Value of trees

“I think I shall never see,

A poem as lovely as a tree”

Our country is rich with a vast variety of trees. They not only enhance the beauty of our country, but also provide many benefits to man and animal.

We can’t live on this planet without trees. All living forms depend on four things. They are sunlight, water, air and food. One of the main sources of food is trees. We obtain food such as jak and coconuts from trees.

Trees help purify the air by taking in carbon dioxide and putting out oxygen. They also help prevent soil erosion. If we destroy forests by cutting down trees, the animals will have no place to live. It will affect the eco balance.

Trees which are useful to us in many ways provide timber. They are used to make furniture, doors, windows and also rafters for roofs. Many other resources like paper, fuel and medicines are also obtained from trees.

The coconut tree is a very useful tree because it gives us coconut milk, coconut oil, poonac, etc. The young coconuts (kurumba) contain a sweet water which is drunk and the kernel is eaten. Toddy and jaggery too are made with coconuts. In fact, almost every part of this tree is valuable to us.

Senuri Satharasinghe, Grade 8G,Musaeus College,Colombo.
 

Stop dumping garbage on the roads

These days ‘garbage’ can be seen everywhere. The garbage problem is highlighted through the radio, television and the newspapers. One of the major problems is the lack of space inside the country to dispose garbage.

There are houses, shops, buildings everywhere with no provision for people to dispose of their garbage. So, many just dump the garbage on the roads. These days we can see a commercial on television, asking “Me Obada” focusing on this problem.

Garbage affects both humans and animals; it’s a health hazard. It pollutes the whole environment. A bad smell comes from these heaps of decomposing garbage and people can’t bear this.

Animals and birds throw the garbage everywhere when searching for food. They also carry the polluted garbage and dump it in gardens and sometimes even in waterways. Because of this, diseases may occur. We must prevent this.

People use water that is so polluted by garbage and suffer as a result.

When the environment is polluted it poses a severe health risk. People who live in such environments may not be healthy all the time. So we should take measures to protect our environment and keep it clean. We must learn to dispose garbage in a proper manner.

M. Prabhasara Kanchani Leelarathne, Grade 11,WP/Don Pedrick College,Horana.
 

My favourite book

I’m a thirteen year old girl who loves to read books. From my childhood I loved to read books on adventure.

Recently I read a book written by the famous author Enid Blyton titled Mr. Pink Whistle. It is a story about a simple man who lives alone with a little spaniel dog named Timmy.

Mr. Pink Whistle is the name of this simple man. He is a very helpful person.

He helps both man and animal who are in need of assistance. His pet dog is also an animal he helped.

The adventures of Mr. Pink Whistle show how a man should live in society.

As the main character of this story, Mr. Pink Whistle gives life to the story.

It is his character that made me select this book as my favourite.

Enid Blyton is known as a great writer. She has a special way of writing stories using different styles. Her creative style of writing has captured my interest.

Taking Mr. Pink Whistle as role model, I will also try to be a helpful citizen in the future.

Demindhi Tharukie Wethalawa, Grade 8C,St. Joseph’s College,Bandarawela.
 

My first journey by train

It was a holiday, but I got up early in the morning because my family members and I were going on a trip to Kandy. We were travelling by train. It was my first journey by train.

My mother packed all our bags and we went to the railway station. We bought tickets at the entrance and went to the platform. When we came up to the train I looked at the many carriages for different classes and wondered where we would sit. As we had bought third class tickets we went to the third class section.

I sat near the window, but I was afraid when the train commenced its journey. However, I got over it later especially when passing the sea. I enjoyed watching the scenery all the way; tall trees, electric cables and buildings flashed past me as I peered out of the window. I was happy. It was a great experience.

After a while my mother gave some buns and apples to eat. A man selling story books came to our carriage and I bought one to read on the rest of the journey.

When we reached Kandy, we travelled by van to my grandmother’s house. After staying at grandma’s for a day we came back home, also by train. I wrote a letter to my friend about my journey by train. I like to travel by train many more times because it’s a wonderful experience.

F. Nishra Nasar, Sacred Heart Convent, Galle.
 

The mysteries of King Tutankhamen

You may have heard of the famous Egyptian boy-king, Tutankhamen, called Tut by many. But you may not know the mystery behind his death. There is so much history and mystery behind the golden mask that brings his mummy to life.

Tutankhamen was born around 1320 BC and it is said that he was only eight or nine years old when he became a pharaoh and ruled Egypt for about ten years. This young pharaoh is mainly known for two reasons.

One, is for the fact that he changed the Egyptian religion, which his predecessor Akhenaten introduced. Secondly for his tomb in the Valley of the Kings; when discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 it was almost completely intact - (the most complete ancient Egyptian tomb found in history).

Tut was very young at the time of his reign so his vizier(official) and eventual successor Ay probably made most of the important political decisions during the time. Among the mysteries surrounding him, is his parentage.

At present, many believe that he was the son of Akhenaten and step son of Nefertiti. Tutankhamen was married to Ankhesepaaten who was considered to be a very loving wife.

The mystery surrounding Tutankhamen’s death is indeed what makes this young king so famous. However, many investigations and CT scans done on the mummy have unravelled some unclear facts about his death.

Many said he was murdered. X-rays of Tut’s mummy taken in 1968 revealed a spot at the lower back part of the skull. This suggested that the young pharaoh was murdered. Some scientists believed that this could have been due to a hard blow to the back of the head.

In March 2005, Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass revealed results of a CT scan performed on the pharaoh’s mummy.

The scan indicated no proof of a blow to the back of the head. There seemed to be a hole in the head of the mummy, but it appeared to be drilled, possibly by the embalmers.

A fracture on Tut’s left leg was also discovered and it was said to be severely infected before his death.

As the truth of Tutankhamen’s death slowly unravelled before the scientists, much was learnt about his life. His age at the time of death was estimated at 19 based on his physical developments.

After many controversial discussions and advanced research, the 2005 team of Egyptian scientists concluded that the young king died due to gangrene (death due to obstructed circulation or bacterial infection) after breaking his leg. Further investigation of the fracture indicated that the condition of his leg was most likely caused by a fall from some height - possibly a chariot riding accident.

And so, the mystery of King Tutankhamen’s death is partially solved, with possibly more to be uncovered beneath his tomb in the mysterious Valley of the Kings.

I cherish the moments I spent acquiring knowledge about Egyptian civilization, in which king Tutankhamen played a major role.

Ravini Abeywickrama, Grade 9, Stafford International School, Colombo 7.