Shooting Stars

Some of you living in the North Western and Westen Provinces would have seen a ‘fireball’ falling from last Sunday night sky. With a blinding light and a ‘tail’ of fire the fireball was seen coming down.

This was infact a big piece of rock- a boulder, most probably a particle of debris in the solar system. These falling boulders become extremely hot as they travel in high speed in the earth’s atmosphere; so hot that any object which hits the shooting boulder would melt with its heat. In astronomy these particles are known as meteors.

Smaller particles are known as interplanetary dust. Objects larger than meteors are called asteroids. Meteors are destroyed when they enter the earth’s atmosphere. They emit a big sound in explosion. Meteor is derived from the Greek word metoros which means high in the air.

Prayer in stamp for St. Anthony

Francis P. Gunasekera

In the Christian world, 13th of June is a day dedicated to St. Anthony. He is believed to be the most popular saint. Yesterday in Colombo and some other shrines of St. Anthony there were festivities held in the name of the saint.

The most visited church of pilgrims during this season is Colombo Kochchikade St. Anthony’s church. Shown in the illustration of the stamps is one special stamp which has a prayer printed on the back and this happens to be the one and the only stamp of the nature. That particular stamp is one issued by Portugal.

There are several stamps issued from Italy in honour of St. Anthony. In 1895 a set of seven stamps were issued, to mark the 700th death anniversary of the saint. Portugal, the country of the saint’s birth and Italy where he lived and died have issued as many as 34 commemorative stamps.

Folk tales of Sri Lanka:

The golden shoe

Retold by R. S. Karunaratne

Once upon a time a poor villager lived very happily with his wife and only daughter Ran Ethana. After some time Ran Ethana’s mother died of a disease that no Ayurvedic doctor could cure.

Little Ran Ethana wept bitterly and even refused to have her meals for a few days. Her father also felt very sorry for his wife’s death.

After a few months, the villager found it difficult to bring up his daughter as he had to do cultivation. So he brought a young woman from a neighbouring village and started living as husband and wife. At first the step mother looked after Ran Ethana with love and care.

When the step mother gave birth to two daughters, she immediately distanced herself from Ran Ethana. Soon she started paying attention to her own daughters completely ignoring Ran Ethana. Gradually Ran Ethana had to do all the household work. One day the king invited all young girls to the palace so that his son could select one of them as his bride.

All the young girls were so excited by the news that they made a beeline to the palace dressed in fine clothes.

Ran Ethana’s step mother sent her daughters to the palace but did not allow the poor girl to do so. Meanwhile, Ran Ethana’s father asked whether she wanted anything.

“Father, take me to my mother’s grave. I can console myself by speaking to her.”

But your mother is no longer among the living. How can you speak to her?”

“Father, I didn’t tell you this secret all this time. She is there in the form of a beautiful bird.”

“Ok, I’ll take you to your mother’s grave. You can do whatever you like,” said the father.

Ran Ethana spoke to the beautiful bird and told him that she too wanted to visit the palace. As soon as she said that a miracle happened. Ran Ethana found herself dressed in fine clothes wearing golden shoes.

Nobody could identify Ran Ethana when she visited the palace. She danced with the prince for many hours. Then suddenly she remembered that she had to prepare breakfast and ran home.

While she was running, one golden shoe dropped on the way. But she continued her journey.

On the following day, the prince found the golden shoe and sent out his guards to find the girl who was wearing it. The guards visited several houses but could not find the girl or the other golden shoe.

Finally they came to Ran Ethana’s house and soon found the other golden shoe as well. They took her to the palace and she was married to the prince at a grand function. They lived happily thereafter.

The egg

When I go through the woods,
I always pass a nest
on the ground
with an egg in it.
I stop to see the little brown egg,
lying still and silent.
But today
looking in the nest,
I find a heap of moving feathers,
There is no egg;
The egg has hatched to a baby bird!

Nillasi Liyanage
Gr. 8 D,
Musaeus College,
Colombo 7.