0% found this document useful (0 votes)
40 views22 pages

The Ugly Duckling: A Narrative Overview

The passage tells the story of an ugly duckling that was hated by his family and mocked by his siblings. He felt sad and lonely, so he ran away from home. He experienced hardship and misery as he was expelled from a house and later got frozen in a pond. A kind farmer eventually took pity on him and nursed him back to health. One day, he saw his reflection in the water and realized he had grown into a beautiful swan. His siblings then acknowledged him as the most beautiful of them all.

Uploaded by

brainda
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
40 views22 pages

The Ugly Duckling: A Narrative Overview

The passage tells the story of an ugly duckling that was hated by his family and mocked by his siblings. He felt sad and lonely, so he ran away from home. He experienced hardship and misery as he was expelled from a house and later got frozen in a pond. A kind farmer eventually took pity on him and nursed him back to health. One day, he saw his reflection in the water and realized he had grown into a beautiful swan. His siblings then acknowledged him as the most beautiful of them all.

Uploaded by

brainda
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Taken from

[Link]
The Ugly Duckling

Once upon a time, there was a duck. She lived in the forest.
One day she laid some eggs. After warming them carefully, the
duck waited for the eggs to hatch. As she watched, three of her
eggs cracked and three lovely ducklings came into the world.
The mother duck was overjoyed but the largest egg was
still there. The mother duck looked at it “Oh no! He can’t be my
baby. How ugly and different he is from all my other children.”,
mother duck said. The ugly duckling was hated by his brothers
and sisters. They would often mock him.
The ugly duckling felt so sad that he ran away from home
one day. Walking alone, the ugly duckling came upon a house.
As he peeped inside, he saw an old woman sitting on an idol. At
her foot sat a cat and a hen. Suddenly, the woman noticed the
duckling.
At first, the woman cuddled the duckling but the very next
moment she screamed at him in anger. “Away from here, you
ugly duckling”, she said. The duckling ran out of the house.
Once again, the poor duckling went walking sadly. He spent the
rest of his day and night crying all alone. He felt lonely and
miserable but the ugly duckling was hopeful in his heart.
Then, one day, the duckling saw a pond. His eyes lit up joy
as he had seen water after so many days. The ugly duckling
hopped of joy. He swam to his satisfaction. But his happiness
10
was short-lived. Winter has started and the cold wind has
started to blow. Due to cold weather, the pond had frozen.
Now, the ugly duckling couldn’t swim.
A little while later, a kind farmer happened to pass that
way. Taking pity on the duckling’s miserable condition, he took
him home. The farmer nursed the duckling and soon the bird
was well. Then the farmer left the duckling in the pond.
One morning, the duckling saw the beautiful swans
around him. The duckling was ashamed of himself and bent
his head low. He saw beneath the water his own reflection. It
was the reflection of a swan. He was no longer a gray, ugly
bird. The duckling was amazed. Actually, he had grown into a
beautiful swan. Those beautiful swans were his brothers and
sisters.
The ugly duckling remembered how everyone used to
ignore him. The ugly duckling now heard the swans say that he
was the most beautiful among them. Now he was no more the
ugly duckling.
Taken from [Link]

Warming Up

Directions:
1. This CSR learning log will help you to understand the text
above, you can do it in a group of five.
2. Before reading, preview the whole passage and then write
the answers in the column (knowledge & prediction). 3.
During the reading, write the answers in the clunks column
when you find a word, concept, or idea hard to understand.
After that, write the main ideas of every paragraph in the gist
column.
4. After reading, identify the most important ideas from the
entire passage and generate questions and answers about
the information in the text.

11 |
CSR Learning Log

Before reading During Reading After reading


Preview Wrap up

Knowledge: Clunks: Make Questions


What do you a list. and
know about -Ugly duckling discussion
the topic? -Mocked How could
About the -Ran away the duckling
ugly duckling -Frozen being
-Kind farmer different
-Beautiful from the
swans others?

Prediction: The gist: Review: What


What will you Write the gist did you learn?
learn? for each We should love
Not to judge paragraph ourself, we
each other and Paragraph 1: A cannot control
duck was laid everyone’s mind
accept
some eggs but we can
differences control our
Paragraph 2:
mind. We should
One of the
accept our
duckling was
difference.
ugly and
different
Paragraph 3:
The ugly
duckling ran
away from
house
Paragraph 4 :
The ugly duck
was expelled by
a woman and he
cry all the day
Paragraph 5:
The ugly
duckling got
frozen when he
swam at the
pond
Paragraph 6 : A
kind farmer save
the duckling and
nurse him
Paragraph 7:
The ugly
duckling grown
into a beautiful
swan
Paragraph 8 :
The ugly
duckling was the
most beautiful
swan among the
others
12
Exercise 1

After reading the text above, answer the following questions:


1. What is the story about? About an ugly duck that always
hated by his brother and sister

2. What is the type of text above? It is a narrative text

3. What is the purpose of the text? To entertain the reader

4. Does the text above use simple past tense as the language
Features? Yes it does
5. What is the moral value of the text? We may not give
up even if people always mocking at us.

