Children

Help keep the environment clean

Dear Children,

Children should learn to keep their room neat and tidy from their younger days. It will not take a long time to sweep your room and the house. Don't forget to keep the garden clean too, otherwise your visitors will have a negative opinion about you. These activities will help you burn your extra calories in you and be a physically fit person.

Children should avoid throwing toffee, chocolate, biscuit wrappings along the road. Always put those things into a dustbin. As you may have seen the Municipal Council workers or others who clean the roads take big trouble to clean the pavements. Let us make their job easier by not throwing garbage everywhere. If you throw plantain skins on the road one may slip and injure himself or herself. Don't allow yourself to feel guilty and sad.

It is said 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness'. No one will like to associate with you unless you are clean yourself. Your class teacher will not make you a monitor of the class or prefect unless you are a clean person and able to set an example to others about cleanliness. You should be able to keep the environment clean too.

Children please give a helping hand to keep the environment clean.

Bye for now. - Aunt Anji

The Victoria Falls

In our series famous waterfalls in the world let us focus on the Victoria Falls which is situated in Southern Africa on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The falls are the most enormous waterfall in the world, as well as being among the most unusual in form, and having arguably the most diverse and easily seen wildlife of any major waterfall site. Mosi-oa-Tunya is the name used by the local people and Victoria Falls is the latter name given by Scottish explorer Dr. David Livingstone

The Victoria Falls constitutes one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. The Local people call it 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' - the smoke that thunders and the Falls are remarkable.

The Victoria falls is 1,708 metres wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. It drops between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge and an average of 550,000 cubic metres of water plummet over the edge every minute. Remarkably preserved in its natural state, Victoria falls inspires visitors as much today as it did David Livingstone in the 1860's. The falls and the surrounding area have been declared National Parks and a World Heritage Site, thus preserving the area from excessive commercialisation.

The Abacus

Long before calculators and computers, people counted on the abacus. The abacus is a simple arithmetic machine build during the Chinese sung dynasty. The abacus greatly increased the speed with which people could solve arithmetic problems.

The abacus became so popular throughout the world. Students, scientists, merchants and mathematicians, learned to calculate on this marvellous machine.

The abacus consists of nine rows of heads strung on a framework of parallel wires. The beads are separated by a crossbar forming two sections called 'heaven and 'earth'. There are two beads in each column of heaven. Each head in heaven has a value of five. There are five beads in each column of earth. Each bead in earth has a value of 1. Each column of beads has a value increases by 10 - Just like our decimal system.

Reishma Joan Rizvi

OKI International School

Sports and games

Sports and games are a part of our life. We begin sports from our childhood. Hopscotch, running, hide and seek are such games we played as children. Later we begin formal games and sports.

They have got internationally accepted rules and regulations. Such games are volleyball, football, cricket, basketball and so on. These can be divided into athletics and team games, running relay, long jump, high jump, javelin throw, put shot belongs to athletics. Some team events are volleyball, football, basketball and so on. Some sports can be divided into two categories, indoor team games and outdoor games. There are some indoor games badminton, volleyball, table tennis and so on. Outdoor games are cricket, football and so on. Some games improve our knowledge such as carrom, chess, draught, cross word puzzle and so on.

Sports and games help us to maintain our physical as well as our mental life. If we are playing games like football, cricket, volleyball and so on these types of games give us physical fitness to be healthy as well as wealthy. There are some disadvantages also. After coming from playing we will feel thirsty and our body is heated if we drink water later on we will be caused to a disease called stomach cancer most of the sportsman die due to this reason.

Sports and games teach us discipline if we obey the rules and regulation of the game we will be an example for the other players. By playing these types of games, it teaches us to work together as a team. If we work as a team sometimes it may be the reason for our victory. Therefore we must engage in sports from our childhood. Then we can inculcate good qualities and work together for peace and harmony of Mother Lanka.

Kamil Rauff

Grade 12

Sailan International School

Nogombo

Kids' Den

Part 22:

A silent agreement

Uncle Sachi and Aunt Ruwi

The three children looked at each other and came to a silent agreement. They had given enough time for Ruwi and Pramodaka to make their appearance. They all began making their way towards the path on their right, chattering excitedly.

Sachi who had been walking round and round Chinthaka's still figure jumped when he saw the children charging up the path.

"Hey, wait a minute. Where do you think you are going?," he barked chasing after them. The children stopped to let him catch up with them but they were determined to push on.

"We have waited long enough, uncle Sachi. It is time we went searching for them. My brother and aunt Ruwi must have met with some kind of trouble or they would have returned long ago," he said.

"They will be coming soon, dear boy. Have patience..."

"Sulo could have stirred up trouble for them. She is always sneaking about. Do you remember the last time we were suppose to go blue berrying for your aunt Bertha? Sulo put goblin glue on Ruwi's front door and she couldn't get her hands free for hours. You never predicted that incident, didn't you?," Shamilka asked.

"Well... I admit that my predictions have been a bit rusty lately but still... Who is going to look after him?," Sachi ended on a triumphant note as he moved his eyes towards Chinthaka's dismal form hovering in the background.

"Excuses, excuses... That's what you are always up to. You can very well stay behind and guard him if you are not willing to help us," Shamilka said but an uncertain look had emerged on her face as her eyes darted towards Chinthaka.

"He's right, you know. We can't leave Chinthaka by himself. What will happen if some dangerous beast comes along?," Champika piped up with a shudder.

"There are no dangerous beasts in this wood except for those goblins," Shamilka replied scornfully but her enthusiasm for tracing Ruwi and Pramodaka's path seemed temporarily forgotten much to Sachi's glee.

"One of us should keep watch on Chinthaka along with Scooby while the rest of us goes ahead," Nalaka suggested.

"I wouldn't be the one to stay," said Champika at once noting her brother's eyes on her. She clung to him stubbornly.

"Well, it was my plan so I should definitely go," Shamilka retort.

"And you can't expect me to hang back and let you all make your way over there. What if you get lost in there or worse...," Sachi snorted, turning away to hide a grin but he was a fraction too late. Shamilka caught sight of his merriment and was instantly at him.

"Uncle Sachi, would you kindly explain to me what's so funny?," she asked sweetly but fixing him with a stern look.

Sachi groaned inwardly. Would he ever learn to be more careful in front of Shamilka? At some instances, he could almost swear that the little girl held the power of reading his thoughts!

(Continued next week)