New books in pastel coloured covers crackled in a new school bag. It was to a new class in a new school that Kiran was going to the next day. It was night time and she touched the books again before
getting ready for bed.

Kiran's heart was going faster when she thought of how it would be tomorrow. She had seen the school. It looked impressive with tall buildings and neat gardens. But, her little school in Bandarawela was cosy. It had beautiful gardens. Some school children there, tended to different plots in it. When the flowers were in bloom, especially in April and May, the gardens were gorgeous. She remembered the happy days there and that her friend Mala had tears in her eyes when they bid each other goodbye.

Kiran's father was transferred from the Provincial Council there to Colombo. She was already registered in the Colombo school. Then, Kiran told her prayers and lay down to sleep. She wondered how the girls in her class would be. Who will sit in the desk beside me? Will it be Sita, Deena or fair Leah? She went on repeating more names and arranged them like this:

Ranji, Angie, Camy or Preeni
Will it be Sita, Deena or
fair Leah?
Who will sit next to me?
At the desk, who will it be?

''Why it's a poem,'' said Kiran to herself and she laughed. ''How can I laugh, when I don't know what to expect tomorrow.''

Then she saw her school bag open. The ruler climbed out and walked straight. The pen, pencil and eraser joined him and they stood together. Next, the colour pencils jumped out, one by one. Oooh! They were smashing. They had little matching skirts and they twirled around. They were like ballerinas. What a pretty sight it was.

Then the skipping rope leaped out and flung himself in the air. He knotted and untied himself as he got into lassoes and other shapes. The little red book flapped its pages as if to clap and the exercise books climbed out and fluttered. ''Oh! What a circus, what a game? Is it a party?'' asked Kiran. Little
ballerina colour pencils made a circle and they danced and danced, twirled, rose up in the air spinning and landed straight and balanced well. Meanwhile the exercise books started a chorus:

New school, new school,
First day, first day
Kiran is in a dither
She must hurry, not tarry
and not play
Children will go hither
and thither
Kiran should go head held high
She should not be shy
We are sure, all will be well
The days will just fly

'' What a lovely song,'' thought Kiran, '' it's all for me.'' The top of her table was full of performers. The dolls and teddy bears too, joined in and they danced in couples on the floor. The toy monkey turned a
somersault, jumped to the window and ran up the curtain.

Then he leaped to the ceiling lamp hanging on a wire and swung to and fro on it, just like Tarzan.
Everyone clapped. Then the choir was getting softer and softer.

It was morning. Kiran got up and blinked her eyes. She ran to the school bag and looked inside. Everything was in order. Later, at the new school, the quadrangle was full of schoolgirls in white
uniforms and they were going hither and thither. Kiran smiled as she remembered the song last night.

She found that there were three other new girls as she wended her way to Class Four. They stood together. A bell rang and as other children filed in, a smart looking teacher came in. She was the class teacher and she welcomed all, especially the new girls and introduced them to the others. She gave them their places to sit. Kiran found that she was seated next to Neela. Neela was tall and smart, she looked at Kiran and turned her head and spoke to the girl on the other side.

'' She looks the monitor type,'' thought Kiran. When the bell rang, the teacher for English arrived. She went through their names. She asked a few girls to describe their holidays. Then, she asked the class to write a short essay on the most interesting thing that happened to them during the holidays. Amidst some groans, the students took out their new exercise books and started to write.

Of course, Kiran wrote happily about the dance of her colour pencils and all that happened. At the end of the class, the teacher collected the books and left. However, she arrived before school ended and read out some essays to the class. She said Kiran's essay was very interesting and took the first place. The whole class looked at her and smiled. Kiran knew school was going to be fun.