He hopped on Al’s back and they had a quick chat.
Then they turned toward the ocean and Al flipped his tail.
And would you believe it? Those three tagged that whale.
Chapter
5
Persistence Pays Off
B
ob was quite sure that he’d passed Mary’s test.
He had tagged Tom at sea; even Xena was impressed!
So on their return when they filled Mary in,
they were startled to learn their real test would begin.
“Tom’s been ill,” Mary said, “and his strength has declined.
Please track him for thirty days; see what you find.”
“Thirty days?” answered Xena. “How can we succeed?
Our boat’s broken down and now Al’s gone to feed!”
“Oh, Xena,” said Mary, “that’s just idle chatter!
If you know your true purpose, those facts do not matter.”
Bob thought of his purpose; it seemed very clear:
help life in the sea and improve every year.
But to get on that path from the place he was now
would take someone like Mary to help show him how.
39
He made a decision to fix up his boat,
and track Tom the blue whale to places remote.
But reaching those places would not be a breeze,
for Bob hadn’t captained his craft on high seas.
For ten days he tried, but with little success.
He rowed against waves, but was blocked by their crests.
His boat was pushed back, then got beached on the shore.
Now Bob felt more hopeless than ever before.
“Hello there!” called Earl, “Are you still on your quest?
I heard you were given a thirty-day test.”
“Well, ten days have passed, so it seems I am through
with trying to do the things Mary can do.”
“What nonsense!” said Earl. “You just misunderstood.
Your starting point’s flexible; that’s very good.
If you don’t succeed in your first few forays,
don’t give up, start anew, and go thirty more days!
“I suggest you see Doc—he’s a pro on resistance.
I’ve learned from my pearls that the key is persistence.
For pearls take much longer than your current test—
Mary’s pearl took five years, and may be my best.”
“Thank you, Earl, you’re terrific!” Bob gratefully said.
Then he rushed to see Doc, who was lounging in bed.
“Well, well, my good friends,” chuckled Doc, somewhat groggy.
“Did Mary employ you? How’d you get so soggy?”
“She gave us a test, but I don’t think it pays,
to track Tom the blue whale for thirty straight days.
The waves are too rough and my oars, only wood.
We can’t reach the whale, though I hoped that we could.”
Then Doc had an insight, as Earl had predicted.
He knew that Bob’s goal and his mindset conflicted.
“Now, now, Bob and Xena, I’ll give you a clue.
To track that blue whale, here is what you must do:
Don’t focus on waves; they will bring you to shore.
Instead, picture deep sea where Tom was before.
It is true that those waves present major resistance,
but they are no match for your constant persistence.
If the dream you hold dear is as big as you say,
all the various obstacles have to give way.”
“Persistence!” Bob nodded. “Earl mentioned it too!
I will go try again, and this time, follow through!”
Bob and Xena thanked Doc and they left for the beach
where they found their small boat, but Tom still out of reach.
Above them a seagull soared high in the sky,
sailing on currents of wind that came by.
It flew on those currents right out to the whale.
And Bob had a thought: “I should make my own sail!”
44
So Xena and he gathered palm leaves and wood,
and they built a big sail just as fast as they could.
Then Bob raised the sail on his boat and got in,
and he sailed to the place where that whale had last been.
They lost the whale twice. Xena squawked in alarm.
But persistence won out; the third time was the charm.
Then they tracked him for thirty days, watched him eat krill,
and returned to tell Mary: “Tom’s no longer ill!”
Mary was pleased, but not really surprised,
for they’d done just as Doc and old Earl had advised.
Then she made Bob and Xena official assistants,
and said with a wink, “I know you’ll go the distance!”
T
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To learn more about
The Adventures of Blue Ocean BobTM
and view other titles in the series,
please visit www.BlueOceanBob.com.
About The Author
As a lifelong student of achievement philosophies, Brooks Olbrys was
inspired by his young son to make these philosophies accessible to chil-
dren. With encouragement from best-selling author and personal devel-
opment coach Bob Proctor, Brooks created the children’s book series, The
Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob.
A graduate of Stanford University, the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy at Tufts, and the University of California at Berkeley School
of Law, Brooks is the founder of Children’s Success Unlimited and a
managing director at investment bank Ion Partners. He lives with his
wife and son in New York City and greatly enjoys escapes to the North
and South American coastlines.
About The Illustrator
From a young age, Kevin Keele has enjoyed creating artwork in many
forms: drawing, oil painting, digital painting, even stained glass. His work
has been featured in numerous picture books, magazines, board games,
and video games. Though he lives far from any coastlines, he has always
been fascinated by the ocean and enjoys illustrating its various creatures.
Kevin is currently an artist for Disney Interactive Studios. He lives in
Utah with his wife and two sons. They’re the caretakers of one grouchy
cat, three chickens, and thousands of Italian honeybees.
Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob Page 2
