I enjoy the music of birds

Winner:

Birds are very interesting animals and they are also very attractive. They are very useful to our environment. If not for them the environment would be a very boring place and people will miss the opportunity of listening to the music they make.

Enjoying the music of birds is a very interesting hobby. My family members and I love to do it. My sister and I use binoculars to watch the birds make nests in our garden.

As we love listening to their music during our leisure, we go to the garden and hide behind the trees and observe the way they sing. Sometimes I hear the nightingale singing in a sweet voice in the night. It keeps me relaxed and happy and I have pleasant dreams. Even when I wake up in the morning, the memory of its melody refreshes my mind and helps me to do my work, in a pleasant mood.

My sister always says it would be nice if we too were birds. She says that she likes to be a bird and sing sweetly like they do.

Birds can sing more sweetly than most humans and we can enjoy their songs better than some songs played over the radio.

Different kinds of birds such as parrots, mynahs and kingfishers come to my garden. The bird I prefer most is the parrot. I like it most because it makes melodious sounds.

Birds have a sweet rhythm in their songs. Whenever we feel sad we can enjoy the music of birds and forget our sorrows.

Oh! how lovely it is to enjoy the music of birds and observe their behaviour, especially when we are in a pensive mood. It's a great joy to see them in my garden and listen to their melodious sounds

Praveenya de Silva,

Grade 9,

Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura.

Stars of Sri Lanka

Winner:

There are many stars in our country. They are sports stars, dancing stars and singing stars. All these shining stars make our country sparkle. Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Susanthika Jayasinghe are some of the sports stars.

Pandit W.D. Amaradeva, Nanda Malini, Bathiya, Santhush and Nirosha Virajini are popular singers. In our country, there are many stars who sing beautifully. Pandit W.D.Amaradeva's Rathnadeepa is popular among children. All other singing stars sooth us with their melodious voices. Among the film stars also there are many well-known actors and actresses. Malini Fonseka, Jackson Anthony, Sangeetha Weerarathna and Sriyantha Mendis are unforgettable. Suriya Arana and Aba are good films they acted in.

In the cricket field, Thisara Perera is a new all round player. Kumar Sangakkara is the captain of the Sri Lanka cricket team. He is also the wicket-keeper. Sanath Jayasuriya is the most popular star among cricket lovers. He has kept a record for the fastest half century.

Susanthika Jayasinghe could keep our national flag flying at the athletics. She is the first woman athlete to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games. Shehan Ambepitiya became the fastest runner in SA Games held in Bangladesh this year.We can't forget the dancing stars. They too have come to the limelight through competitions organised by TV channels. Nowadays we can see many children too among these stars.

Children too are showing their talents and becoming stars in every field. I wish all child stars and others good luck.

K.R.A. Subodha,

Grade 5, Minu/Udugampola Primary School, Udugampola.

How I would enjoy travelling

If I go to a beach hotel in Unawatuna or Koggala, I would enjoy touching the sea water and swimming in a pool, hanging out with my parents, shopping at the mall, watching fishermen catch fish in the evening Sun, taking a walk near the beach and reading a book on an armchair near the pool. How wonderful it would be, rather than staying at home.

I also love to travel abroad and discover new things. I would love to go to Italy, Paris, America, England and the Maldives. It would be great fun to visit different countries and learn many new things. I also like to travel in our country. I would really love to visit Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, especially to see the ruins of ancient Sri Lanka. Staying at home can be really boring, but travelling can be great fun.

Ranuli Palipane,

Grade 4 D, Musaeus College, Colombo 7.