Winner: A visit to Nuwara Eliya

My father promised me that if I come first in class, that he will take us on a trip. I studied hard, till late in the night. I came first in class. As promised he decided to take us to Nuwara Eliya.

The day before, we packed our clothes. We got up early in the morning and got ready. My mother made sandwiches for breakfast. We left home at 5.30 a.m. We were happy and overjoyed. On our way we sang songs and enjoyed ourselves.

The first stop was Kandy. We worshipped the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Dalada Maligawa. Then we walked to the lake and had our breakfast. We started on our journey. We saw many waterfalls, mountains, vegetable sellers and beautiful tea estates. When we reached Nuwara Eliya it was around 7 a.m.

We went to Haggala Botanical Gardens and we saw many beautiful flowers. There were various kinds of roses. I saw purple roses for the first time in my life.

We were feeling hungry and father took us to a beautiful hotel to have lunch. We had a sumptuous lunch. On the way back, we bought fresh vegetables. It was misty and cold. We left Nuwara Eliya at 5 p.m. and reached home at 7 p.m.

This is an unforgettable trip.

R.M. Kaweesha Thisaranie Rathnayake,
Grade 7,
Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya,
Kurunegala.

Winner: Baker’s Falls

Baker’s Falls is in Horton Plains National Park. I have visited this attractive place. We had to walk three kilometres from the entrance of the National Park through narrow roads.

When we walked along the footpath, we came across various types of endemic flora and fauna. We felt the temperature decreasing gradually when entering the forest. We heard the gushing sound of water when we were getting closer. Then we saw the beautiful Baker’s Falls. The water was gushing through the rocks.

People visit Baker’s Falls and spend time taking photographs and enjoying its beauty. Unfortunately, we could not touch the water as it was cold.

Sir Samuel Baker, a hunter and farmer who resided in the island during British rule, the waterfall.

Thara Hewawasam,
Grade 8, Royal Institute International School,
Maharagama.

Winner: Let’s protect the environment

The environment is our surroundings. It comprises land, aquatic areas, grasslands, the coastal belt and mangroves which form an eco-system with a variety of colourful animals and plants.

Plants, animals and micro-organisms which are decomposers in an eco-system are different from one another and is known as biodiversity.

Biodiversity helps all living beings in many ways. For example, it helps to protect them and also reduce competition among organisms for food, shelter and light. In getting food, organisms show biodiversity such as carnivorous, herbivorous and omnivorous animals. Biodiversity is essential for human existence as there are many advantages that we obtain as a result.

Extinction of organisms, environmental pollution, deforestation and other short-sighted actions of humans have posed a severe threat to biodiversity.

As school children, we can do many things to conserve biodiversity. Reducing the use of polythene, growing plants that consume compost fertilisers and not polluting the environment are some ways to protect it.

So, let us get together and work to conserve biodiversity, which not only helps protect our planet, but also adds to its beauty. Biodiversity depends on the behaviour of animals.

We should protect the animals in the environment and provide space for their survival.

M.M. Imesh Gimhan Mapalagama,
Grade 8A,
Kuli/Panduwasnuwara
S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake National College.

Winner: Tea, the main cash crop in Sri Lanka

Tea is the main cash crop in our country. It is mostly grown in the hill country.

Tea pluckers pluck tea leaves and they are sent to the tea factories at a particular area. From there they put it into machines which turn it into powder. Tea is exported to many countries. They bring much needed foreign exchange to our country.

Tea estates beautify the country. They look like grasslands when we look at them from a distance. The Tea Research Institute is in Talawakele.

We must take care and improve the tea industry.

S. Sheshini,
Grade 4,
Sri Ramakrishna Primary School,
Yatiyantota.

Winner: On the rose planet

I landed on the rose planet within four seconds. I was astonished to see roses everywhere. It was a wonderful sight. Even men and boys were wearing big roses on their shirts. There were bushes of roses by the roadside.

Even the food was in the shape of roses. A bun was in the shape of a rose. The houses had been made in the shape of roses. I entered a rose house and sat on a chair which was in the shape of a rose.

The people of that house were wearing clothes with pictures of different kinds of roses.

They offered me a Vade which looked like a brown rose and a rose drink.

A light lit up the rose. Even the room had the fragrance of roses. All of a sudden someone shook my shoulders.

I fell from the rose planet. I could not stop laughing when I realised that I was in the Haggala gardens. I had escaped into a world of fantasy.

D.M. Rashmiee
Navoda, Grade 9C,
Ranpokunagama M.V,Nittambuwa.

A nightmare

It was a peaceful night. A calm breeze was blowing. I was standing on a lovely meadow. There were many trees laden with fruit and sweet-smelling flowers. I saw a herd of deer eating grass a little way off. Pretty birds were everywhere singing melodious tunes. And a swarm of bees was humming a lovely tune as they flew busily.

It was calm and quiet. Suddenly the herd of deer ran away, the birds flew away, the flowers faded, the grass turned grey, the leaves looked dry and the fruit looked shrivelled.

The sky which was bright blue became dark and cloudy. I thought everything was hiding though I did not know from what.

As I stood there wondering what to do, a large shadow was cast. It almost covered the whole meadow making it dark like night. I knew the shadow could only belong to a large monster. A sudden fear gripped me so I started to run away though I did not know what I was running away from. My conscience told me not to look back though I was curious what was behind. After running for sometime I could not resist taking a glance back.

What I saw made me stop dead in my track. It was a giant monster at least 20-30 feet tall.

It had grey fur and a hideous face. It had a large mouth which he opened revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth and a large thick and long tongue.

Before I could start running again it lifted me from my thumb and put me into its mouth.

It opened its mouth to close hard against me to chew and eat when I suddenly screamed loudly.

Then a light dazzled and my grandmother asked, “Did you have a nightmare, dear?”

Kavithi Fernando,
Grade 6C,
Lyceum International School,
Panadura.

My favourite cartoon

My favourite cartoon is ‘Tom and Jerry.’ It is one of the most popular cartoons in the world. Not only children but also people of every age group watch it.

In ‘Tom and Jerry’ there are two characters. Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse. The cartoon was created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

‘Tom and Jerry’ cartoon series has been screened for over 70 years.

I like to watch ‘Tom and Jerry.’

C. Tharushi Akshaya,
Grade 2,
Webster International School, Hatton.