Melville is questing! Episode 1/25

Scaredy Cat, JJ and Bob were enjoying the start to their summer vacation. To practise being brave they had saved up money and visit the Big Island of Hawaii. Currently they were engaged in Bob’s favourite part of the day: free breakfast at the hotel! It is an absolute smorgasboard of everything imaginable. Fresh fruits, pastry, meats, CHOCOLATE! Scaredy Cat did not know if they would manage to get to the beach or not.

Melville is questing! Episode 2/25

While Bob was filling his plate once again, was this the 10th time? Scaredy Cat and JJ scrolled on the tablet to see what was happening on the island in hopes of finding something to do. It appeared the hotel was going to be hosting pineapple bowling and a luau but what struck Scaredy Cat the most was the surfing contest!

Melville is questing! Episode 3/25

“Hey Bob! Can you stop eating for a moment and look at this?”

“Whaa..nomm umm nom nomm noom.. t?”

“There is going to be a surfing contest here on the beach!” exclaimed Scaredy Cat. “We should all enter!”

Stopping mid munch, “Does it involve food? And besides, do you even know how to surf?”

“It does list a big trophy as a prize aaaaannnnd it says there are mystery prizes too!”

Melville is questing! Episode 4/25

“Prizes???? Maybe there will be food!!!” exclaimed Bob. “Hey you! Yes you! I’ve seen you lurking over there munching away. What’s your name? Are you from around here?”

“Ummmm, my name is Melville and I grew up on these islands but am now here visiting why?”

“We need to learn how to surf STAT! Do you know where we can take lessons?”

“Well when I was young legend had it there was this great fanged penguin who lived alone but was a master of the waves. Nobody could tackle the waves he could…”

“Great! Where do we find him?”

“That’s the challenge. Nobody ever has seen this penguin…”

Melville is questing! Episode 5/25

“Well, let’s go try find him! He must exist!”

“Sure!” said Melville. “It will get me away from a family reunion.”

“Ummm Bob…is this such a great idea? I mean NOBODY has seen this penguin. And the hotel offers surfing lessons.” mumbled Scaredy Cat.

“SHUSH! This penguin is a guru and we must win! Now let me see your GPS there so we can pinpoint some possible locations to check out. And some snack bars!”

Bob and Melville huddled around the GPS unit marking out some possible locations the team could check out and Scaredy Cat and JJ carried on finishing up their breakfast. Whoever would have thought something could distract Bob from food? As they packed up their things the crew did not notice a tiny little crab following being picking up Bob’s crumbs…, YUMMY!

Melville is questing! Episode 6/25

Hopping on their scooters it was decided the first stop should be the nearby coffee estate. Where else would a penguin hang out? Coffee. Shade. Sun. Water. It all made sense.

“There! In the distance! That must be him! I see a penguin!” exclaimed an excited Bob.
Pulling out his binoculars Scaredy Cat shook his head with disappointment. “I don’t see any fangs. I don’t think that is our surfing guru.”

“Drats! Well let’s get some coffee and coffee cake and hit the road! You dig Melville?”

“Maybe we should get something for the great penguin as an offering for when we find him. You never know he may ask.”

“Great idea! More coffee!”

Picking up crumbs the crab followed behind, enjoying the scene. This could be good pickings.

Melville is questing! Episode 7/25

Fresh off disappointment from the coffee stop, the team carried on to the next stop, a pineapple plantation. This made sense to them and Bob could not get into too much trouble here, right? Really what could natural sugar do to him? One never should ask that question. There was pineapple everything to be had and the local pigs were serving it all up. To make matters worse there was a trampoline Bob just had to try! Thankfully no broken bones resulted but no penguins were in sight and Bob was more hyper than Scaredy Cat had ever seen him. Would he ever learn to surf? Why had he not stayed for the lessons at the hotel?

Melville is questing! Episode 8/25

A slushie shack! That has to be the answer! Hopping back on the scooters the team stuffed to the brim on every imaginable pineapple delight scooted over to the popular slushie shack along the highway. It was such a popular establishment that of course the guru would come and hang here.

“It’s so hot! I need something to cool off. Maybe a few slushies will help.”

“You know those are pure sugar Bob.”

“But they are soooooo GOOOOD!!!”

Scaredy Cat looked on in horror as Bob chugged down slushie after slushie. He and JJ each only had one a piece. Bob did have a point. They were good. But if the great penguin was not here where could he be? They had collected such great stuff to offer but would they ever be able to gift it? Maybe it would just fuel Bob’s sugar rush more.

