| Hello Children,
This week we have a very interesting and informative graphic for
all of you. You may have heard about the massive tidal wave that swept
away an entire village in Papua New Guinea a few weeks ago. Because the
village was situated between a lagoon and the sea most of the villagers
were swept into the lagoon. Hundreds of people lost their lives because
they were not warned about the approaching tidal wave in time to escape.
These tidal waves are also called tsunamis which is a Japanese name.
Tidal waves happen when earthquakes or volcanoes take place under the sea.
This makes the water shoot upwards and create a gigantic wave. Although
we have no reason to fear the tsunamis, it's always good to know how they
are caused.
Until next week,
Aunty Sunshine
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The culprit
There was a man
Whom they called a culprit
But I saw;
A glimpse of humanity
Tenderness of nature
Modesty in a man
Shining in his eyes
I thought
If the Lotus smells sweet
If the bees are around it
Who cares about the marsh underneath.
By Su
Visakha Vidyalaya
What Am I Doing?
I looked upon the sky
Hoping to see a night
with bright twinkling stars
Dancing around the moon
My heart fell
When I saw a lonely star
Peeping through the blackened sky
Searching for comfort
Around it was endless sky
I felt like crying
Sobbing endlessly
till my tears stopped
The star was lonely
And longing for comfort
Just like me
Asking for comfort
In a deserted place
Far away from "Love", 'affection' and everything
What am I doing?
Holding a gun
Searching for enemies
while my heart cries
for warmth of 'Love', for brotherhood!!
Gayani Charurika G. Punchihewa,
Kandy.
Road Safety
Road safety is very essential for road users of our country, because
many accidents take place daily. There is a Highway Code which everybody
should obey. The Highway Code is a set of rules that are followed by Motorists.
The Motorists are expected to follow the Highway Code for their own safety.
There are some rules to be followed by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
Pedestrians must use the pavement or footpath and shouldn't walk more than
two abreast. Cyclists and motorists should make sure that they use the
rules of the road properly. They should wear seat belts or helmets, and
know their traffic signals.
Government has done many things for the safety of the public. They put
traffic police near schools and public places. They put traffic lights
and road signals, so that people will follow the rules.
We must pay attention to the rules. Then road accidents can be reduced.
Sithara Sandamali
Writing: a noble profession
Writing is one of my favourite hobbies. It keeps me company. A person
should have the freedom to write freely about his own thoughts. This makes
life interesting. I write poetry, essays and stories in my free time. This
increases my knowledge, language and spelling. It helps to look and think
about things more widely, deeply and seriously.
If you are familiar with your pen and your paper you can describe and
write anything which comes to your mind. That is the correct method of
writing and thinking freely.
Now writing has become a part of my life. And I'm very happy with my
work. Sometimes writing can ease worried minds. You should read a lot to
write well. Reading is the main root for writing. Everyone is born with
some purpose and he or she should fulfil it. I am doing what I want. Writing
is a noble profession.
Maheshika Raigambandara.
Kind words cost nothing
Kind words have great power. It costs nothing to say a kind word. A
kind word may often be more valuable than millions of rupees.
Kind words bring encouragement to the poor in spirit, happiness and
cheerfulness to the lonely. Kind words proceed from kind hearts.
"Of your unspoken word you are a master. Once we have said a thing
we can never erase it.
Unkind words make people unhappy. Although we are not happy happy we
have no right to make others unhappy.
Musfira Abdullah,
Weligama.
Stamp News 27
Maligawa tusker honoured
By Uncle D.C.R
In this Esala season it is appropriate to remember Raja, the royal tusker
of the Sri Dalada Maligawa who performed the onerous task of carrying the
relic casket in the Esala Perahera for over half a century. The sense of
discipline and the solemn and magnificent demeanour displayed by Raja while
carrying the relic casket won the admiration and respect of millions of
devotees who year on year thronged the streets of Kandy to see the Perahera.
Raja died at 10.16 in the morning on 16th July 1988 at the ripe age
of 75. On 12th December 1989 Raja was honoured with the issue of a 75 cts
stamp. Earlier, the tusker was honoured by President J R Jayewardene who
declared Raja a national treasure for the invaluable services rendered
to the religion. Raja was the only tusker in Asia to be so honoured and
was the second in the world to receive such an honour. That was in August
l986.
