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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A star blows a bubble
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It s International Jazz Day
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Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, England
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Flying high on National Bird Day
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National Trails Day
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Red-leaf hunting in Japan
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Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
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International Jazz Day
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Arctic fox in Norway
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Zelenci Nature Reserve, Slovenia
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Bay Marker Lookout, Sydney Olympic Park, Australia
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Holidays in the Venetian Lagoon
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International Tiger Day
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World Theatre Day
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It s fair season
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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
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Whatever floats your boat
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Lake Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
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Santorini, Greece
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Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz
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The Grand Départ: Tour de France begins
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Christmas market in Leipzig, Germany
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Behold the perfect cone
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Whoopin it up!
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European hedgehog
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Marshland, Gloucester, MA
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It s not always sunny in Abu Simbel…
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Cenote near Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
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Joshua Tree National Park, California
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The eloquence of elephants
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