In 1956, the Soviet animation studio Soyuzmultfilm produced its own 19 minutes version of The Ugly Duckling. In 1932, Yasuji Murata directed Ahiru no ko ( The Ugly Duckling), a 15-minute Japanese short animated film based on the tale. In 1936, the Fleischer brothers adapted the story for their animated short 'The Little Stranger', reversing the story by having an odd chick born into a family of ducks. The main difference between the Andersen story and the Disney version is that, in the latter, the little bird's ordeal lasts for only a few minutes, not for months. The latter film won the 1939 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons), and was the last Silly Symphony to be made. The first was produced in 1931 in black and white, and a remake in 1939 in Technicolor. Films based on the tale include two Silly Symphonies animated shorts produced by Walt Disney called The Ugly Duckling.

The tale was adapted to a variety of media. The flock takes to the air, and he spreads his wings to take flight with the rest of his new family. He is shocked when the swans welcome and accept him, only to realize by looking at his reflection in the water that he had been not a duckling but a swan all this time. He decides to throw himself at a flock of swans, feeling that it is better to be killed by such beautiful birds than to live a life of ugliness. The duckling, now having fully grown and matured, cannot endure a life of solitude and hardship anymore. The duckling spends a miserable winter alone outdoors, mostly hiding in a cave on the lake that partly freezes over. When winter arrives, a farmer finds and carries the freezing duckling home, but he is frightened by the farmer's noisy children and flees the house. He is delighted and excited but cannot join them, for he is too young, ugly, and unable to fly. The duckling sees a flock of migrating wild swans. He finds a home with an old woman, but her cat and hen tease and taunt him mercilessly, and once again he sets off alone. He wanders from the barnyard and lives with wild ducks and geese until hunters slaughter the flocks. The tale is an original story by Andersen.Īfter a mother duck's eggs hatch, one of the ducklings is perceived by the other animals as an ugly little creature and suffers much verbal and physical abuse. The tale has been adapted to various media including opera, musical, and animated film. First Collection, with three other tales by Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark to great critical acclaim. It was first published on 11 November 1843 in New Fairy Tales. ' The Ugly Duckling' ( Danish: Den grimme ælling) is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen, Andersen‘s first illustrator

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