Animal babies

I love to write about animal babies. They are very cute and playful.
My cat Tinkebell has two beautiful babies. They are still very small and always with the mother. I was very happy to see her babies.
Our cow also has a baby calf. His colour is white. He is very playful.
I love to play with soft toys. I have all the animals with the mother and baby. Some of them are dog, cat, tiger, macaw bird, rabbit and penguin. I love to keep the mother and baby together because I think they all need their mother, like me.

Amila Eliyaperuma
(6 years)
Lyceum International School,
Ratnapura

An unforgettable day

It was a Sunday. My mother and sisters weren't at home. There were some mango trees in our backyard. I saw some ripe mangoes. I wanted to pluck one or two.

I placed a ladder against the branch. I was standing on the top step. I stretched my hand to reach a mango but I couldn't get hold of it. Just then, I saw a reptile curling around the branch. I was so frightened that I couldn't even scream. I stepped on to another branch. I wanted to climb down but in my excitement I had knocked the ladder and it had fallen down. I held on to a branch.

Just then I saw my friend Athas opening the gate. I was relieved when I saw him. He placed the ladder against the branch and I came down.

That day was an unforgettable day for me.

A. T. Arunn (11 years)
Royal College,
Colombo

A night of darkness

There was nothing else to do that night than study. I grabbed a book from my shelf and started reading, until I realized that nothing was actually going inside my head. I was reading anyway, and suddenly, there was a power cut. To tell you the truth, I'm terrified of darkness. So, I did what I usually do when it's dark; close my eyes and wish that the lights will turn back on.

Time was going slower than usual. A minute seemed like an hour to me. Next thing I knew, someone was breathing down my neck. My heart was beating much faster than usual. Then a voice said, "Nangi, is that you?" I was so relieved to hear that voice. My usually very annoying brother's voice seemed sweeter than ever. There wasn't a nicer voice I'd like to hear in this terrifying darkness.

My brother, who's much braver than me (I hate to admit it), found a torch. The dim light led me to my room. I was full of thoughts. "What would have happened if my brother didn't come? I'd still be in that perfectly awful, thin darkness," I said to myself thanking my lucky stars.

Thamasha Abeynaike (12 years)
Bishop's College

The sea

The lonely and peaceful sea at times
Had been angered in a way that never was
It roared and rolled and swished away
Destroying houses, farms and play.

But most of all it cost great lives
Of many people men and women
The sea kept anger, fear and sighs
Over the waves once calm and mild.

It slashed away through the country's coast
Bringing disaster to the island's land
Scraping letters on the human mind
Like a cared stone that will last until death.

It may be the revenge for the harm we do
And a lesson to remember of the sea so blue.

Wihanga Premaratne (12 years)
Mahamaya Girls' College,
Kandy

A visit to the 10th South Asian Games in Colombo

We went to our grandfather's house at Kotahena on August 23. His house is situated close to the Sugathadasa Stadium. We reached there around 8am. In the morning I went to the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium with my little brother and mother to watch the volleyball matches. The indoor stadium was air-condioned and very comfortable. There was a school band to inaugurate the volleyball matches. We got Sri Lankan flags to cheer. Sri Lanka beat Nepal easily.

After the volleyball match we went to our grandfather's house again to have lunch. After lunch we went to watch the swimming events. We arrived at the swimming pool around 3.15pm. It started raining, but soon the rain ceased. The swimming pool was blue in colour. I met one of my school mates, Sachira, there.

It was very interesting to see Mayumi Raheem of Sri Lanka swim, to win the Gold Medal in the women's 50 metre breaststroke event. The swimming events were over around 7.30pm. By that time all the trees in and around the Sugathadasa Stadium were illuminated with colourful lights. It was a very beautiful sight indeed. After that, we went to our grandfather's house and slept.

On the following day we went to watch the women's volleyball matches again. There was a match between Sri Lanka and Maldives. Sri Lanka beat Maldives.

In the evening the athletic events started. My father also joined us to watch them. There was a very nice school-band parade. I was proud to see Susanthika Jayasinghe and Rohan Pradeep Kumara grabbing Gold Medals in the running events to make Sri Lanka glorious.

Lasith Samayawardhena
(9 years)
Royal College

Colours

Colours make the world beautiful. Colours are wonderful. In the rainbow we see seven different colours. They are,

violet, indigo, blue, orange, red and

yellow. Colours make things look pretty. The sea reflects the colour of the sky and looks blue. The primary colours are, red, green and blue. By mixing these colours, we can form many other colours. Some animals save themselves by the help of colours, for example, a chameleon changes it's colour to be saved from being eaten. Some animals are colour-blind. God has created colours for different purposes, like to save and to make things beautiful. Children are fond of colours.

Shihara Thaha
Minaret High School