In the royal gardens of Castle Glenmore, Mother Duck is impatiently waiting for her eggs to hatch. When the long awaited moment finally arrives, a beautiful young duckling and a handsome drake emerge, followed shortly by their less than eye-pleasing younger brother. He takes on the name Ugly, because that is what his siblings call him. He is ridiculed for his inability to do the most trivial of duck activities. Even waddling seems beyond his capability. He finds his one friend in the form of the princess of the castle, a child who has not yet grown so old that she cannot hear the voices of the animals. Much like the duckling, she is unable to do many of the things required of a princess, and her tutor complains that she shows no interest in any of her lessons. The two are in the process of forming a fast friendship when the princess verbally lashes out at the duckling in a moment of anger. Deeply hurt, he decides to leave Castle Glenmore for life in the wild. Despairing over her thoughtless words, the princess goes after him, but she must hurry, for winter is coming fast and soon she will be leaving childhood behind to become a young adult no longer able to hear the voices of the animals or even remember the days when she did.

One act; Set, castle garden and an old cottage; Time, long ago.

Another by Dubay: Just So Stories

See also: The Ugly Duckling - Musical, Plays with Animal Characters, Audience-Participation Plays and Fairytales, Folktales, and Fables