"The Ugly Duckling" is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of a mother duck whose eggs are hatching. The last of her baby birds to hatch is a larger bird than the other ducklings, and the other birds and animals around on the farm consider it to be "ugly." The story is associated with Andersen's own life, and the three trials of the ugly duckling correspond to the three stages of Andersen's life. The duckling spent the winter in a marshy pond and finally, spring arrived.