River That Flows!
When I was a small boy I used to go to the river flowing adjacent to the paddy fields of my village. It is a big river with good amount of water flowing in monsoons and a little less in summer.
However, it is always above a man's height available for the people of the village for bathing, household needs and irrigating the lands too.
As a village boy, I used to take bath in the river at a small distance from the river bed.
Swimming Not Taught Here!
I have a small dip inside the water to see the fishes. I could watch the fishes swimming under the water. There are varieties of small and medium sized fishes swim with their fins moving and the tails turning. Some move very fast with their pointed heads and long thin body.
Alas, I could see some big frogs also leaping with their long legs with wide webbed feet. I was shocked to see a snake passing around me by shaking its body zigzag; of course I know it has no legs.
I should have terribly frightened if I could see some tortoises and a crocodile. Whether short are long, they have legs and tails to swim. I think, they do not enjoy swimming, but lead a lazy life style in water.
Village Women in Happy Fiesta!
I happened to turn my sight on the side where there was a jingling noise coming.
There is a clatter of sweet sounds from the village women folk coming down from the bank of the river to the running water. They are innocent and happy to mix with their friends to talk and sing while doing their domestic work.
River is Their Mother!
The womenfolk usually attend to their own work of washing cloths and taking water in vessels from the banks of the river. After they complete their domestic work they wish to take a bath with swimming. They are not afraid of the river. They know the river is calm and running smooth today.
They spend sometime with joyful swimming and playing in the river with their friends. I could see them playing a unorganized water sport, of course with original swimming performances.
Under Water Scenes!
I started watching the womenfolk swimming at a small distance. Sometimes I went under the water also to see their beautiful performance.
Some were swimming in a way the fishes did; some like frogs; others were floating on the river seeing the sky.
Some girls fly inside the water fast. Some go with the flow and some against the flow of water in the river.
Swimming Learned naturally!
I was astonished to see all these fantastic water sport events, of course free of cost in the village river running innocently.
Swimming is an art and a simple science drawn from the nature. The modern swimming with its special components like diving, as a sport's event has been drawn from nowhere else than creatures of the Mother Nature.