And a little crab was happy sipping up Bob’s slushie remains.

Melville is questing! Episode 9/25

“We are striking out Melville. Any thoughts where we should go?” asked Scaredy Cat.

“Well, I have heard rumours that he may hang out at Volcano Point.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Hopping on their scooters the crew scooted along the shoulder of the highway until they came to the majestic region known as Volcano Point. Palm trees circled the beach and was that an actual volcano!?! YIKES! But more importantly was that the GREAT PENGUIN in the distance down at the water?!?! Dropping their scooters the crew rushed down towards the ocean front.

Melville is questing! Episode 10/25

“Hello Mister Great Penguin! We need assistance in learning how to surf and we hear you are the best surfer here on the island. Will you please help us?”

“Really? You have come to me you say? It has been a long time since I have been on a surfboard. Mostly I just lay here on the beach sunning myself and snacking nowadays.”

“But Sir, we really need your help! There is this big competition at the hotel we are staying at with prizes and everything and none of us have ever been on a board before! We will make total fools of ourselves! If it were a pineapple eating contest we would be sure to win but this? No way!” begged Bob.

“Well then, what can you offer me in return for my services?”

Scaredy Cat reached down and pulled out all of the treats they had accumulated over their journey trying to find the Great Penguin. “Would these work Sir?”

“Let’s hit the waves!”

Melville is questing! Episode 11/25

“Grab a board from over there and let’s see what you are made of and what all we need work on.”

Scaredy Cat, Bob and JJ all grabbed surfboards from the stand and started to make their way to the water. Or at least they tried to. Bob, being Bob, managed to trip over his own two feet and went tumbling down, flipping his board into the air.

“Well I see first skill we need is walking.” said the Great Penguin.

Melville is questing! Episode 12/25

Finally everyone had made it safely into the water and was trying to make it out into the ocean.  JJ, being a dog, easily managed the doggie paddle and was the first to be out waiting. Scaredy Cat was slightly afraid. He had not realized surfing involved water! Cats were afraid of water! But if JJ could do it so could he so he put on a brave face and started paddling his board into the ocean. Bob, well Bob was another story. Every time Bob tried to get atop his surfboard he flipped over into the water with a giant SPLASH! He could not stay atop it and had to be rescued by the Great Penguin multiple times before they finally all made it out to the ocean. Melville watched from shore laughing with delight along with the crab who munched on snacks.

Melville is questing! Episode 13/25

“OK. Now that we have made it out into open water the next skill you need to learn is how to stand up.”

“What?!?! We need to stand atop these slippery things???” asked Bob.

“Yes. Yes we do. It’s quite simple.” And with ease the Great Penguin moved from his belly to a standing position atop the surfboard. “Just like that.”

Scaredy Cat, finally feeling a bit more comfortable in the water made his try and actually found it quite easy to do and encouraged Bob and JJ to try. “C’mon guys! It’s not that hard.”

Bob slowly started to move after having what could only be referred to as a death grip on his board and promptly flipped back into the ocean sending his board shooting up into the air to come crashing down and bonk him on the leg!

“OUCH! Can we please go back to the snack bar?”

“Practice young whippersnapper. It takes practice. Now try again.”

Melville is questing! Episode 14/25

Eventually, with cheers from Melville and the crab on shore all 3 and the Great Penguin were standing balancing atop their surfboards.

“See? That is all there is to it. Go from belly to feet when you see a wave. Now let’s lie back down and await that wave I see forming out there. When it gets close we will turn around and stand up and have the ride of our lives!”

“Wait? What? We are supposed to do this atop a wave?” stammered Bob.

“Well that kind of is the point of surfing. This is not stand up paddle boarding you know. Or did you want to try some yoga atop these?”

“Nope! I’m good!”

“Alright then. Let’s wait for that wave”

Melville is questing! Episode 15/25

SPLASH! Before he knew it Scaredy Cat was riding atop his very first wave!

This is kinda fun he thought. I could get used to this.

“You’re a natural cat!”

“Gnarly dude! Gnarly!”

Melville is questing! Episode 16/25

But where was Bob? His surfboard was floating there but where was Bob? Oh! There he was! JJ was swimming over to rescue Bob once again as Bob, try as he might, could not stay atop the surfboard and was floating in the open ocean sputtering for air and treats. Good thing JJ was such a good swimmer.

Melville is questing! Episode 17/25

Back on shore the team met up again with Melville and that mysterious crab.

“That was so much fun!” exclaimed Scaredy Cat. “I never thought I would like surfing, and water, that much.”

