The Beautiful Duckling is a children’s story that I found online, written by Orsola. It’s a tale of maternal love that tells how Mama Duck, upon hearing that her duckling was being laughed at for not swimming well, patiently taught him to overcome his fear of water.
This story is recommended for children in early elementary school and young ones in kindergarten. We offer this story for online reading and also in an illustrated PDF version with a coloring page, which can be printed for free.
Children’s Story – The Beautiful Duckling
One spring morning, Mama Duck, surrounded by friends, was watching Eloise, Rebecca, and Amos. Amos had unusually blue eyes and, despite his clumsiness, was very handsome. Eloise never left her mother’s side. Rebecca, the most lively, was at the front of the line. Amos protected and loved his sisters but was afraid of water. He didn’t swim very well, was awkward, and timid. He would stay in the water for only a few minutes before rushing back to his mother, who watched them from the yard.
The cat Eros, with the cat Bea, commented: “He might be handsome, but he can’t swim.”
“Poor thing, something is wrong with him,” Bea concluded, “there were unpleasant rumors on the farm about a strange disease, maybe made up, called ‘peperitis’ that makes ducks afraid of water.”
On Mother’s Day, while Mama Duck was celebrating with her friends, she heard Donald Duck singing: “Amos is sick! He has ‘peperitis’, he has ‘peperitis’!”
Filled with anger and desperation, she jumped into the water and began to demonstrate for Amos.
“With confidence, look ahead, Amos. We all feel fear sometimes, no one is perfect. Be happy: you are very loved by your sisters.”
Amos imitated his mother and overcame his fear.
Now, he was not only handsome and loved but also proud to be a duck. He had conquered a silly fear that made him sad. The most beautiful gift for Mother’s Day, for Mama Duck, was helping Amos overcome his fear.
