LEARNING TO SWIM.
BY EDGAR FAWCETT.
HERE I am, papa,In my new tights dressed,Crazy for a bath,It must be confessed.Shall we go straight in?Oo! the water’s cold!Let me take your hand,Nice and large to hold.I’m a big boy, now,Tall and strong of limb.Eight years old to-day,Yet I cannot swim!Teach me, please, papa;Keep my chin up ... so!Not a bit of use—Down I’m sure to go!Don’t I kick out rightWhile my arms are spread?O, I really thinkThat I’m made of lead!Floundering here, I feelLike so sad a dunce!It’s as though you triedTwenty things at once!While you make your strokesRegular and neat,You must also tendTo your legs and feet!I don’t even floatAs well as some old log!O, howcanyou swimUnless you’re born a frog!
HERE I am, papa,In my new tights dressed,Crazy for a bath,It must be confessed.Shall we go straight in?Oo! the water’s cold!Let me take your hand,Nice and large to hold.I’m a big boy, now,Tall and strong of limb.Eight years old to-day,Yet I cannot swim!Teach me, please, papa;Keep my chin up ... so!Not a bit of use—Down I’m sure to go!Don’t I kick out rightWhile my arms are spread?O, I really thinkThat I’m made of lead!Floundering here, I feelLike so sad a dunce!It’s as though you triedTwenty things at once!While you make your strokesRegular and neat,You must also tendTo your legs and feet!I don’t even floatAs well as some old log!O, howcanyou swimUnless you’re born a frog!
HERE I am, papa,In my new tights dressed,Crazy for a bath,It must be confessed.
HERE I am, papa,
In my new tights dressed,
Crazy for a bath,
It must be confessed.
Shall we go straight in?Oo! the water’s cold!Let me take your hand,Nice and large to hold.
Shall we go straight in?
Oo! the water’s cold!
Let me take your hand,
Nice and large to hold.
I’m a big boy, now,Tall and strong of limb.Eight years old to-day,Yet I cannot swim!
I’m a big boy, now,
Tall and strong of limb.
Eight years old to-day,
Yet I cannot swim!
Teach me, please, papa;Keep my chin up ... so!Not a bit of use—Down I’m sure to go!
Teach me, please, papa;
Keep my chin up ... so!
Not a bit of use—
Down I’m sure to go!
Don’t I kick out rightWhile my arms are spread?O, I really thinkThat I’m made of lead!
Don’t I kick out right
While my arms are spread?
O, I really think
That I’m made of lead!
Floundering here, I feelLike so sad a dunce!It’s as though you triedTwenty things at once!
Floundering here, I feel
Like so sad a dunce!
It’s as though you tried
Twenty things at once!
While you make your strokesRegular and neat,You must also tendTo your legs and feet!
While you make your strokes
Regular and neat,
You must also tend
To your legs and feet!
I don’t even floatAs well as some old log!O, howcanyou swimUnless you’re born a frog!
I don’t even float
As well as some old log!
O, howcanyou swim
Unless you’re born a frog!