A good friend is a blessing

Winner:

Friendship is a bond between two living beings. Age, status, caste, creed or gender is of no importance when it comes to friendship. A child, a teenager, a young or even an old person can find a friend.

Friendship is like a plant which must be watered regularly, to grow. True friends share almost everything; their dreams, plans, joy and sorrows.

We share our secrets and thoughts with a true friend because he is trustworthy and loyal to us. It is important that true friends are kind and good to each other. Caring and sharing makes a friendship healthy and strong and adds colour to life.

There are many factors which lead to the loss of friendship. Money is one factor. You can lose a good friend in a moment. “Lend your money and lose your friend,” is a popular saying. Dishonesty is another factor. Lying to your friend is not good. If you lie to your good friends it will make them unhappy. You must not lie to them and always try to be honest and truthful. It is very difficult to find a good friend, but it is very easy to lose one - in a matter of seconds.

Do you know that true friends are always together in spirit? So, I request all of you not to fight with your friends, even for fun. Also do not tease your friends. If they have done something wrong, do not quarrel with them. Be patient and explain to them about their wrong actions and ask them not to do it again. Do not lose a good friend over something trivial. Good friends multiply joys and divide sorrows.

Rashmi Virajine Welisara,
Grade 7,
Negombo South International School,
Nittambuwa Branch

 A funny story

The funniest story I have ever read is Dad’s got an alligator by Jeremy Strong.

One day when the father comes home from work, he brings an enormous alligator. The alligator is longer than the sofa. The children and Mum are surprised. Ron takes the alligator to the kitchen. The alligator puts the refrigerator down and creeps inside. It is a big mess!

One morning when the mother goes into the bathroom to take a wash, she sees the alligator washing himself in her bathtub. That is the funniest part in the story.

Anjana Kavindu,
Grade 6 A,
Hejaaz International School, Dehiwala.

[YOUR POEMS]

Winner:

MJ - the King of Pop

When I was small
I knew about you
I dreamt of meeting you, someday
Now, my dream will remain a dream

You have gone to sleep for a long time
You taught children how to heal our world
And you taught us how to love Mother Nature
But you are not with us, anymore

You were always singing songs
And you were always dancing
We all saw your talents
You were a brilliant man

You were always imitated
As you were so talented
Please stay safely
You will always be in my heart

Thilini Liyanage,
Grade 8 B, St. Lawrence’s Convent,
Wellawatte.

The world in hundred years

Not a tree to be seen,
Not a bird to fly in the sky,
Not a lion to roar at a deer,
Not a flower to beautify the surrounding,
No more butterflies to suck nectar from flowers,
Since nature has bid farewell to the world.

Tall buildings which touch the sky have risen,
Talking machines smarter than humans invented,
No cars on the roads since all fly up in the sky,
Wow! what an amazing development man has achieved.

Medicines to all diseases are discovered,
So all humans are healthy and wealthy,
Man does not do any work but rest,
Since machines do all the work.
Oh! what a comfortable life for man!.

Fathiha Fiyaz,
Grade - 9,
Alexandra College,
Maradana.

Hikkaduwa, the magical paradise

Winner:

Hikkaduwa, a popular tourist destination in the Galle District is renowned for its beach and corals. The coral gardens here is considered to be one of the best in Asia. Corals come in various shapes, sizes and colours. They are a very fascinating sight, especially when there is bright sunlight, as it gives a clearer view of the corals beneath the water.

I think this hidden paradise is a precious gift of nature. Sri Lanka’s coastal belt is rich with this “Little Coral Sinharaja” at the bottom of the sea.

The Hikkaduwa beach is situated 98 km from Colombo towards the south of Sri Lanka. This beautiful coastal town which is just 14 kms from Galle is the first of Sri Lanka’s beautiful beaches down South.

Hikkaduwa is also one of the best surfing spots in the country.It is not only the beautiful corals that we can see in Hikkaduwa ,but also various kinds of fish that live in this area such as the parrot fish, damsel fish and butterfly fish. . We can also see the sea turtle, sea snake, jelly fish and the sea cucumber at Hikkaduwa.We can see these marvellous creations of nature by travelling in a glass-bottomed boat.

Hikkaduwa has gained fame for its corals but today these corals are being threatened. Most species of corals are vanishing rapidly because of the destructive fishing practises and the disposal of sewage into the sea.

We must take steps to protect these precious corals by imposing strict laws, carrying out awareness programmes, creating new job opportunities to stop coral mining and introducing alternate raw materials for coral-based industries.

With the help of these laws and measures we must conserve the beautiful underwater world.

A.H.M. Shashikala Wijesinghe,
Grade 10, Holy
Family B.M.V.,
Kurunegala.

Natural disasters in Sri Lanka

Winner:

Natural disasters can occur anywhere in the world. They also bring various results such as the loss of life and property. These are disasters that strike unexpectedly for which we are unprepared for. They occur mostly due to the rising temperature of the Earth or as a result of human negligence.

Some of these natural disasters are floods, landslides, lightning, tsunamis, droughts and cyclones. One of the worst disasters we had to face very recently was the floods that left many thousands homeless. The landslides that occurred along with the floods have changed the eography of the country to some extent..

These disasters can be the result of human activities such as polluting the environment and deforestation. They may occur also due to physical, climatic or geological factors.

These disasters could be avoided to a certain degree by minimising the felling of trees for personal use and by not polluting the water, air and land. By listening to news and weather forecasts, we could prepare ourselves to face them. We need to be a little more vigilant. So let’s be ready to face any future disasters and also help those who are affected by the recent calamity.

Mohamed Saffan Gani,
Grade 9, Sussex College,
Kurunegala.