Narrative Text

In everyday life, narration is a part of our communication


when telling a series of events that a character performs
actions. A narrative text is a spoken or written of connected
events. It tells a true or fictional story with problematic events
and tries to find resolutions to solve the problems. This story
is aimed at entertaining the readers through narrated parts of
a literary work. There are types of narrative text, namely fable,
myth, legend, and short stories.

There is a way to organize a narrative text


Orientation the opening paragraph in which the
characters of the story are
introduced (time, place, person).

Evaluation evaluating before the condition of


(optional) the story

Complication showing the problems in the story.


Resolution demonstrating the problem solved.

Reorientati containing the conclusion of the story.


on
(optional)

13 |
In a narrative text, language features should be considered
in organizing a good narrative text. As you read in the
previous text about the ugly duckling, this type of text uses:
● Past tense (e.g. climbed, turned, brought, etc)
● Adverb and adverbial phrases to show the location of
events (e.g. here, in the mountain, etc)
● Time connectives and conjunction (e.g. then, before, after,
soon, etc)
● Dialogue to elicit an emotional response from the reader
● Adjective which is noun phrase (e.g. two red apples, long
black hair, etc)

Exercise 2

Identify the organization of “The Ugly Duckling” text. After


completing this task, work with a group of six to discuss your
answers.
Organization Paragraph Main idea

Orientation Paragraph 1 & 2 There was an ugly


duck that always
mocked by his
brother and sister
Evaluation Paragraph 3&4 The ugly duck ran
from house and
crying all the day

Complication Paragraph 5 The ugly duck swim


in the pond and
freezed because of
winter

Resolution Paragraph 6&7 A kind farmer found


the duckling and
nursed him, the
duckling grown into
a beautiful swan

Reorientation Paragraph 8 The ugly duckling


being the most
beautiful swan
among others

14
Exercise 3

Read and underline past tense found in the text.

Once upon a time, there was


a
duck. She lived in the forest. One
day she laid some eggs. After
warming them carefully, the
duck
waited for the eggs to hatch. As
she
watched, three of her eggs cracked
and three lovely ducklings came
into the world. Taken from [Link] The mother duck was
overjoyed but the largest egg was still there. The mother duck
looked at it “Oh no! He can’t be my baby. How ugly and
different he is from all my other children.”, mother duck said.
The ugly duckling was hated by his brothers and sisters. They
would often mock him.
The ugly duckling felt so sad that he ran away from home
one day. Walking alone, the ugly duckling came upon a house.
As he peeped inside, he saw an old woman sitting on an idol. At
her foot sat a cat and a hen. Suddenly, the woman noticed the
duckling.

Based on the text above, mention the following language


feature use
1. Adverb and adverbial phrase
- As he peeped inside, he saw an old woman sitting on an
idol.
2. Time connectives and conjunction
- After warming them carefully
15 | -
3. Dialogue
- “Oh no! He can’t be my baby. How ugly and different he
is from all my other children.”
4. Adjective
- three lovely ducklings came into the world.
- The ugly duckling felt so sad

Exercise 4

After reading “The Ugly Duckling”, can you relate to your


real-life situation? Describe your experience similar to the
story and tell it to other classmates.
_____________________________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________________________
_ __________________________________________________________________

Types of Narrative Text

Narrative texts are basically divided into two kinds


namely factual and fiction. A factual is a kind of narrative
text that tells a true story. It is often used to recount a
person’s life story, important historical events, or new
stories. Meanwhile, fiction is a kind of narrative that tells an
untrue story. This story is made by writers such as fable,
myth, legend, and short stories. The main purpose of this
fiction is to amuse, or sometimes to teach moral lessons.

16
1.1 Fable, Myth, and Legend

Fables are stories that are passed down, with a good


lesson to be learned, and tell about animals, plants, or forces
of nature that are humanlike. A fable aims at teaching a
lesson. However, all the characters in a fable are things that
cannot normally talk. Therefore, a fable is a fictional story
that features animals, legends, inanimate objects, or forces of
nature that give human characteristics or behaviors to
animals, or objects.

