The Ugly Duckling & Tortoise and the Hare

Corbian/Lightwire Theater from New Orleans, LA

Suitable for grades K through 4

Running time is approximately 1 hour

The Ugly Duckling: Through art, science and technology, the characters of The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare come to life! And….so do many points of discussion for the classroom. Of the five eggs in Mother Duck's nest, one is the largest and last to hatch. Bigger and paler than the others, this last hatchling is treated as an outsider by Mother Duck and her ducklings. He may be the best swimmer of the brood, but this alone is not enough to ensure his acceptance. Knowing only rejection, this Ugly Duckling goes out into the wild alone. Reflecting upon his plight under the glow of a remote willow tree, he sees a wily cat creeping in the direction of Mother Duck's nest. The Ugly Duckling follows and watches as one lagging duckling is captured and taken back to the cat's lair. In true heroic fashion, this Ugly Duckling succeeds in vanquishing the cat and rescuing the captured duckling. Celebrated by Mother Duck and her ducklings for his uniqueness, all realize that he may have been an ugly duckling, but he has grown into a beautiful and powerful swan.

The Tortoise and the Hare: Ridiculed by the Hare, the Tortoise challenges him to a race. They set off and the Hare takes a commanding lead right away. Thinking he will win easily, the Hare allows himself to be distracted with many modern day activities; texting, video games and the paparazzi, of course. The Tortoise continues to trudge along at his methodical pace and, despite the fact that the Hare is a swifter creature, wins the race due to his discipline and fortitude.

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Study guide click here

Made possible with funding from the NYS Council on the Arts, Dutchess County Arts Council, TD Bank Foundation, The Beechwood Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, Target, Stewart’s, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, Louis Greenspan Charitable Trust, Klock Foundation, Millbrook Tribute Garden, Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc., Prestige Automobiles of Kingston, Toyota Dealer Match Program and Rhinebeck Bank.