This bilingual English–Spanish retelling of The Ugly Duckling is a clear and practical way for beginners to build real Spanish skills through reading.
Each English sentence appears with its Spanish translation, so readers can follow the story easily while understanding new Spanish words directly in context.
The short, simple sentences and repeated structures make it ideal for Spanish immersion at home, helping kids and adults strengthen vocabulary, improve comprehension, and get used to real Spanish sentences instead of isolated word lists.
Story-based learning like this turns Spanish into something the brain can remember and reuse naturally.
Enjoy this free bilingual story!
The Ugly Duckling
El Patito Feo
A mother duck waited for her eggs to hatch.
Una mamá pata esperaba que sus huevos se rompieran.
One by one, the eggs cracked open.
Uno por uno, los huevos se abrieron.
Little yellow ducklings popped out.
Pequeños patitos amarillos salieron.
But one egg was very big.
Pero un huevo era muy grande.
It took a long time to hatch.
Tardó mucho en abrirse.
Finally it cracked.
Finalmente se rompió.
A gray duckling stepped out.
Un patito gris salió.
He was bigger than the others.
Era más grande que los demás.
He did not look like his siblings.
No se parecía a sus hermanos.
The other ducklings laughed at him.
Los otros patitos se rieron de él.
“You are too big.”
“Eres demasiado grande.”
“You look strange.”
“Te ves extraño.”
The gray duckling felt very sad.
El patito gris se sintió muy triste.
He left the farm to find a place where he belonged.
Se fue de la granja para encontrar un lugar donde perteneciera.
He walked through the woods.
Caminó por el bosque.
He slept in cold fields.
Durmió en campos fríos.
The wind was strong.
El viento era fuerte.
Winter came.
Llegó el invierno.
Snow covered the ground.
La nieve cubrió el suelo.
The gray duckling shivered from the cold.
El patito gris temblaba de frío.
A kind farmer found him.
Un granjero amable lo encontró.
The farmer took him inside.
El granjero lo llevó adentro.
He fed him warm food.
Le dio comida caliente.
The duckling grew stronger.
El patito se hizo más fuerte.
When spring arrived, he returned to the lake.
Cuando llegó la primavera, regresó al lago.
The sun was warm.
El sol estaba tibio.
Flowers bloomed everywhere.
Las flores florecieron por todas partes.
The duckling saw a group of beautiful white birds.
El patito vio un grupo de hermosas aves blancas.
They had long necks and soft feathers.
Tenían cuellos largos y plumas suaves.
They were swans.
Eran cisnes.
He felt afraid to go near them.
Sintió miedo de acercarse a ellos.
“They will laugh at me too.”
“También se reirán de mí.”
But the swans swam toward him gently.
Pero los cisnes nadaron hacia él con suavidad.
One swan looked at him kindly.
Un cisne lo miró con amabilidad.
“You are not ugly,” she said.
“No eres feo,” dijo.
“Look into the water.”
“Mira en el agua.”
The duckling looked at his reflection.
El patito miró su reflejo.
He gasped in surprise.
Jadeó sorprendido.
He was not a gray duckling anymore.
Ya no era un patito gris.
He had grown into a beautiful white swan.
Había crecido hasta convertirse en un hermoso cisne blanco.
His wings were wide and strong.
Sus alas eran anchas y fuertes.
His feathers shone in the sunlight.
Sus plumas brillaban bajo el sol.
The swans welcomed him into their group.
Los cisnes lo recibieron en su grupo.
He finally felt at home.
Finalmente se sintió en casa.
Children came to the lake and pointed happily.
Los niños fueron al lago y señalaron con alegría.
“Look at the new swan.”
“Miren al nuevo cisne.”
“He is the most beautiful of all.”
“Es el más hermoso de todos.”
The ugly duckling was ugly no more.
El patito feo ya no era feo.
He was proud.
Estaba orgulloso.
He was loved.
Era querido.
And he lived happily with his new family.
Y vivió felizmente con su nueva familia.
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