Warming Up

Let’s see the picture and answer the following

questions
Taken from [Link]

1. What are the characters in the picture? A bird and an ant

2. What do you think of the relationship between these two?


They are friend

3. Can you predict what will happen from this picture? I


think one them will need help and the other will help

17 |
Exercise 5

Let’s read the story

The Ant and the Parrot

One hot day in the dry season, there was an ant


seeking some water. She looked for it everywhere but found
nothing. After a couple of hours, the ant came to spring.
However, it was a little bit hard for her to reach the spring.
She had to climb up a pile of rocks. Unfortunately, the ant
slipped and fell into the water while she climbed.
“Argh..help me, help me,” Cried the ant. A parrot saw
the ant. He flew away to save her. He dropped a leaf and let
the ant climb up there. After that, the parrot carried her away.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Parrot for helping me. I could
have sunk if you were not there,” said the ant. The parrot
smiled and put the ant to the ground safely, “See you.” He
flew back to his place.
On the other day, the ant heard the sound of a gun
shooting. She looked up to the sky and saw that the parrot
was being hunted. She ran as fast as possible to the hunter.
As the ant found the one who was shooting the parrot, she
bit one of the hunter’s feet. The hunter dropped the gun
because of the pain. Finally, the parrot was free and quickly
flew to a safe place.
Taken from [Link]

After reading the story, answer the following questions

1. What is the story about? About the parrot and ant that
helping each other

2. What are the characters? A parrot and an ant

3. What is the type of the text? Narrative text

4. Why did the ant save the parrot? Because the parrot
saved his live before
5. What can you learn from the story? We must help each
other

Exercise 6

Let’s discuss with a group of six, and identify the


organization of the story

The Lion & The Mouse

A Lion lay
asleep in
the forest, his great
head
resting on his paws. A
timid
little Mouse came
upon him
unexpectedly, and in her
fright and haste to get away,
ran across Lion's nose.
Roused from his nap, the Lion Taken from The Aesop laid his huge
paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her. "Spare me!"
begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and someday I will
surely repay you." The Lion was much amused to think that a
Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally
let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest,
the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to
free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The
Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling
in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him,
she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse.
"Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion." Taken from
The Aesop for Children

19 |
Introduction
A Lion lay asleep in
the forest, his great head
resting on his paws. A timid
little Mouse came upon him
unexpectedly, and in her
fright and haste to get away,
ran across Lion's nose.

Body Roused from his "Spare me!"


nap, the Lion laid begged the poor
his huge paw
Mouse. "Please
angrily on the tiny
creature to kill her let me go and
someday I will
surely repay
you." The Lion
was much
amused to think
that a Mouse
could ever help
him. But he was
generous and
finally let the
Mouse go.
:

Some days The


later, while Mouse knew the
stalking his prey voice and quickly
in the forest, the found the Lion
Lion was caught struggling in the
in the toils of a net. Running to
hunter's net. one of the great
ropes that bound
him, she gnawed
it until it parted,
and soon the Lion
was free.

Conclusion "You laughed when I said I would repay


you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that
even a Mouse can help a Lion."

Exercise 9
Peer Work
In this section, you have to:
1. Find a fable
2. Complete the CSR Learning Log below based on a fable you
have found
- What do you already know about the topic? (preview) -
What will you learn from the topic? (preview) - Stop and
identify any words or ideas that you do not
understand (clunks). Write your clunks in your
learning log.
- Figure out the main idea to write a brief gist statement
(gist)
- Write 3 types of questions that can be answered by
reading the passage and thinking about what you
already know. Then, identify the most important
information (wrap up)
3. Identify the generic structure
20

Taken from [Link]

Warming Up

1. Do you know this story? Yes I do


2. What is the story about? About the
giant called batara kala who is an evil
3. Who is he? An evil giant
4. Is it a fable story? No
5. Where does this story come
From? Indonesia
Taken from [Link]
Myth is a story that is descended about how or why
something came to be. These myths are generally passed on
from parents to kids, and when those kids grew up to be
parents, they would tell their kids, and so on. The myths
explain how events occurred and are set in really ancient
21 |
times before history even began. Myths are shared by groups
of people all throughout the world and become a big part of
their community. Myths are also traditional stories that
generally tell about the ancient history of a population of
people. A myth includes supernatural events and characters.
An example of myths is the Greek myths that tell legendary
stories of ancient heroes, cities, and historic events. Greek
mythology is one of the most popular myths. The myths
generally centered around various gods and goddesses.
Sometimes days were even set apart to have big celebrations
because of these myths.

