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The Ugly Duckling
Arrangements have been made for Prince Simon to marry Princess Camilla. The King and Queen are nervous because - let's face it - Camilla is plain! It is decided that a beautiful maid will impersonate Camilla until the wedding. The Prince hears of Camilla's beauty and, considering himself rather plain, has his extremely handsome man Carlo impersonate him. Simon and Camilla meet by chance and fall in love. Each is beautiful to the other and they live happily ever after.|3 women, 2 men
30 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2011
About the author
A.A. Milne
1,845 books3,749 followersAlan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 5, 2019
This is not the traditional ‘Ugly Duckling’ story. This is the extremely and enjoyably humorous tale of a young princess who lived with her parents (the King and Queen), while waiting for a handsome young prince to come along and marry her. PLOT TWIST: she's not pretty. In fact, she's quite... unattractive.
When this story begins, the King has received word that a prince, Prince Simon, is journeying to their castle from a foreign land to meet and possibly marry Princess Camilla. The King and Queen decide that this is too good of an opportunity to let slip, so they arrange to dress the Princess’s prettiest servant, Dulcibella in the Princess’s clothes and introduce her as the real Princess because, as the King informs his daughter, "... it doesn’t matter how you marry, or who you marry, as long as you get married. Because you’ll be happy ever after in any case.” The humor begins when the very plain Prince Simon decides to substitute his handsome servant Carlos for himself, in the hopes that the Princess (who is now Dulcibella impersonating Camilla) will accept his better looking attendant. You may imagine how this ill-spawned courtship progresses...
Hilariously. It progresses hilariously. Read it.
When this story begins, the King has received word that a prince, Prince Simon, is journeying to their castle from a foreign land to meet and possibly marry Princess Camilla. The King and Queen decide that this is too good of an opportunity to let slip, so they arrange to dress the Princess’s prettiest servant, Dulcibella in the Princess’s clothes and introduce her as the real Princess because, as the King informs his daughter, "... it doesn’t matter how you marry, or who you marry, as long as you get married. Because you’ll be happy ever after in any case.” The humor begins when the very plain Prince Simon decides to substitute his handsome servant Carlos for himself, in the hopes that the Princess (who is now Dulcibella impersonating Camilla) will accept his better looking attendant. You may imagine how this ill-spawned courtship progresses...
Hilariously. It progresses hilariously. Read it.
August 31, 2018
To read the synopsis is to know the entire plot of this brief play: king and queen want to get their ugly daughter married, so they have her serving maid take her place when the prince comes calling. Little do they guess the prince decides to try the same ruse!
Though short, this is a very sweet story and an immediate favorite. I want a YA retelling, though I'm afraid it would be quite ruined. The Ordinary Princess holds to the general plot fairly well.
Anyway, lovely. Well worth the time.
Though short, this is a very sweet story and an immediate favorite. I want a YA retelling, though I'm afraid it would be quite ruined. The Ordinary Princess holds to the general plot fairly well.
Anyway, lovely. Well worth the time.
September 27, 2012
The Ugly Duckling had the all the flavor of a farcical Shakespearean romance play, but, of course, it was written in modern English with humor that modern audiences can relate to. The version that I listened to on audiobook was well done and well acted, and I chuckled aloud several times. It was fun!
July 16, 2018
Short and hilarious
Read
April 6, 2024Optional
December 25, 2017
This is the funniest story ever! Ugly princess marries ugly prince - with loads of British humor in-between...after all, this is the author of Winnie-the-Pooh! The plotline is too simple to ruin here, but the dialogue and fun that carries it is the real story. Score one, A. A. Milne!
* Star withheld for mass deception. It's the kind of diplomatic lie you could see royalty engaging in, but it's still a lie.
* Star withheld for mass deception. It's the kind of diplomatic lie you could see royalty engaging in, but it's still a lie.
February 8, 2012
Prince Simon is to marry Princess Camilla. But to the Princess family and friends she is not all that beautiful. So they try everything they can to cover her (not so beauty and plainness). So at the end the Princess and Prince find each other beautiful and that's all that matters. And as always they live happily ever after. THE END =) lol
May 21, 2015
A very sweet play about a princess rather than a swan. I had the opportunity to play Princess Camilla in a college production and had a total blast! I only wish there was more to this play at the end instead of ending right before the wedding. Good play for highschools to do!
January 19, 2018
I was in this play in college and found the script online to add to my collection. I read back through it in honor of Milne's birthday and found that it was much more humorous than I remember.
March 2, 2018
A cute farce. I was in a production as the Chancellor back in 1986. It's a fun little play.
September 30, 2020
Short and hilarious! Milne is at his witty best. I wish I could see this play on the stage.
November 27, 2020
I click read at it goes straight to this fucking page
January 14, 2021
(read with book club - book 1)
August 10, 2021
The first stage play I ever read back as a little child in the 90s. It was in a set with Marianna Mayer's "Beauty and the Beast" and has stuck with me as a funny play for a long time now!
June 5, 2007
No, this isn't the story of that duck that wanted to be a swan. This is a play written by Mr. Winnie the Pooh himself called The Ugly Duckling. It is about a princess who was cursed at birth to look ordinary (or ugly) to everyone by her true love. Shannanigans and laughter ensue as she becomes engaged to a Prince who has never seen her before (but ironically is her true love unbenownst to her worried parents). I played the princess' dim-witted but beautiful servant, Dulcibella, presented by Live Theatre Workshop here in Tucson in the summer of 1996. This is a really great little play for children and young adult audiences in particular, but adults will get a kick out of it too.
April 22, 2010
This play was interesting and funny! I loved it so much! The message is good it doesn't matter what's on the outside of a person it's what is on the inside that really counts. I don't just like this play because of the message I also like it because it caught me off guard I thought I was going to read a screenplay about a little duck who everyone thinks is ugly but at the end is a beautiful swan, but; no its a screenplay about a princess.
December 4, 2007
A bit of a switch from the typical ugly/beautiful princess story, if only because there is witty dialogue.
March 7, 2008
LOVE this play.
First read in high school (Thanks Mrs. Walton!) and used it for my Senior Project.
First read in high school (Thanks Mrs. Walton!) and used it for my Senior Project.
September 8, 2010
wonderful play!
January 7, 2013
Non traditional interpretation of an old story. My most shortest and quickest read ever!! Totally enjoyable! Can't believe I re-read this in 2013!
July 5, 2013
A cute one-act play, set in medieval times and inspired by the story of the ugly duckling (but no ducks are involved).
Want to Read
December 28, 2014YES IT'S REALLY NICE AND GOOD. I LIKE THE PLAY. SO I WANT TO READ THE PLAY
May 26, 2015
Dull, boring, unfunny. Lacks the necessary details I'd enjoy in a play.
Not a worthwhile read in my opinion.
Not a worthwhile read in my opinion.
October 24, 2016
This was a silly play and a lot of fun. I enjoyed reading this in high school.
January 14, 2021
Funny, frothy fairy tale with that distinctive Milne humor.
September 23, 2020
Rating: 4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews