The mute swan is a symbol of beauty and elegance, thanks in no small part to the beloved fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling," about an awkward and unsightly duckling who upon growing up discovers he is actually a swan. The proverbial story is often used as a lesson in transformation and the relative nature of beauty. One glance at this swan, seen here holding a feather in a nature preserve in the Netherlands, and it"s easy to see how the idiom "graceful as a swan" came about.
Mute swan
Today in History
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Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
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Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
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Aprils full moon
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Bearded reedlings in Flevoland
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The mountain of 30,000 sakura
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Explorer of the sea
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Christmas market, St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
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A history of Vinland
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Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
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Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
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World Space Week begins
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National Mushroom Month
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Endangered Species Day
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Wanderin Wawayanda
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Flock together for Cousins Day
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Let s celebrate cephalopods
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Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
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