THE BOOK

In his fairy tale "Den grimme Ælling" The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Andersen tells the story of a duckling who, ostracized by his family, sets out on a journey for belonging. He finds a flock of swans whose beauty seems unattainable, followed by various animals who reject him. When he can’t take it anymore, he seeks exile, and suffers a long, hard winter alone. Deciding death would be better, he flings himself at that flock of swans—only to be accepted by them. Seeing his reflection in the water, he realizes that at some point, he had become a beautiful swan.

It was first published on 11 November 1843 so you’ll see this appear in some of the designs.