Books are our friends

“Reading maketh a full man”, was the famous saying of Sir Francis Bacon. Famous people such as Albert Einstein and Maxim Gorky developed their knowledge by reading. A good book is a good friend to man and a good guide for a successful life, said Maxim Gorky.

Once Lord Macaulay’s grand-daughter wrote to him that if she was given a choice between the crown of the Empire and a small room filled with books, she would select the latter without any hesitation.

Reading develops man’s knowledge and mind as well. We can read books during our leisure and as a hobby. The kept books are written by great writers. The time we devote to read such books is equivalent to the time we devote to associate with such writers.

Reading gives a creative person to the world. It helps to develop man’s positive thinking. A positive thinking man is a beacon light to the society.

Sarani Alahakoon,
Grade 7G,
Mahamaya Girls’ College, Kandy.

A visit to an exhibition

We had a grand exhibition in our town last month. My friends and I went to see it one evening. When we were entering the grounds, it looked like a fairyland. It decorated with numerous bright-coloured lights. People were dressed in their best clothes, walking from one corner to another admiring the stalls.

The stalls were filled with musical instruments, machinery, furniture and various goods for sale. Out of all these, the children’s corner was the most attractive stall. It was crowded with girls and boys. There were all types of amusement Parlours, such as the merry-go-round, dodgem cars and remote controlled cars. In each of these, children and grown-ups were seated and enjoying themselves. I too had fun with my friends and returned home after enjoying a delightful evening.

L.H.T. Deshan,
Grade 9F,
Mahinda College,
Galle.

I am a bird

I am a parrot. I can talk and fly. People take me to their homes and put me in a cage. I am now in a cage. I don’t like to be caged.

I eat fruits and chillies. People in the house, give me mangoes, peanuts and chillies to eat. A baby in the house plays with me. When he is near me, I am happy. But I miss my mother, father, brothers and sisters.

I love the baby and he loves me too. The baby’s mother and father are very strict. When a robber tries to come in, I shout. One day, the baby opened the cage and forgot to close it. I flew away to a tree. The baby started crying.

I was happy and I was joined by my mother, father, brothers and sisters.

B.L. Yasanga Ranmini,
Grade 6C,
Sri Dharmaloka Central College, Kelaniya.

My favourite song

There are many songs in English, Sinhala, Tamil, Hindi and other languages. My favourite song is our National Anthem Namo Namo Matha. The anthem was written by Ananda Samarakoon on March 5, 1940. The song is for everyone - the rich and the poor, from child to an adult.

The National Anthem is played every morning in schools and government offices. When it is played everyone stands and remains silent.

We stand as a mark of respect for the National Anthem. I like the words and the music. It tells us about our country’s beauty, culture and the unity among the people. Ananda Samarakoon passed away in 1962.

Kithmini Goonerathna,
Grade 9,
Bishop’s College,
Colombo.

Good manners

We are not born with good manners. We must cultivate good manners and this is important especially among children. If you have good manners you will be loved and respected by everybody. We should not talk while eating. We should not leave the table until others have finished eating their food.

We must use a handkerchief when we cough or sneeze. When we go out and if we have to stand in a queue, we must wait patiently until our turn comes. We should not damage public property. We must respect our teachers and elders.

Money alone is not enough to live well in a healthy way in a society. We should have good manners and earn the love and respect of others.

Shimarque Faris,
Grade 5,
Royal English School,
Matale.

My school

My school is President's College. It is in Pilapitiya, Kelaniya. There are classes from Grade One to Grade 13.There are about 50 teachers. I am in Grade Six. There is a shrine room at the entrance to my classroom.

There is a huge playground behind my school where we play. There is a library, a science laboratory, a computer room, a cricket room and a canteen. I love my school very much.

M.Ahoj Lasantha,
Grade 6C,
President's College, Pilapitiya,
Kelaniya.

My role model

My role model is Princess Diana of Wales. She comes from an aristocratic family. She was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk, England. Her full name is Diana Francess Spencer.Her father was John Spencer and her mother Frances Spencer.

Princess Diana met Prince Charles when she was 16-years-old. Their romance began when she was 19 years. They kept it a secret for a short while.

Before Diana got married she moved to Buckingham Palace to learn how to be a princess. They got married on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. They had two children named William and Harry. Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced in 1996.

Princess Diana did a lot of charity work. She helped the AIDS Foundation and the Red Cross. She was a great campaigner against landmines. On August 31, 1997, she was travelling in Paris with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, when they were chased by Paparazzi who follow celebrities.

While they were travelling there was a crash and Princess Diana and Dodi died in the accident. More than 2.5 billion people watched Princess Diana's funeral on television.

Shemaya Algama,
Grade 5,
St. Bridget's Convent,
Colombo 7.

The car that I love

Our car is a Toyota Camry. This model is the most popular model in the Eastern Province. It is made by the Toyota Company in Japan. The Toyota Camry has an extra tyre and it is petrol-driven. My car is silver in colour and has a sun roof.

It has fog and head lights.The Toyota Camry is an automatic gear car. It has a five seats and four seat belts. It has an R-camera and a television.

The maximum engine speed is 10 3Rpm.The car's wheels are 16 inches and its grade is ‘G'. It has SRS air bag for safety. I like this car very much.

M.S.M. Nikash Shahan,
Grade 6G,
Muslim Madya Maha Vidyalaya,
Sammanthurai.

Working women

Today working women have more responsibilities than housewives. Women are a very important part in modern society. Most women go to work because of the rising cost of living. A working woman is involved in the household chores and other work.

As housewives they have to cook, wash clothes and clean the house. Housewives, can do them freely as there is no fixed time. They have to maintain family life by doing all this work.

Working women have to manage time at home and in office. They attend to their work at scheduled times and have to carry out their duties properly. Working women are so busy, that sometimes they have to put off even taking a bath.

Housewives and working women must maintain family relationships. Working women have a bigger task and have to fulfill their duties as mother, wife and worker. I think working women have more responsibilities than housewives.

Gavithri Dilesha Amarasinghe,
Grade 12CE,
Devi Balika Vidyalaya,
Colombo.