A homely little bird is scolded and mocked because he does not resemble his duckling brothers and sisters, only to discover as he matures that he is not a duckling at all, but a beautiful swan. A young mermaid agrees to surrender her family, her home, and even her voice, for the love of a human prince and the desire for a human soul. "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Mermaid" are two of the popular tales by Hans Christian Andersen collected in this volume.