The ugly duckling was different from his eight siblings who were yellow and fluffy. He was teased and excluded by his family and grew up lonely. As he got older near the lake, he continued to grow larger until he was fully grown. When spring came, he discovered that he could fly and had grown wings. Some swans invited him to stay with them but he refused, still thinking himself an ugly duckling. However, the swans told him he was actually a beautiful swan just like them.