Exercise 10

Let’s discuss with your partner:


What do you know about myths?
What are popular myths in Indonesia? Mention them!
What makes a story becoming a myth?
Let’s read the story of Batara Kala

Batara Kala
Once there was an evil giant. He was called Batara
Kala. He liked to kill people, especially children. His hair was
made from fire. Everybody was frightened of him.
One day, The chief of gods, Batara Guru, invited all the
gods and goddesses to drink sacred water in Paradise. The
water was called Tirta Amertasari. Anyone who drank the
water, he or she would live forever.
Because Batara Kala was not invited, he secretly flew
into Paradise and stole some of the water and drank it.
Unfortunately the god of Sun, Batara Surya, and the goddess
of Moon, Batara Chandra, knew what he did. They reported

22
what Batara Kala had done to Batara Visnu, the keeper god of
the universe.
Batara Visnu took his weapon, Cakra, and shot it at
Batara Kala. It hit him on the neck. Batara Kala’s body was
separated from head at once but his head was alive. He was
very furious with Batara Surya and Batara Chandra. He swore
to take revenge on them.
The giant, Batara Kala, then chased Batara Surya and
Batara Chandra. He swallowed them up. Fortunately, Batara
Surya and Batari Chandra could escape from Batara Kala’s
throat because he no longer had his body.
Taken from [Link]

Exercise 11

Write “T” if the statement is true and write “F” if the


statement is false. Put your answer in the provided space

F 1. Batara Kala is a generous giant.


F 2. Everyone is delighted with Batara Kala.
F 3. Batara Guru did not invite Batara Kala to Paradise.
T 4. Batara Surya and Batara Chandra informed Batara Guru
of what Batara Kala had done.
T 5. Batara Visnu compromised with Batara Kala about his
mistake.
T 6. Batara Kala was extremely angry with Batara Surya
and Batara Candra.
F 7. Batara Surya and Batara Candra were forgiven by
Batara Kala.
T 8. Batara Kala took revenge to Batara Surya and Batara
Candra.
T 9. Batara Surya and Batara Candra were attacked by
Batara Kala.
F 10. Batara Kala was swallowed by Batara Surya.

23 |
Exercise 12

Match the words that correspond to the synonym

Read the story of Medusa


Frightened = afraid
and Athena Medusa and
Sacred = holy
Athena
Furious = extremely angry

Swallowed = devour

Escape = get away


Once upon a time, there lived
a beautiful girl named Medusa.
Medusa lived in the city of
Athens, in Greece and although
there were many pretty girls in
the city, Medusa was considered the most lovely.
Medusa was very proud of her
beauty and thought or spoke
only of herself. Each day she
boasted of how pretty she was.
Medusa even boasted that she
was prettier than Athena,
goddess of wisdom, who
watched over Athens. Taken from [Link] Athena
decided to punish Medusa for her pride. “Foolish girl”,
Athena said angrily, “You think you are prettier than I am! I
doubt it to be true, but even if it were, there is more to life
than beauty alone. While others work and play and learn,
you only boast and admire yourself”.
And with those words, Medusa’s face changed to that of a
hideous monster. Her hair twisted and thickened into
24
horrible snakes that hissed and fought each other atop her
head.
“Medusa, your face is now so terrible that the mere sight
of it will turn a man to stone”, said the goddess, “Even you,
Medusa, will turn into a rock if you see your face”.
And with that, Athena sent Medusa with her hair of snakes
to live with the blind monsters, the Gorgon sisters, at the
ends of the earth.
Taken from [Link]
Exercise 13

Make a brainstorming web of

Medusa and Athena in the


provided space. Then,
answer the questions
below

Medusa and Athena

After reading the story of Medusa and Athena, answer the


following questions
1. What is the story about? About a beautiful girl who
punished by goddess of wisdom
2. Who are the characters? Medusa and Athena
3. Why did Athena punish Medusa? Because Medusa
boasted that she is prettier than Athena
4. Did Medusa live in Athens after turning into a hideous
monster? No, she lives with the blind monsters25 |
5. Who are the Gorgon sisters? Blind monsters who lived with
Medusa

Exercise 17

GROUP WORK
Make a group of four, and do the following steps:
Find a myth
Complete the CSR Learning Log
Before reading, brainstrom and predict
the chosen passage
During reading, find the gist in the
passage
After reading, make a list of questions
about the main idea and tell what you have
learned
Taken from [Link]
Discuss the similarities and differences between
fable and myth.
Share the results with other groups.
26

Common questions

Powered by AI

"The Ugly Duckling" exemplifies key elements of a fable by following a narrative structure that includes orientation, complication, resolution, and reorientation. The orientation introduces the characters—primarily the duckling and his environment . The complication arises as the duckling, different in appearance, faces rejection and mockery . The resolution occurs when a kind farmer helps him, leading to his transformative realization as a swan, and the reorientation concludes with the approval of his new swan kin, reinforcing the moral of inner beauty and self-acceptance .

