Swimming Lesson

R has been insisting that I organise swimming lessons for some time. Next school year the class will have swimming once a week, and he does not want to be the only one not yet a swimmer.

'But surely there are some others in the class who don't know how to swim?' I asked

'I don't know'

'Well what did they say when you told them you can't swim?'

At this R's face became rather pinched and he looked down and then he looked sideways, and then he looked the other sideways, and then he looked bashful.

It would seem R has told his colleagues not only that he can swim, but that he is a super good swimmer, a champion swimmer of the first order, hence his concern to start swimming lessons without delay.

Parents were not allowed in to watch the lesson, but R returned looking very pleased with himself but extremely shattered.

'Ooer it was quite hard' he said, shaking his head and blowing at this fringe.

It transpires he was not put in the non swimmers group, but the intermediate swimmers group. This is because when they asked him the following questions, he answered thus:

• Are you afraid of water? No
• Do you know how to breathe under water? Yes
• Can you swim? Yes
• Do you go swimming often Yes

None of which is true, apart from the one about not being afraid of water, although goodness knows why he isn't as last time he went 'swimming' he nearly drowned.
The swimming teacher cleverly tested the truth of these questions, but R managed to pass with flying colours. How?
He spent his first lesson perfecting breast-stroke.
'Weren't you scared?' I asked
'No, I have to learn quickly'. (If his sins are not to find him out). Which makes me wonder, if you are determined something is true, perhaps you can make it be true.