appened.

For, instead of falling straight down, head first or feet first as you
would think any one ought to fall, Ben began turning over and over. Over
and over he turned, first his feet and then his head and then his back
being pointed toward the pile of hay on the bottom of the barn floor.

"Oh, look! look!" cried Sue.

"What--what makes him do that?" asked Bunny Brown.

"I guess he wants to," answered Bunker Blue. Bunny and his sister
thought they were going to be frightened when they saw Ben slip and
fall. But when the children saw Bunker Blue laughing they smiled too.

It was queer to see Ben turning over and over in that funny way.

"I guess he likes to do it," said Bunker.

"Whoop-la!" yelled Ben as he came somersaulting down, for that is what
he was doing; turning one somersault after another, over and over in the
air as he fell.

And then, in a few seconds, he landed safely on his feet in a soft pile
of hay, so he wasn't hurt a bit.

"Oh!" exclaimed Sue.

"Oh my!" cried Bunny Brown.

"Say, that was fine!" shouted Bunker Blue. "How did you do it?"

"Oh, I--I just did it," answered Ben, slowly, for he was a little out of
breath. "I slipped, and when I found I was going to fall, I began to
turn somersaults to make it easier coming down."

"I should think it would be harder," said Bunny Brown.

"Not when you know how," answered Ben, smiling.

"Where'd you learn how?" Bunker wanted to know.

"Oh, a man--a man showed me how," returned Ben. "But never mind about
that now. I must fasten the rope to the beam, and then we'll fix the
trapeze so Bunny can do some circus acts on it."

"But not high up!" cried Sue. "You won't go on a high trapeze, will you,
Bunny?"

"Not very high," he answered. "But I would like to turn somersaults in
the air like you, Ben. Will you show me how?"

"Some day, when you get bigger. You're too small now."

"I wouldn't want to turn somersaults," said Sue, shaking her head.

"They aren't for girls, anyhow," flung forth Bunny.

Bunker Blue looked at Ben sharply.

"I think I can guess where you learned to turn those somersaults in the
air," said the boat-boy. "It was in a--"

"Hush! Don't tell any one!" whispered Ben quickly. "I'll tell you all
about it after a while. Now help me put up the trapeze."

Bunny heard what Ben and Bunker said, but he did not think much about it
then. The little boy was looking up to see from what a height Ben had
fallen, and Bunny was wo