Winners: Golden Tea Leaf award

The contest to write a quick flash fiction about a tea leaf (London Cockney rhyming slang for thief) was terrific fun for those who joined in, doubly so for me, as the person who proposed this challenge and who committed to finding a winner. An unenviable task, I can assure you. Not because it was hard work. Quite the opposite! It was a true delight to read such original and inventive stories and their characters, brought to life with wit, care and bags of fun! The hard part was selecting the best among the best, the winner among winners. You will see what I mean when you read the entries, if you haven't already.

Before I announce the winning entry, I wanted to take a look at each of these delightful stories, to highlight the brilliant work that has been done be everyone who joined in the fun. I have included the featured image (via embedded link) of some of the fantastic illustrations too, although this did not play a part in selecting an overall winner.

Always worth remembering that people pick up a book, not because it is a great piece of writing (how would they know?), but because there is something in the cover that calls to them. Never underestimate the importance of cover design, even when posting short stories and poems on Vocal.

In no particular order, here are all of the entrants. Winner announced at the end.

WINNING ENTRIES ALL

Beautifully illustrated with a painting by lesser-known Dutch master Cornelis Dusart, this offering tells the tale close to all our hearts. Someone plans to steal an author's manuscript in order to pass the story off as their own. But that's not the end of it.

Please read and enjoy: Her Manuscript

This tale of the dastardly deeds of a tea leaf who steals... well... tea leaves. No doubt inspired by the original Bostonian tea hijackers, this villain leaves nought but fear and frustration in his wake. Not to mention unbearable thirst on the part of his victims.

Please read and enjoy: From The Desk of the BBC: The Tea Bandit Strikes Again

When a diminutive, cold and hungry child sits in the freezing church, shivering alone as the collection plate is circulating, she faces a moral dilemma. Could she, should she, would she steal from the collection? Only one way to find out!

Please read and enjoy: Morality

A book thief you say? No! not that book thief, this is a real book thief. One who could strike anyone, any place, any time. And you won't know a thing about it until... well... you will have to read the story to find out. The brilliant thing about this story, apart from coming from that truly great city Glasgow, is that in taking something away, our thief in this case gives a greater gift back.

Please read and enjoy: The Real Book Thief

Once upon a time there was a thief who liked to iron... Really? This tantalizing opening line also opens up a storyline of originality and wit. What could possibly happen to a thief who spent his time at the ironing board? I really couldn't resist learning more about this thief.

Please read and enjoy: Who's a thief

"What's your hobby, Zorp?" "Me? I collect bad guys and teach them to be good, by showing them how to garden." Nothing original in that, until you consider how said baddies are collected. Splendid tale of rascals, roses and rehabilitation.

Another great illustration too, this time created using a generative AI with a fabulous comic-strip feel to it.

Please read and enjoy: The Cosmic Gardener

A garden dare, a sunny day, a flip-flop (thong, zories, clam diggers, slippers) and a promise of a sherbet dip. Would the felon get away with the crime of the century?

Please read and enjoy: The Flip-Flop Heist

At last, a reference to Robin Hood, tights-wearing forest robber extraordinaire. No bag of gold florins for this thief, though, as he is far more tech-savvy. Who will benefit from this merry crime?

Please read and enjoy: Robin

So, who's been tippy-toeing through the tulips... and running off with them? This great sticky-fingered, green-thumbed mystery begins, and you will never believe who the culprit is, and neither did he. Confused?

Please read and enjoy: A Matter of Conscience

She wasn't the prettiest of girls, in fact she was pretty plain, but sure as anything she was a thief, and of the worst possible kind, inflicting pain and untold suffering on her (somewhat willing) victim. But who cares about that? This charming tale will bring a tear to your eye if nothing else does.

Please read and enjoy: It's the little things

Even thieves get parking tickets, it seems, but would this one being about our hero (or not hero) character's undoing? There is of course only one way to find out.

Please read and enjoy: Meter Maid

A tea-leaf and some tea leaves, stirring themselves into a whole lotta trouble. Who can predict what might happen? Except the person with her eye on the dregs in the cup. Fantastic to read a tale that is not only about a tea-leaf, it is also about tea leaves. Intrigued? Read on.

Please read and enjoy: The Cup Stirs Itself

Finally, a micro, micro entry from John Cox: Originally written as a comment as it is so brief. I think, however, that it qualifies as a worthy entry given its brevity, and its wit. What do you think?

‘Tell us a story!’ Can’t, the cat stole my tongue!”

Ha ha! Love it! No link to the story, as that's it in that one spare line above. Just ten words to tell a complete story. Could you do better? If you want to see some more of John's wonderful writing, however, please follow the link here: John Cox

That's all of the entries.

A quick word from our sponsor

Just before I announce the winner, I would like to say a few words about the entries. I was completely overwhelmed by the number and quality of the stories submitted to this little challenge. For the $10 I invested into the prize pot, I have got more than my money's worth in entertainment alone. What's more, thinking about how well everyone did at keeping their stories brief and to the point, and how many of the entrants took my advice about writing it all down in one go to heart, I thought I had better practise what I preach. On the morning of the deadline (5.00 am in my time zone - BST or UTC+1) I woke early with an idea in my head and and spent an hour and a bit writing it all down. One sitting, and the job of drafting my story for the unreliable witness challenge is done. I can now leave it until I am ready to edit it before submission.

Thanks, guys, for the inspiration to do this!

Back to this little challenge. I think every single entry qualified for the top prize. Each was brilliant in its own right, original, well-written (despite the quick-fire drafting and short deadline), perhaps well written because there was little time to think about it. A lesson for us all here. Write first, worry about the detail and the finer points of the writing and editing later. I think we all learnt something from that.

I enjoyed reading them all. There were, however, some that I liked more than the others or thought that they met the prompt better. These I shortlisted for my own benefit and went back to read again, this time more critically. I won't say who ended up on my shortlist as this could suggest a failing on the part of the other contestants, and there really was none. Any one of the contributors to this fun challenge could have ended up on the short list and any one could have won.

In this case, however, there can only be one winner and the

... tra la! tra la! drum roll please.... IS...

Gael MacLean for The Cosmic Gardener

This short story of intergalactic felonious abduction is just uber-cool and totally original... unless the idea was stolen from someone else, in which case... kudos to Gael for getting even further into the spirit of this challenge. To have a thief steal thieves is just so imaginative and inventive, I wish I had thought of it. And then to take them from their various homes to a place of calm reflection and horticultural rehabilitation is immense. I only wish I was more generous than to remit a mere $5 tip as winner's prize but I'm not, so $5 it is and thoroughly deserved it is too. That illustration, I have to say, is the icing on the cake. Reminiscent of a 1950s sci-fi comic and really draws the reader into the story.

The sole criteria for the awarding of the award, however, was originality of thieving character, but this story gave us so much more and gave again, that there is no doubt that The Cosmic Gardener is the winner. Please read the story if you haven't already done so, and please join me in congratulating Gael for this splendid achievement. Really well done.

All hail the:

Congratulations to each and every one of the authors who submitted their flash stories for this challenge. In all honesty you are all winners and I thank you so much for participating. You have really inspired me to look at my own work in a different light. For the sake of a $5 tip to the winner, plus 5 x $1 tips to each of the early bird entrants, I feel I am a better author, with a better understanding of how to approach characterisation.

Thank you one and all.

Love and best wishes

Ray