The buoyancy was delicious, and I found that by holding on with both hands to the long rushes I could float on the water, throwing myself down and keeping close to the surface, but with my legs gradually sinking, till I gave them a kick and rose again.
I amused myself this way for a minute or two, and then, leaving the tuft of rushes, I began to wade slowly along with the water up to my chest, and every now and then I stooped down, so that it came above my shoulders, and struck out with my hands; but I dare not throw myself flat with my legs off the bottom.

That was too much to expect, and I had not recovered yet from the desperate plunge in, the recollection of which made me wonder at my temerity.
It was very nice, that first lesson in the water's buoyancy, and as I jumped up, or lowered myself down, or held on by the tufts by the brink, and let myself float, I could not help comparing myself to the soap in the bathtub at home, for that almost floated, but gradually settled down to the bottom, just as my body seemed to do.
"I shall soon swim," I thought to myself; but I felt no inclination to risk the first plunge and begin the struggle.

It was far more pleasant to keep on wading there with the water up to my chest, and the delicious sensation of novelty, half fear, half pleasure, making me now venture out a few inches into deeper water, now shrink back towards the bank.
How beautiful it all seemed, with the mellow afternoon sunlight dancing on the water as a puff of warm wind came now and then along the river.
The trees were so green and the sky so blue, and the barges, and horses that drew them by the towing-path on the other side, all seemed to add to my pleasure, for the barges seemed to glide along so easily, and they floated, and that was what I wanted to do.
I forgot all about my companions, who must have been a couple of hundred yards higher up the river, while I was wading down.
By degrees I found the water a little deeper, and I shrank from it at first, but I was close to the bank and had only to stretch out my hand to catch hold of a tuft of grass or sedge, and, after the shrinking sensation, it seemed pleasant to have the water higher up about my shoulders.

It was so much harder to walk, and I could feel myself almost panting.

Beside this there was a nice soft muddy bottom, pleasanter to the feet than the gravel where I had plunged in.
Yes: I thought it a much nicer place there, and I was slowly and cautiously wading on, while all at once I found the water seeming to come in the opposite direction, curving round towards me in a place where the bank was scooped out.
It looked so smooth that I pressed on, taking one step forward, so that the water might rush up against me, and--then I was floating, for my feet found no bottom, and with an excited thrill of delight I felt that I could swim.
Yes; there was no doubt about it.