Winner: Rice my favourite food

My favourite food is rice. It is the staple food in Sri Lanka. Rice is obtained from paddy. There are many steps that have to be taken to cultivate rice. They are - ploughing the field, sowing the seeds, fertilizing the field, harvesting the crop, winnowing the seeds and then obtain the rice grains, which is transported to the shops, thus available for consumers. Rice is a carbohydrate. I enjoy eating rice.

Anujee Nissanka,
Grade 5A,
Royal International School,Kegalle.

Winner: An autobiography of a mirror

I am an oval-shaped Japanese mirror. I have a polished silvery surface. You can see your reflection in my polished surface. Whenever you wish to admire yourself you have only to look at me. If you smile at me, I will smile back. If you frown at me, I too shall frown.

I was born in Japan and shipped to China. Everyone admired me when I was unpacked and displayed for sale. A kind lady bought me and took me to her house. She was a pretty lady. I was honest with her. I let her know that she was pretty, I lived a comfortable life at her home. I was cleaned and polished everyday. I remained in excellent condition.

Many sad things happened in the lady’s absence. Her little children would press their noses against me. They rubbed sticky dirty fingers against me. Then my polished surface would turn dull. My mistress gets angry on her return to find me looking dull. She scolds everyone and warns her children not to approach me again.

It is now about ten years since I have worked for this lady. She and I are great friends. I hope we will remain friends till the end of my life.

Pravesha de Silva,
Grade 9,
Good Shepherd Convent,
Panadura.

Winner: A blind man’s experience

The vocabulary of a blind man is similar to that of a man who can see. But the experience and the feelings of a man who cannot see are different from the feelings of a man who has sight. When a person with perfect sight sees that a cow is brown, in colour and has white patches all over the skin and has two big eyes, a blind man’s senses may be that its skin is coarse and the fur is soft.

A blind man experiences the beauty of nature. He can feel the fragrance of flowers and the warmth of the sunshine and smells its burning sensation all around. The cold breeze of the sea gives his body a tingling feeling. This makes him imagine the vastness of the sea.

The variety of colours is something out of the scope of a blind man. He may never realise this fact unless he gets his sight back. The calm feeling we experience from seeing the moon is something beyond the feelings of a blind man. One may think as to whether a blind man would feel the smoothness of the moon’s rays. But, this is not so.

L.R. Bumuthu Maduhansa,
Grade 9,
Lyceum Internaitonal School,Wattala.

Winner: Wild elephants in Sri Lanka

Elephants are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s environment. Many tourists visit Sri Lanka to see the elephants. They are keen on viewing the Kandy Esala Perahera because of the elephant pageant.

Wild elephants live in the jungles. Human-elephant conflicts have become a major problem in Sri Lanka. People kill elephants for their tusks. Elephants destroy crops and houses in rural areas, because their habitats have been encroached by man. Elephants go in search of food in the villages. In some areas elephants tend to eat garbage due to lack of food. The authorities should take steps to protect elephants. They must take action against people who disturb the lifestyle of elephants. More elephant orphanages must be opened in the country and different methods should be adopted to protect elephants in the jungle.

A. Dinecious,
Grade 9B,
Nanattan MV, Mannar.

Winner: Mahathma Gandhi

Mahathma Gandhi, the greatest man of the last century is admired by the entire world. It has been said that the coming generation would not easily believe that such a man ever lived on this Earth. The great qualities were that he was humane with had a loving heart for the poor and the homeless.

Mahathma Gandhi was born in Porbandar in Kathiawar region of Gujarat on October 2, 1869. He received his early education at home. His father was advised to send his son to England for higher studies. Gandhi enrolled in the Bar in England. On his return from England he did not succeed as a lawyer and instead went to South Africa. There, he found that his countrymen were suffering under cruel laws. He led a protest movement successfully.

Mahathma Gandhi has shown what heights can be reached by man. He showed the world the true way to peace.

Hiruni Shakkya Hettiarachchi,
Grade 8,
St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Milagiriya.

My favourite animal

My favourite animal is zebra. I like them because they are innocent. They belong to the horse family and live in a group. Zebras are mammals and herbivorous. They have a special pattern of black and white stripes on their bodies. A baby zebra is brown and white at birth and is called a foal.

Zebras walk and gallop like horses. They are fast runners. They can run 35 miles per hour They have sharp eyes and pointed ears. They sleep while standing. The leader of the herd of zebras stays at the back of the group.

Zainab Rizwan,
Grade 6B,
Muslim Ladies’ College,Bambalapitiya.

Elders

We must respect and care for our elders. They are the senior citizens of our country. Elders have gained wisdom through experience.

When people grow old they become physically and mentally weak. At that time we should never neglect them and instead care for them. If not for them, the present generation would not exist. Elders need love and companionship, else they feel lonely. We should make them feel that they are accepted in the society.

In some countries elders are well looked after. They are given special attention in hospitals, banks, on trains and buses. Children should learn to respect elders. If children are taught to respect elders and care for them, there would be less elders' home in our country.

H.D. Supun Kavishka Perera,
Udupila, Delgoda.

Dolphin

A Dolphin is a small whale. Dolphins can be grey, black and white. They eat fish and squids and have powerful tail fins called flukes. It help them to swim.

They have smooth, rubbery skin. Dolphins are very clever and can be taught to do tricks.

S. Tharushi Nathasha Fernando,
Grade 7,
St. Lawrence’s Convent,
Wellawatte.

I love badminton

My favourite game is badminton. I play badminton with my sisters. We use the shuttle cock to play. Every evening we play at home. I like to play this game very much.

Fathima Muzaina,
Grade 3,
Mayfield Super International College,
Daluwakotuwa.