The Festival of Thai Pongal

12-14 years

A festival is a day or a season for rejoicing or merry-making. Festivals are based on religious, national and on social backgrounds. In the case of religious, it is observed to promote religion and to make people realize the truth and to live a righteous life.

Thai Pongal is celebrated by Hindus all over the world. Thai Pongal falls on January 15 as the first festival for Hindus. It is a special occasion for farmers to enjoy their bumper harvest. Hindus celebrate this festival to thank Lord Sun, who has helped farmers to get a good harvest.
People wake up early in the morning and take a bath. Then they get prepared to make a new hearth. After that they draw Kolam and decorate with sugar cane. The new pot is mounted on the hearth. Milk and water get warmed up. While the milk is boiling they light crackers. Rice and green gram are cooked in it. Then jaggery is added to taste. Besides this they make vadai and murukku.
Everything is offered in front of the fire place on a banana leaf. They worship Lord Sun and go to the temple. They share sweetmeats with their friends and relations and enjoy the day happily.
On the next day they celebrate Mattu Pongal to thank cows who have helped farmers in many ways.

Jathushiya Ranjan (13 years)
Hindu Ladies College,
Colombo 6

Peace

People can no more bear and hear,
The sounds of bombs, cries of fear,
And everyone’s wish is for peace,
That the cruel war would cease.

Tears of fear would end one day
Everyone think, pray and say,
That peace is on its' way,
The day is near to be gay.

North and South will be one land,
With happiness and peace at every hand.
The flags of peace will rise,
With smiles and cheers of all.

May Sri Lanka be a peaceful land!

Ishanthi Dissanayake
(13 years)
St. Anthony's Girls College, Kandy

My trip to Kandalama

One Monday morning, we got up to go to Kandalama. We woke up at about 6 a.m. in the morning and were ready to go. We took our things and got into the car. My father drove the car.

At about 11 a.m. we came to Kurunegala, which is my father's home town. We went to his house and we ate there. My cousin and I played a word game and she won!

After that we continued our trip. At last we came to the Kandalama Hotel. It was very beautiful. It was very natural and all kinds of plants were all over the hotel. We arrived at 3 p.m. As we entered the hotel an aunty gave us a Lotus flower.

We went to the swimming pool and had drinks. I chose a Wood-apple drink. My friend Savana and her father had a swim in the pool. There was a lovely view from the pool.

It became dark soon, and we had dinner and later played several games of carrom. We went to sleep at 11 o'clock in the night.

We got up the next day and had breakfast and then decided to go to the park. There were a lot of animals there. We also went to the animals’ feeding place. After that we went to see the place where elephant dung paper is made. I bought a lovely note book from there.

We came back and had lunch and after that we had to go. I was very sad that our trip was over. Before we left, an aunty gave us some homemade chutney.

I thought that this was the best trip ever

Shashindi Vithanage
Bishops College

William Shakespeare

During Queen Elizabeth's time, William Shakespeare of Stratford was a well-to-do citizen and he had the best education in town.

After he left school, he worked as a lawyer's clerk, as a school master, an apprentice and as a printer. He married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer in Stratford.

He felt that he could act and write plays for the theatre. He became an actor of Globe Theatre. His plays are the best that the world has known. They are still read and acted, in every language in every country. Shakespeare's work in the Globe Theatre brought him wealth. He became the owner of theatres in London and bought the best house in Stratford. He took his old parents to live with his family.

He lived the life of a contented, well-to do English gentleman. He was known amongst his friends as a gentle, kind, cheerful and honest man.

He died when he was fifty-three years old and was buried in the Parish church at Stratford.

There is a bust of Shakespeare placed over his tomb. His memory, like his works, will never die for an age. They are for all time. He created excellence, out of the English language, to make it the supreme of them all.

Nithipan Suresh
(11 years)
St. Peter's College

My class

My class is Grade Two 'Lihini.' My class teacher's name is Madam Swarna Rambukwella. There are about 40 children in my class. We all do our studies very well. We have displayed all our handwork around the class and it looks very beautiful. I love my class very much.

Muminah Hakeem
(Grade 2)
St. Paul's Milagiriya

Hopping Rabbit

Here is a rabbit,
Hopping,hopping,hop,
Over the hill,
And down the lawn,
With a bushy tail,
And two little ears,
Here is a rabbit,
Hopping, hopping, hop.

Anuki Pasqual
(Grade 2)
Visakha Vidyalaya

Myself

My name is Michelle Gnanapragasam. I am eight years old. I live in Dehiwala. There are three members in my family. They are my mother, father and myself.

I go to Methodist College. It is situated in Kollupitiya. My favourite food item is thosai with sambal and chutney. I mostly like to eat Indian food because it is really tasty.

I love every kind of bird and animal. I like to go on trips with my family and friends. It's fun to go to the park and I like to go on the swings. They go up and down and the air touches my face.

I hope one day to be a doctor and treat sick people.

Michelle Gnanapragasam
(8 years)
Methodist College

The uses of trees

Trees make the environment beautiful. Trees give us shade. Trees give us medicine. Trees give us rain. They also give out oxygen.

We must look after trees. If there are no trees, it will be a desert.

We can get fruits and vegetables from trees. Birds make their homes in trees. Trees stop soil erosion. We can get timber to make houses, buildings, pencils etc.

We must not cut trees. We must grow and protect trees.

Nirma Sarangi
(Grade 4)
Vidura College