Expressions

A trip to Kanneliya forest

I went on a trip to Kanneliya forest with my father’s friends by bus. It took about one and half hours for us to get there. It was a beautiful place. First we ate breakfast and then walked in the forest.

There were lots of trees of different sizes and types. Some of them were very rare. There was a river and a waterfall. There were small animals like lizards, birds and spiders. There were also lots of leeches and some of them climbed on to our legs.

I collected lots of different types of leaves. We had a bath in a river.

We went through a narrow tunnel. It was very dark We had lunch and then visited the museum closeby. I enjoyed the trip very much. We came home at about 8 o’clock.

Dulan Shanuka Kommalage, Class 4E, Siridharmma College.
 

I’m the farmer in my garden

I have a big garden where I grow vegetables and fruits. I grow lady’s fingers, brinjals, pumpkins and tomatoes.

There is also a mango tree, some papaya trees, a guava tree and a jambu tree. Everyday I water the plants. There is also a compost pit in my garden. I give fresh fruits and vegetables to my mother. Birds and squirrels come to eat the fruits in the garden. I am happy with my garden. Do you have a garden?

Anil Pandithakoralage, Class 3 S1,St. Peter’s College, Colombo 4.

Advantages of travel

It would be great if we could travel to various places when we have free time. There are lots of important places to see in our country. If we go to Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa, we could gain a lot of knowledge about ancient kings, palaces, dagabas, huge tanks and many more ancient things.

We know that the climate is different from one place to another in our country. So, by travelling to different regions, we could experience the hot and cold climates.

We could also admire the beautiful surroundings in far - away villages. As we are always spending very busy lives in the city, we could relax and calm our minds by visiting tranquil places, full of greenery.

If we could travel to other countries, we would be able to gather more knowledge about the different cultures, lifestyles and languages of the people in those countries.

There are many more things, we could enjoy and experience through travels abroad.

There are so many modes by which we could travel; by train, bus, van, boat, ship and by aeroplane. We could experience the difference when we use the different types of transport available.

I think travelling is very educational and useful. Some travel as a hobby.

Koshali Ponweera, Grade 8A, Musaeus College, Colombo.
 

Our English Concert

The schoolchildren were eagerly awaiting the English Concert. It was on April 7 that the great day dawned. A large number of spectators were filling in at the main school hall, pushing each other as they went in.

The first item was an attractive ballroom dance, magnificently performed, by the Grade 4 students. After a number of items were performed our item was announced. It was a complimentary action song called ‘Fooba-Wooba John’.

The background of this song was of a fun loving amateur music master leading his pupils to visit various places and sing songs about them. In this particular song, they visit a magnificent brick castle where they meet a tuba-player named John. The adventurous crowd sing the song ‘Wooba John’, about the nature of John.

The second item I participated in was a jolly drama titled ‘Shoemaker and Elves.’ In this drama, unknown to the aged and poor shoemaker, the elves weave black leather into pairs of thick, heavy shoes. At the end of the story the shoemaker becomes wealthy by selling the pairs of shoes the elves have made.

Another item that filled me with laughter was a comedy presented by the Grade 10 students. In this comedy, an audacious person named Brinsley steals some furniture from a multi-millionaire called Harold. It is done in fun. When Harold comes to Brinsley’s house, he makes a fuss, fearing that Harold would recognise his own furniture.

It was a very funny presentation, a wonderful comedy, which climaxed with all the chairs falling down, along with the occupants who ended up laughing on the floor.

At the end of the concert, everyone appreciated our performance which they said was excellent. It was indeed an unforgettable experience.

Ruwimal Pathiraja, 4A,St. Mary’s College, Hambantota.
 

Would books be replaced by computers?

Many people say that in the future we will not use books and libraries because we will get all the information we need from computers.

Perhaps in the future children would not even go to school; that means there will be no teachers, no uniforms and schools.

Do you think that this could happen? What is your view about it? I think it’s possible because, we already learn some subjects using the computer. There are no books for those subjects. Some children in Canada, England, America and other European countries use laptops and study at home already.

However, on the other side of the coin, there are many countries where many children don’t have the facility to even learn using books. They are unable to buy the necessary textbooks due to poverty. Some don’t even know how to read.

So, now we know of these possibilities in life we must be prepared to face any challenge in the future. My sisters and brothers, the computer is your future.

F. J. Stephani Sandarasekera, Grade 7 English Medium, B/Viharamahadevi Navodya Maha Vidyalaya, Badulla.

What I’ll tell in heaven

There was a day....I remember,
At dawn,
People called me ‘baby’,
In the morning,
They called me ‘child’,
In the afternoon,
They called me ‘young girl’
In the evening,
I was called ‘woman’,
At night,
All of them called me ‘old lady’,
Oh! I remember,
What a marvellous day it was...

K.G. Dinisi Wimansika Nandasena, Grade 9F, Maliyadeva Adarsha Maha Vidyalaya, Kurunegala.
 

Mother Nature

Oh! What an amazing gift
Which was given by God
Oh! What a beautiful sight
We can see everywhere
God gave this nature
For us to live, but
Are we living with nature?
No, the modern man can’t
Even remember the word “nature”
But, we have to live
With nature because,
It is like our mother
Who has given birth to life
Let’s protect our Mother Nature forever

W. Srini Swain Dabarera, Grade 11-6, Ch/We H.F.B. Vidyalaya.

If cats are mice and mice are cats

If cats are mice and mice are cats
How different would it be
To see a small creature chasing a big one
How different it would be

If cats are mice and mice are cats
The cats would eat cheese
And the mice would eat cat food
How different it would be

In the “Tom and Jerry” kiddies’ show
Tom cat would be Tom mouse
And Jerry mouse will become Jerry cat
How different it would be

If cats are mice and mice are cats
I won’t like it that way
I like the way it is now
Because it wasn’t meant to be any other way

Thisara Ranpatige, Grade 5 C,Musaeus College, Colombo.
 

May Day celebrations

A special day dedicated to the working people,
A significant day for the labour force,
People in thousands, all over the world,
Celebrate ‘May Day’ with great effort.

Marching along the streets and roads,
Carrying colourful banners and flags,
Yearning for their ‘reasonable’ demands,
Celebrating ‘May Day’ with much glamour.

Showing the world the strength of their force,
Shouting at the top of their voices,
Marching forward smartly hand in hand,
To celebrate ‘May Day’ with force.

Have you ever thought of this powerful force,
Our world depends on them to a great extent,
Yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever,
Now, have you realised the value of their labour?

Appreciating the service done by them,
Listening to their reasonable demands,
Let’s give them the fullest support with a smile,
Sri Lanka too celebrated it on first of May.

Diduni Chamathka Pushpakumara, Grade 11G, Mr/Sujatha Vidyalaya, Matara.