"The Ugly Duckling" illustrates judgment and acceptance through the reactions of the duck's peers and community. Initially, the duckling is judged based on superficial characteristics—his different appearance—and is ostracized accordingly . This reflects society's tendency to judge based on outward appearances or conformity to norms. However, as the narrative progresses, the duckling's true nature as a swan is revealed, indicating that acceptance follows from recognizing inner qualities and true identity . The story challenges readers to consider the superficial bases of judgment and the real value of understanding and accepting differences .

The resolution of "The Ugly Duckling" teaches several moral lessons, including the value of patience and perseverance, the importance of self-acceptance, and the transformative power of hope. These lessons are applicable to real life as they encourage individuals to remain resilient and patient in the face of challenges, to appreciate their unique qualities despite external judgments, and to trust that their true potential will be recognized over time . The duckling's journey underscores that personal growth often comes from enduring difficulties and embracing one's true identity .

Throughout the story, the duckling's perception of himself evolves from feeling inferior, based on the negative perceptions of those around him, to realizing his true identity as a beautiful swan. Initially, he internalizes the mockery and rejection, believing himself to be ugly . However, after his transformation and recognition by the swans, he understands his true nature . This shift signifies that identity is a more profound and intrinsic concept than merely outward appearances, emphasizing that self-worth comes from embracing one's authentic self, not external validation .

"The Ugly Duckling" serves as an allegory for personal transformation by paralleling the duckling's journey with human experiences of growth and self-discovery across various life stages. Initially, the duckling faces rejection and struggles with identity during a stage akin to adolescence, where identity formation is critical . The period of solitude and exploration symbolizes the search for self and the external pressures to conform. Upon transformation, the duckling's realization of his identity as a swan reflects adulthood, where self-acceptance blossoms, and one's true potential is recognized, illustrating the universal journey of finding and accepting one's place in the world .

The story conveys resilience and hope by depicting the ugly duckling's perseverance despite continuous rejection and hardship. Despite being ostracized by his siblings and others, and feeling lonely and miserable, the duckling holds on to hope, which is symbolized by moments such as his joy upon finding a pond . The intervention of the kind farmer demonstrates the theme of resilience rewarded, while the eventual transformation into a swan highlights the triumph of hope over adversity, emphasizing that enduring difficult times can lead to self-realization and acceptance .

The ugly duckling undergoes a transformative journey from being perceived as "ugly" and different to realizing his true identity as a beautiful swan. Initially mocked and rejected by his siblings and others, he experiences loneliness and rejection but maintains hope . His journey symbolizes personal growth and self-acceptance, illustrating that true beauty and identity often emerge from embracing one's uniqueness and enduring life's adversities . This transformation also reflects the moral that acceptance from others often follows when one accepts themselves .

The environment significantly influences the duckling's emotional journey. Initially, the hostile environments—home and the farm—intensify his feelings of loneliness and rejection, reinforcing his perceived undesirability . As he discovers the pond and interacts with the kind farmer, these settings become pivotal in offering moments of hope and nurturing. Ultimately, the serene environment of the swan-filled pond provides the transformative setting where he discovers his true identity, playing a critical role in his emotional evolution from despair to belonging .

Secondary characters significantly shape the narrative by influencing the duckling's journey through their actions and attitudes. The dismissive attitude of his siblings initially contributes to his sense of isolation and self-doubt . The cruel rejection by the old woman he encounters reinforces his feeling of not belonging, while the compassionate intervention by the farmer facilitates a turning point, offering care and kindness that aid in his physical and emotional recovery . These interactions highlight pivotal moments that drive the emotional arc of the story and underscore themes of kindness and acceptance .

The story utilizes the past tense to create a sense of nostalgia and timelessness, making the narrative more engaging and relatable. Dialogue is employed to evoke emotional reactions, as seen when characters express surprise or discontent, enhancing character development and advancing the plot . Descriptive language, including adjectives like "ugly" and "beautiful," helps paint vivid images of the duckling's transformation and the environments he encounters, making the story more immersive and dramatic .

You might also like