Raja's is a fascinating history. It was captured on 5th January 1925
when it was 12 years old from the jungles on the eastern coast close to
Batticaloa. The 4 ft. 5 ins. tall animal had excellent features, which
suited the requirements to be a royal tusker. According to tradition, the
four legs, the trunk, the tail and the genitals of a royal tusker should
touch the ground. The spine should be flat. The head when raised should
give a dignified look. Raja had all these features.
The owner of Raja, Tikiri Banda Mampitiya Disawa of Giragama Walauwa,
Yatinuwara (he bought the animal for Rs 3300/- in December 1925) offered
Raja to the Dalada Maligawa on 31 st July 1937 along with another baby
tusker, Kanda. Diyawadana Nilame, Tikiri Banda Ratwatte received them on
behalf of the Maligawa and the Buddhist public.
In the last years, Raja was well looked after by the present Diyawadana
Nilame, Niranjan Wijeratne who tried his utmost to save the tusker when
it started falling ill from 1986.
While the Maligawa tusker stamp is a proud possession among stamp collectors,
visitors to Kandy are able to see Raja in its earlier form because it is
being stuffed with cotton wool and preserved.
 Lobsters
and barnacles
Crustaceans form the third largest class of arthropods and are only
exceeded in numbers of species by the insects and arachnids. Familiar crustaceans
are crabs, lobsters, shrimps, the small shorehoppers, garden woodlice and
barnacles. But there is a large number of lesser known forms that have
no popular names.
Midgets and giants
The majority of crustaceans live in the sea, but some inhabit brackish
and fresh waters, and a limited number are land dwellers. A few live as
parasites on or in other aquatic animals. Adults vary in size - the smallest
water flea measures only about 0.25 millimetres whilst the largest known
crustacean is the giant spider crab of Japan. It spans 3.6 metres from
claw to claw.
Lobsters
The common lobster shows the general features of crustaceans. The external
skeleton is thick and rigid. (It is thin and flexible in many smaller crustaceans.)
Only the lobster's abdomen is clearly divided into segments. The forepart
of the body has a shield (carapace) that protects the delicate gills through
which the lobster breathes .
Sensors
The antennules and antennae are used as sensors. The whip-like antennae
detect prey, sex partners and obstacles. In addition, at the base of each
antennule is an organ of balance. The large claws differ slightly in shape
and are used for crushing and cutting food, for defence and during mating.
The remaining pairs of legs are used for walking. The lobster's heavy shell
prevents it from being a really good swimmer. It much prefers to crawl
along over the sea bed in a similar way to its crab-like relatives .
Moulting
The lobster's hard shell must be shed periodically to allow growth.
Shell-shedding, or moulting, is hazardous and exhausting. Preparation begins
with many changes within the body tissue. Eventually, a new shell is formed
beneath the old. As moulting begins, the shell between the abdomen and
the thorax splits across its width. The lobster flexes and straightens
its body so that the split becomes wider. After a while, the lobster can
withdraw its limbs and its soft body through the gap. The shell of a newly
moulted lobster is soft. At this stage the animal takes up water that causes
it to swell and increase in size. During the next few weeks the shell gradually
hardens. Until this has happened the lobster is vulnerable to predators
and usually remains carefully hidden.
Reproduction in lobsters
During the summer newly moulted female lobsters mate with hardshelled
males. Later, the spawned eggs are attached to the hairs on the female's
swimmerets. These eggs are carried for nine to ten months and hatch as
minute larvae that swim in the upper regions of the sea. As they pass through
successive stages they get larger and eventually become tiny lobsters.
Barnacles
An example of the smaller crustaceans is the barnacle. A barnacle is
attached to a rock surface by its head; its legs are movable "nets"
used for collecting small food particles from the water. Common shore species
have limy plates surrounding their delicate body. They can close their
valves to prevent the body from drying out when exposed at low tide.
Some species of barnacles live high upon the shore and can withstand
long periods of exposure to air. Others live in vast numbers in the rocky
intertidal regions of the shore. The goose barnacle lives very differently.
It attaches itself to driftwood or to submerged parts of ships. Its head
is elongated to form a stalk.
The barnacle larva that hatches from the egg is totally unlike its parent
in body shape. The minute swimming larva that first emerges gradually develops
into a form that has a bean-shaped shell.
This bean-shaped larvae seeks out a surface on which to settle. It may
make several attempts to attach itself to a surface before using it adhesive
"cement" to eventually fix itself in position. Once secure, it
develops into the final barnacle like form.
Acorn barnacles, along with many other marine organisms attach themselves
to submerged parts of ships. Sometimes, the growths are so thickly encrusted
that they affect the ship's speed through the water.
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