If you can keep afloat while you count five, or long enough to inhale
the breath once, the battle is won; and while you may not be
qualified to enter for the long distance championship, you can
modestly call yourself "a swimmer."

Books give us valuable information about how to do many things, but
when it comes to swimming, all the book can do is to advise, and if
the author gives us his own experience, as I am trying to do here, it
must be of great help.

CONFIDENCE

I have said that in learning to swim confidence is the great
essential, but while still sticking unchangeably to that, I will add
that perseverance is a good second. Never get discouraged. Stick to
it. Repeat over and over again either of the two exercises before
given. Each time you will find them easier. Then suddenly, and before
you know it, you will be keeping yourself afloat. What if it is only
for a few seconds and you have not moved a foot? Don't give up. "If at
first you don't succeed, try, try again!" That's a motto you should
heed, particularly in learning to swim.

There are a great many strokes in swimming, but pay no attention to
these at the start.

STROKES

When I was a boy, and I presume it is so still, there was a stroke
known as "dog fashion." As a matter of fact, it might as well be
called the fashion of any other animal, for all quadrupeds swim