The Ugly Duckling, a Fairy Tale Rewrite (IFC S1: R37 - Entry)
Once upon a time there was a tiny duckling that came out of it's shell quite later into this world. It did not look like the rest of the usual ducklings. This peculiar duckling looked nothing like it's siblings, almost as if it was a different breed.
It had gray feathers and not yellow, white, or green and brown like the rest of the ducks in the farm or in the wild. It was not any of those colors at all. From a mile away in a sea of ducks you can find it and easily pick it out from the crowd. That's how different it was and that's why it was such an easy target of anything.
Everywhere it went, with any fellow ducklings here and there, it was always feeling singled out and laughed at for it didn't quack like the rest of the baby ducks thus it felt like it never belonged in the family.
Old or young ducks and chickens made fun of it, fellow ducklings jeered at it, even quails teased it so. And the mother duck? Well it had better things to do and teach the brood than baby this one weird duckling.
One day the ugly duckling decided to waddle out into the world, feeling so pathetic that it wanted to die. Better to get away from them all, it thought, for why stay when one is not wanted and always hurt because of how it looked? Even if it felt the same as everyone else, it was looked upon like an unknown, alien species that no one ever understood, much less even try to.
So it went and travelled out from the farm. It waddled on for quite a while and finally found a river or lake out there somewhere. It waddled some more and finally at the edge of it's destination, saw it's reflection on the water again. "How ugly is this face staring back at me." Before it could try and muddle the reflection with it's beak something rustled at a bush nearby.
"Oh will you look at that." It heard a surprised sounding something from behind the tall grass. Upon turning, our little ugly duckling saw a looong and big snake emerging from the greenery, it's lovely dark scales glistening in the sun. But being that it was it's first time out in the real world, it didn't know what this slithering animal was.
"I think you're losssst." It slowly came towards the little ugly fluffy.
"Uhm, hello. I was just about to go in the water..." And float towards oblivion maybe?
"What's a preciousss and gray feathered little beauty like you doing in a place like thisss? And planning to ssswim at that..." Now it couldn't help but look straight into this stranger's slit eyes. "Don't you know that'sss where a family of crocodilesss live?"
"Huh? This creature called me a beauty?" That seemed to be the only thing the little ugly duckling heard. It just stared into the snake's hypnotic eyes as it inched closer and closer around and she, the duckling, saw the reflection of a little wide eyed, tufty and disgusting duckling looking back at her.
"Yessss my pretty, why don't you come with me and let me take care of you, away from those giant and dangerous creatures in the water that will eat you..."
And as the snake's body slowly came around the duckling, some faraway squeaking broke the duckling's fascination.
"No no, run! Don't listen to it! It's a snake! It will strangle then eat you alive!!!"
"Huh!?"
Ssshkt
The strong scaly body wrapped tight all around the little ugly duckling. But wait, it's a pretty duckling now, in the eyes of this big, long and drooling snake. The little duckling let out a high pitched honk even while the snake's embrace was getting too tight. "Oh but you are really looking ssso fine my lovely feathery friend, ssso fine I can't let you go."
"You said you will take care of me? Why are you strangling me?" The floundering little fluff was now starting to cry.
"Oh dear baby, husssh husssh." It's slit eyes looked even smaller now as it's head was super close to the crying baby duckling.
"My my, don't you know, thisss isss my way of ssshowing how I care." It's tongue flitted out of it's mouth, patting down some feather tufts.
"Come I will give you a kissss that will make you forget everything. I will make you forget you are a lovely little lost cygnet."
"Huh? You said I'm a lovely baby duckling!" It was really having a harder time to breathe now.
"Sssshhhh... Sssleep my darling baby ssswan."
"I... am... a... duck!"
And the world was plunged into darkness and pain.
Okay that wasn't how it was supposed to end, but the snake came out of nowhere and beat me to it... 😌 Such is the life in the wild...
Actually this was an unfinished story I started in 2016. I forgot about it and just saw it on my phone again last night and so wow I thought it was good timing I saw it now. Haha.
That mobile screenshot shows the entirety of the story intro, and it was like that for two years. Haha. So a few hrs ago I finally continued the story where I left off but then a snake came into the picture...
Oh boy... Think happy swimming cygnets peeps... Happy baby swimming swans.
Here's some baby swans to keep you happy. 😁 Swim back to yo' mama and be safe.
XOXO,
@artgirl
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Images from Pixabay.
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Written by @artgirl for Steemit.
© Art x Stephanie Rue
@artgirl is a freelance artist and also a sales person. If you need some art done or any research/writing requirements, feel free to contact me.
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Hahaha... The prettt ugly duckling was scammed.
I was starting to think it was a similar story i heard until the deceitful snake found its dinner
So much for snakes and their hypnotic effects
Hahaha well that snake made me lose the happy ending somewhere... It is now in it's belly. 😂
Yeah... Could you even imagine their child if they married?
Uhm, no. 😆
I don't either...
Do you like snakes?
Nope, I just made a story. That's it. Maybe you should join it too. Or some other contest.
Okay... What other contests?
Good morning
I did not expect that. Well, a snake will always be a snake. Poor duckling.
Nyahaha. 😂
Aww. I wasn't expecting that either. A sad yet very realistic ending in the sense that too often that happens in life, both in the animal kingdom and in the human one as well. A lot of multilayered metaphors there if you look! Thanks for the thought compelling and "fascinating" entry! ._.
😁😁😁
So much for secret messages eh? 😁