Neighbors of Ours - Slum Stories of London #230214

And when we'd caught enough fish for the sport, 'e'd used to learn me swimmin' in that same pond, and for purpose of that 'e made a kind of a life-belt with some slips 0' board strung together and tied roun' my stomick. But it wasn't never good for much, the water bein' no 'igher nor my middle, so the life-belt took and grated along the bottom so soon as I struck out, and never 'ad a chance of keepin' me from drowndin' as it was meant for. But Parky said the water bein' low wasn't by no means a bad thing, 'cos, bein' dry, the dead dogs was mostly left on the banks, and kep' the water clean.