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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Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting
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May the Fourth be with you…
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Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece
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Celebrating Labor Day
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Falling for Tennessee
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The Wave, Vejle, Denmark
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The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
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Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
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International Polar Bear Day
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Papa was a flightless bird
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Womens History Month
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Sky island views
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Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
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Landscape Architecture Month
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Surf s always up in Paia
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National Park Week begins
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An inland ocean
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The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
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Earth at Perihelion
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American bison
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Salt of the earth
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Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
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Aprils full moon
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High trekking season in Upper Mustang
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Sounds of Bach come to Bath
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