“Same here.” said JJ. “Thank you for all your help Mister. Scaredy Cat and I have a great chance now at the contest.”

“Hey! What about me?”

“Well Bob, if it was an eating contest you would definitely win. Surfing, it may be safer for you to stay on shore.”

“I concur.” replied the Great Penguin.

“Yikes! Look at the time! We best be heading back to the hotel if we want to make it for dinner and get some rest before tomorrow’s competition!”

Melville is questing! Episode 18/25

Hustling back to their scooters the team high tailed it back to the hotel. Thankfully they made it in time for the evening luau. What a sight! All the lights and flowers and pineapples. Was that a game of limbo happening? Boy oh boy were they going to have fun tonight! Scaredy Cat and JJ rushed over to get in line to limbo while Bob headed where else- the buffet!

Melville is questing! Episode 19/25

“JJ, I’m scared. Look at all these people!” Scaredy Cat was looking around at the crowds of people gathered for the surfing competition. “How ever are any of us expected to win? Look at these pets! They look like they have been surfing all their lives. They look like pros. And there are just.so.many.of.them.”

While JJ did his best to console Scaredy Cat Bob got the team registered at the registration desk and got their numbers. He was excited at the prospect of the mystery prize. What if it was food??? It must be food, especially after that wonderful buffet last night. The island was known for great food. It had to be food. It just had to be!

Once registered, the team grabbed their boards and joined the other contestants waiting for the call to the water. The waves looked good.

Melville is questing! Episode 20/25

“Competitors! Hit the water!”

Scaredy Cat, Bob and JJ all started paddling furiously out into the ocean with all of the others. Somehow Bob still was atop his board doggy paddling like the Great Penguin had showed him. Maybe he *could* do this. Scaredy Cat was taking deep breaths. The water here seemed rougher than what they trained in and he still was not a fan of water. For JJ, the doggy paddle was second nature. What was yet to come, well that might be a different story.

Out in the middle of the ocean with all the other competitors they waited floating on their boards. When would the waves come rolling in?

Melville is questing! Episode 21/25

“WAVES! IT’S TIME TO MOVE”

Everyone made their way to a standing position. Well everyone but Bob that is. As Bob tried to stand the slippery surface of his surfboard got the better of him and he flipped right up into the air. The surfboard sailed out from under his feet knocking down 2 other surfers leaving them sputtering in the water.

Surprisingly Scaredy Cat made the transition with ease and was gliding along the waves like one cool cat.

Melville is questing! Episode 22/25

“This is gnarly dude!” stated Scaredy Cat. “I could do this all day!”

From the most timid surfer to the bravest and perhaps the best, Scaredy Cat was coasting the waves with ease. He was looking like a natural atop his board while the big waves were knocking down the other competitors including JJ.

While Bob and JJ ended up half swimming half floating to shore Scaredy Cat readily coasted to shore atop his surfboard with ease and dismounted with pride.

“I did it!”

Melville is questing! Episode 23/25

The judges rushed up to Scaredy Cat followed by a large purple crab and the Great Penguin and Melville.

“Congrats! You are the winner of this year’s surfing contest!”

“I am?”

“Yes! You showed great skill staying upright out there. Many experienced surfers could not do what you just accomplished.”

“Awwww, shucks….” Scaredy Cat was blushing.
“Hey, I think I recognize you. You have been following us around.”

“Yup! That blue friend of your is kind of messy and leaves quite the yummy trail behind him.”

Melville is questing! Episode 24/25

By this time Bob and JJ had dried off and come to Scaredy Cat’s side and learned the news.

“What’s the prize?!?! What’s the prize?!?!” Bob could not contain himself.

“Well, that is very simple.” explained the judge. “This year the hotel has generously donated this lovely beach house as a prize.”

“Wha….”

“Well thank you that is so generous. I do appreciate it. However I think it would be best though if I gifted it to my dear new friend Melville here. Without them I never would have learned how to surf and besides they have family here on the island and I am just here visiting.”

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“Well, there is the mystery prize too…”

“Is it edible?” asked Bob.

“Yes, it actually is.”

“Gimme!”

“BOB!” exclaimed JJ and Scaredy Cat as they accepted the giant egg.

“Again, before Bob steals this to eat, Melville you better hide this. Bob will eat anything as you have seen.”

“Let’s find Bob some more pineapples and slushies before he withers away to nothing. He does appear to be starving.” replied a witty Melville with thanks.
Melville has enjoyed his day on the beach! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also play by the sea!