in the best versions, the notion of superficial beauty being important fades away, and the swan goes on with life confident that what is important in life is taken care of, and that the beauty issue was a distraction. To self and to others.

Best wishes, my friend.

===|==============/ Level Head

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

It's been a long time, and I may not be recalling the details of the story too well.

But, I do recall that the Swans accepted the 'ugly duckling' as one of their own, didn't they?

Surely, if she ever felt ugly as an adult, her loyal swan friends would reassure her that that was far from the case?

I would certainly hope so.

(Besides, the one part of the story I can quote from memory is "Happily Ever After". And that's the one part of any story that I always insist is True!)

[caffeinewabbit.livejournal.com]

Very thoughtful, and very familiar.

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

PS. If she ever did begin to doubt the word of the other swans, that's where chocolate and hugs come in.

[foxcutter.livejournal.com]

Very deep, does make you think.

[prester-scott.livejournal.com]

Nailed it.

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[rowyn]

Hmmm. Good point -- he does recognize the swan in himself, before anyone else tells him.

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[rowyn]

If you go by the Hans Christian Andersen version, he does think swans are beautiful, from the moment he first sees them. Long before he realizes he is one, even. :)

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[rowyn]

Did the apes make fun of Tarzan? I never read the book. ;)

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[rowyn]

"I was raised by swans!" -- The Weekly World News

:)

Yeek!

[rowyn]

I hope not! No one deserves that. :)

Actually, baby swans do look kinda ugly ...

[rowyn]

They're not all that pretty to start out.

Of course, if the ugly duckling had been raised by swans, he would've known that's how he was supposed to look. But it does make you wonder. Would a caterpillar look longingly at butterflies, not knowing it would someday become one?

You must've seen a lot more versions of this story than I have

[rowyn]

Beauty is only feather-deep?

I could go on to do a literary analysis of the subtexts of "conformity" and "knowing one's place" in the story. But that would be annoying. :) Besides, I'd rather take it as a metaphor for anyone who's ever been repeatedly and unjustly maligned for being the way he is -- and who eventually finds there's nothing wrong with the way he is, after all, and that there are people who will accept him and love him.

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[rowyn]

Actually, the end of the Andersen story is "Then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried joyfully, from the depths of his heart, 'I never dreamed of such happiness as this, while I was an ugly duckling.'"

(And he's a male swan, not female.)

I think the other swans would support him. But I'm not sure he'd ever quite believe it. "Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud." Maybe he gets over that eventually. :)

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[rowyn]

Y'know, as a children's fairy tales go, "The Ugly Duckling" has a much better subtext than "Cinderella" or "Snow White". :)

Or swan treats?

[rowyn]

*hug*

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[rowyn]

Thank you. :)

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[rowyn]

I hope not. All things considered, I'd just as soon be wrong about this one. :/

Re: Or swan treats?

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

The world needs more hugs, chocolate and swan treats. :)

Re: You must've seen a lot more versions of this story than I have

[level-head.livejournal.com]

I agree. The "ugly duckling" was hanging out with the wrong crowd. ];-)

===|==============/ Level Head

[rowyn]

Surely, if she ever felt ugly as an adult, her loyal swan friends would reassure her that that was far from the case?

I was just looking over this post (it's from way back in February). And I got some very kind and thoughtful responses to it. But the two comments that you made were definitely the best.

Thank you, Scott. *hug*

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

I think you'll find that comes under the job description for "Loyal Swan Friend".

Now, would the lady prefer a hug, or some swan treats? :)