Is the ugly duckling a folk tale?

Answer 1

'The Ugly Duckling' is a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, about a baby bird whose egg rolled into a duck's nest and so, when he hatched, he lived as a chick with ducks who bullied and teased him and finally abandoned him to a cold and lonely winter. He survives all this and when spring arrives the despised duckling finds it wasn't a duck at all, but a glorious and graceful swan, the most beautiful of all the birds.

Some think of the story as a fable but the author considered it a fairy tale, and he should know - he wrote it.

The story isn't considered a folk tale; there's no folk history behind it, and Andersen said that it was his own autobiography; it reflected his own childhood, when he suffered bullying and teasing from the other children, but grew up to become beloved worldwide for his stories: they strike a chord in most of us about experiences of our own or of others.

Answer 2

Yes, "The Ugly Duckling" is a folk tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of a duckling who is mocked for his appearance but eventually grows into a beautiful swan, teaching the lesson of acceptance and self-worth.

Answer 3

Something Ugly being grown into something attractive- does tie into the Theory of Opposites , or Yin-Yang concept in Taoism.

Answer 4

The Farmer who take care the ugly duckling.