SCENE I
TIME: one summer morning.
PLACE: the farmyard of the Moor Farm.
| MADAM DUCK. | TURKEY. |
| FIRST DUCKLING. | GRAY GANDER. |
| SECOND DUCKLING. | WHITE GOOSE. |
| THE UGLY DUCKLING. | PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN. |
| THIRD DUCKLING. | RED ROOSTER. |
[MADAM DUCK enters the farmyard with her new brood of DUCKLINGS. The other fowls approach.]
TURKEY (showing displeasure). A new brood of ducks! Look you all—a new brood of ducks!
GRAY GANDER (also displeased). As if there were not enough of us here already!
WHITE GOOSE (likewise displeased). True enough,—I can scarce find a corner for my afternoon nap!
RED ROOSTER. It seems to me, Madam Duck, that you should not have brought us a new brood this summer.
MADAM DUCK. What is that you are saying?
TURKEY. It seems to all of us, madam, that there is no room here for a new brood.
PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN. Friends, be just. Madam Duck has a perfect right to bring her ducklings here. Besides, the children are quite pretty.
MADAM DUCK. They are beautiful! You shall all see that for yourselves. Come, children, into a row with you!
[The Ducklings form themselves into a row. The Ugly Duckling is last.]
MADAM DUCK. Legs wide apart! Toes out! Now speak prettily to my old friends.
DUCKLINGS (all but the last). Quack! Quack!
MADAM DUCK. There now—are they not charming?
GRAY GANDER (looking down row). Why, yes, they all seem graceful enough—here—wait a moment! Does that last one there belong to you?
[All the fowls look at the last Duckling.]
MADAM DUCK. Oh yes! He is larger than the others and perhaps not so pretty, but—
TURKEY (interrupting). Make no excuses for him, madam. We can see for ourselves what he is.
GRAY GANDER. In all my life I never saw anything so ugly!
WHITE GOOSE. He is neither duck nor goose!
PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN. Nor duck nor chick!
TURKEY. I'd be 'shamed to have a turkey look like that!
RED ROOSTER. I'd allow no hen of mine to claim him!
MADAM DUCK. Come now, come now, friends. The poor child is not pretty, but he is good, and he can swim even better than the others.
TURKEY. That he can swim well is nothing to me!
RED ROOSTER. Nor to me! He should be driven out, I say!
MADAM DUCK. Let him alone; he is not doing any harm.
FIRST DUCKLING. But, mother, no one will look at us if he stays with us!
MADAM Duck (thoughtfully.) Now perhaps it may turn out that way.
SECOND DUCKLING. I'll not walk about with him!
THIRD DUCKLING. Nor I!
MADAM DUCK. Well, well! He must be uglier than I thought!
FIRST DUCKLING. Besides, dear mother, he will not quack.
MADAM DUCK. What is this? Did he not quack but just a moment ago?
SECOND DUCKLING. He turned his toes out, but quack he would not.
THIRD DUCKLING. 'T is true, dear mother.
MADAM DUCK (to the Ugly Duckling). Quack! Quack now—at once!
[The Ugly Duckling tries to quack, but chokes. The fowls laugh and jeer at him.]
GRAY GANDER. Ha, ha! There's a "quack" for you!
WHITE GOOSE. Ha, ha!
PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN. Ha, ha!
RED ROOSTER. Ha, ha!
TURKEY. Ha, ha!
MADAM DUCK (angrily). Once more I tell you—quack!
[The Ugly Duckling tries again; chokes.]
ALL FOWLS. Ha, ha, ha, ha!
UGLY DUCKLING (weeping). I'm sorry—I'd quack if I could.
MADAME DUCK. Ah, if you were only far away!
FIRST DUCKLING. I wish the cat would eat you!
SECOND DUCKLING. I wish the swans would kill you!
WHITE GOOSE. And they will when they see him—you may be sure of that.
GRAY GANDER (nodding). Aye, they'll not suffer such an ugly creature to swim in the brook!
RED ROOSTER. We must drive him off—that's clear!
(Running at the Ugly Duckling.)
Come now, out with you!
PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN (pecking Duckling). Out with you!
UGLY DUCKLING. Mother, save me!
MADAM DUCK. Call not on me!
GRAY GANDER (striking Duckling with his wings). Out with you!
UGLY DUCKLING (running to Ducklings). Brothers, sisters, save me!
FIRST DUCKLING. Come not to us!
SECOND DUCKLING. We'll not save you!
THIRD DUCKLING. Away with you!
TURKEY. At him, hens to peck him! At him, geese to beat him! At him, all of you!
[They all rush upon the Ugly Duckling, who escapes them, running out of the farmyard into the moor.]