Contest #10 ⋆ Taradiddle

The writing prompt

One of the oldest recorded animals was Harriet, a Galápagos tortoise who was known to have reached approximately 176 years of age. Harriet was reported to have been collected by Charles Darwin in 1835 when he sailed around the world on the HMS Beagle. Charles Darwin had been hired as the ship's naturalist to collect plants and animals to study when he returned home to England. This trip helped Charles Darwin to later write "On the Origin of Species," his theory of evolution by natural selection.

In 1842, John Wickham, the captain of the HMS Beagle, retired and brought Harriet to Australia for its warmer climate.

At the time of her death, in 2006, Harriet lived at the Australia Zoo, which was owned by Steve and Terri Irwin. The Irwin family shared a great friendship with Harriet and thought of her as an honorary grandmother.
Considering the long lifespan of the Galápagos tortoise, imagine how many stories they have to tell! Using Harriet, or another Galápagos tortoise of your imagination, share one of their stories.

Published Stories

Abecedarians

2nd Place

Home

Emerson

Abecedarians

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

3rd Place

Invisible Tortoises

Emilia Nitu Switzerland

Abecedarians

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

Honorable Mention

To be a Hero

Esther Ling Sze Rong

Abecedarians

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

Juventus

1st Place

The Life I Chose

Luana Sinzig Leverkusen, Germany

Juventus

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

2nd Place

Pepe, the Missionary Tortoise

Chloe

Juventus

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

3rd Place

The Avoidable Demise of Wise Camilla, the Tortoise

Genevieve

Juventus

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

Honorable Mention

The Weight of the Unwritten Pages

Olivia Chen

Juventus

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

Doyens

1st Place

Call Me Harriet

Sophie Tran San Jose, CA, USA

Doyens

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

2nd Place

The Long Way Round

Enyiazu Henrietta Ebubechukwu

Doyens

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

3rd Place

Invasive Species

Ruqayya Amatullah Birmingham, United Kingdom

Doyens

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise

Honorable Mention

A Letter from a Princess

Delta

Doyens

Submitted October 2026 · Contest #10 · The Galápagos Tortoise