The next morning, the swimmer wakes up to find himself in the middle of a swimming contest. He's worried about how he's going to perform in front of the spectators, and he wonders if there's anything he can do to get out of the situation. He wonders if the exaggerated puppet that's floating in the water is some kind of "ritual" , or if it's just a cute thing to do. The swimmer realizes that he'll have to wear a silly costume in the crowd the next day to escape the crowd's attentions.