Life — November 30, 1922 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a single cartoon satirizing children's water safety. It shows children playing in a body of water (appears to be a pond or stream) while discarded clothing and what look like hats litter the foreground. The partially visible caption suggests a mother granting permission for outdoor play with safety instructions about hanging clothes and avoiding certain areas—likely a reference to the folk rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" or similar period cautionary verse about water dangers. The scattered garments in the foreground create dark humor by suggesting children who ignored warnings, possibly implying drowning or disappearance. This appears to be satirizing how children ignore parental safety advice regarding water hazards—a common social concern in early-to-mid 20th century American life.