

Scans of a Chinese ‘adaptation’ of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic ‘The Ugly Duckling’ are currently going viral on Weibo and Mop, with netizens expressing shock at the very Chinese twist the tale takes in this particular version.

After following the Andersen story for most of its length, the Chinese veers off slightly at the end (translation by Offbeat China):

One day, the ugly duckling felt tired. Lying down and staring at the floating clouds in the sky, he gradually fell asleep. A fat lady walked by and found him. She was delighted because she was expecting guests tonight and was worrying about what dishes to offer. She grabbed the ugly duckling and walked back home. The ugly duckling struggled and struggled. But what’s the use of struggling?

At home, the lady prepared to kill the ugly duckling. The ugly duckling struggled like crazy. He cried: “Please don’t! I’m a swan!” The lady didn’t understand a single word. She pressed him hard and killed him. “This is the most difficult duck I’ve ever handled,” she murmured.

Then, using her excellent cooking skills, she made the ugly duckling into a wonderful dish.



[Image credit: @andrea_nguyen // Via: Offbeat China, Reddit]





