"Are you going to jump, or are you going
to get off the board?"
"Well," shouted Teddy, "confidentially now, mind you. Come over
here.
I want to talk to you. Confidentially, you know. I'm going to
jump,
if you'll stop asking questions long enough for me to get away."
Amid a roar of laughter from spectators, and broad grins on the
part of the performers, Teddy took a running start and shot up
into the air.
"He's turning too quick," snapped Mr. Sparling.
Teddy, however, evidently knew what he was about. Turning a
beautiful somersault, he launched into a second one with the
confidence of a veteran. All the circus people in the big top
expected to see the lad break his neck. Instead, however, Tucker
landed lightly and easily on his feet while the spectators
shouted their approval. But instead of landing on the mat as he
thought he was doing, Teddy was standing on the back of the last
elephant in the line.
His double somersault had made him dizzy and the boy did not
realize that he had not yet reached the mat on the ground.
Bowing and smiling to the audience, the Fat Boy started to
walk away.
Then Teddy fell off, landing in a heap on the hard ground.
He rose, aching, but the onlookers on the boards took it all
as a funny finish, and gleefully roared their appreciation.
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