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![]() 2nd May 1999 |
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Secrets of the ghost houseThe mist is heavy over the tea estate at Hatton. The spooky-looking planter's bungalow sits on a hill. Partly covered with mist, the house looks dark and lonely. Every night at twelve, strange noises are heard. Sometimes figures are seen moving around and the lights flicker through the night. Many have entered this dreary domain, but not one of them has been heard of again . People say that at six o'clock an eerie stillness comes over this house and an icy wind blows. At the window a headless man has been seen making strange signs which look as if he is calling to whoever has the courage to look. One day a helpless, old man named Mark decided to answer the headless man's call. Not having much to lose, Mark decided to follow the ghostly figure. Walking through the mist Mark slowly approached the house The figure continued to beckon, its gestures becoming frantic as Mark approached. Mark was afraid but somehow gathered enough courage to push the front door open and enter the haunted house. He followed the headless man and was taken through the hall to a corner bedroom. The headless man pointed to the floor and Mark realised he was supposed to dig the place where the ghost pointed. He dug at least six feet deep and found a skeleton but then the hole started caving in. Mark heard an eerie screech and the ghost quickly disappeared through the wall. Mark was never seen or heard of again. After some years, a detective entered the haunted house, trying to discover what had happened to the lady of the house. He found a huge pile of earth dug up in a bedroom and a half covered hole. Wondering what it could all mean, Peter, the detective, began to uncover the hole. There he found Mark's skeleton on top of the skeleton of the lady who owned the house. He gave both skeletons to the pathologist who discovered that the lady had been murdered. They were puzzled as to how Mark had died. Talking to people in the village Peter was told that the lady of that house who always lived alone, had been murdered by her gardener, Tikiribanda. He had disappeared soon after and was never found. The house remains empty and even now at six o'clock spooky images are seen strange noises are heard. By Joann Fernandez, Janille Fernandez & Tahan Jansz
Trip to the moonI was very happy when I knew that I was one of those chosen to go to the moon. My friends and I went to the NASA space camp and we were given special astronaut suits. We were then taken to the spacecraft and told to take our seats. A while later the countdown began...3..2...1..0 and there was a huge sound. It was the spacecraft blasting off. I felt myself becoming lighter and lighter and soon with one kick I could float to the roof. Oh, what a feeling. I looked at the TV screen which pictured the view outside and saw a big planet in the dark sky. With a shock I realised that it was our Earth. As time passed, we saw the Earth getting smaller and soon there was another object getting bigger. Then we heard the message from the control room, "You are now approaching the orbit of the Moon." Our excitement mounted as we neared the landing site. The spacecraft came down with a slight thud and the door opened. What a sight met our eyes. There were no trees, buildings, or houses. As we stepped down, I thought of Neil Armstrong, the first man ever to walk on the Moon. We had to be careful when we walked because the Moon's gravity being less than the Earth's, each step was like a leap. I collected some samples of soil and rock in a plastic container. Soon it was time to leave and as the spacecraft took off, I looked down at the Moon, with all its craters and thought I would never experience such a thrill in my life again. Fahima Haseena Ayub
Drums and Dumbara matsBy Uncle D.C.RState patronage for the preservation and promotion of local handicrafts
comes in the form of an outlet for the sale of items bought from craftsmen.
Laksala, the state emporium of handicrafts set up in 1964 celebrated its
silver jubilee in November 1989. To mark the occasion, a set of four stamps
was issued The stamps featured four items of traditional crafts - drums, silverware, lacquerware and Dumbara mats. Sri Lanka has a rich tradition of drums. A wide variety of drums are used on numerous occasions. Beating of drums is a common feature in processions, religious ceremonies, rituals and social events. It was an effective medium of mass communication in the olden days when the 'Anaberakaraya' went round the village beating a drum to keep the public informed of important happenings or official announcements. The Re 1 stamp featured three types of popular drums - the 'geta beraya' (seen in front), 'thammettama' (somewhat close to the modern bongo with two faces) and the 'yak beraya' (a two-faced drum with a uniform base). Among other commonly used drums are the 'dawula', 'udekkiya', 'dakkiya', 'rabana' and 'thamboruwa'. Drums are made of wood and animal hide is used for the playing area. Sri Lanka is also famous for intricately carved silverware, the subject of the Rs 2 stamp. Ornaments and utensils made of silver display a symbolic value. These include exquisite domestic ware such as tea sets, serving trays, trinkets and jewellery. Lacquerware (Rs 3 stamp) includes a variety of domestic utensils made of wood. The more popular items include walking sticks, betel trays, jewellery boxes, ornamental dishes and decorative vases. Lacquering is done with expert skill by craftsmen who use their fingernails for the purpose. A variety of items belonging to the Dumbara mat range are featured on the Rs 8 stamp. Among these are fine hand-woven wall hangings, colourful mats with traditional designs and shopping bags. These are exclusively produced in the Dumbara valley close to Kandy by traditional craftsmen who use thread extracted from a kind of jute plant and dyed with natural pigments obtained from resins, barks and nuts. Dumbara mat weaving has a long history dating back to the days of ancient kings when various crafts were assigned to different communities.
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