Children

Hope all of you are animal lovers. World animal day was celebrated last Thursday. This year’s theme is “I am a stray and I want to be your pet.” The day is entirely dedicated to animals.

We have to be compassionate to these poor creatures. There are some people who are unkind and totally ignorant about the sufferings of animals. Many animals suffer silently in slaughter houses and get killed for human consumption. There are others who undergo a great deal of suffering as a result of human behaviour.

Some domestic animals are not properly fed and are chained or kept in small cages where they can hardly move. Have you seen animals such as dogs, elephants and tigers being used in circuses? It might give you pleasure to watch them, but remember that these poor creatures are trained by force to do these performances so that their owners can earn a lot of money. Some of these animals are not properly fed and are beaten or chained the whole day. They lead solitary and miserable lives, detached from their companions.

There are people who rear birds in small cages. Any animal lover would see the suffering they undergo if they look into their sad eyes. Though it might give people pleasure to watch them in cages, the lives of these poor birds are filled with sadness. So do remember to be kind to animals and not keep them in your vicinity detaching them from their natural surroundings.

We have heard of stories where ill fed, feeble and old elephants are used for heavy work. Since they cannot put their sad thoughts into words they have to undergo immense suffering.

So my dear children, it is necessary to be sensitive to the suffering of animals, you have to listen to their untold stories. Being an animal lover does not mean keeping or using animals for your pleasure, but letting them live a free and happy life in their natural surroundings as much as possible.

The Ladybug’s Plea

Sandun sat under the mango tree at the bottom of the garden and watched two white clouds drifting in the sky. He wondered where they were going. Could they be going to the Caribbean islands because the West Indian cricket team won the T20 World Cup cricket match? He wondered how the sky above the Caribbean looks like right now.

After some time he heard the sound of someone moving among the leaves. He smiled when he realized it was his friend, Mr. Squirrel, as busy as ever, searching for food to save for a rainy day. Suddenly Sandun saw a yellow leaf falling from one of the branches. Sandun watched as the leaf fell slowly and gracefully to the ground. It was then that he realized the ground under the mango tree was covered with fallen leaves. Some leaves were a dark brown, others, like the one that had just fallen, were yellow, red and orange.

Sandun decided to sweep the leaves. He remembered Grandpa who usually swept the garden had flu and a bad cold, and would not be fit to do his usual chores for a few days. Sandun found the ekel broom and set to work. Sandun knew Grandpa collected the old leaves into a bucket and threw them into the plastic barrel he kept in the backyard. Whenever he needed compost, Grandpa emptied the barrel and took out the dried leaves, which had turned into black soil.

Sandun felt too lazy to carry the leaves to the backyard. He thought it would be more interesting if he could make a bonfire out of the leaves. He had seen most of his neighbours collecting the dried leaves in their gardens and burning the leaves by the side of the road. He wondered why Grandpa never burnt the leaves of the mango tree. It was surely more fun to burn the dried leaves than collect them in a barrel in the backyard. Grandpa could easily buy a bag of compost from the supermarket when he needed fertilizer for his chili and tomato plants.

“Tin, tin, tin” said Mr. Squirrel in a very loud voice as Sandun piled the dried leaves and made a tiny mountain. “What are you trying to tell me Mr. Squirrel?” Sandun wondered.

“You sound angry for some reason.”
“Tin, tin” said Mr. Squirrel again.
“I am sorry, I cannot understand what you are saying,” Said Sandun and went in search of Father.
“Father, can you help me light a bonfire?” he asked Father.
“Light a bonfire?,” Father looked surprised. “In this heat?”

“But they are old leaves Father” Sandun tried to explain. “There will not be any smoke because they will burn very fast, so it will not make any difference to the hot weather.”

“I do not like the idea of burning dried leaves, son,” said Father. “The soil needs dry leaves. And sometimes when you burn the leaves tiny insects like ladybugs who live on the leaves too will get burnt. Come here, I will show you something.”

Father went to the kitchen and returned with an old jam jar. He took a handful of soil from a pot where Grandpa had planted two chili plants and placed the soil in the jar. Then he poured water on the soil. “Let us keep it on the windowsill for about two hours. You will soon see several layers of soil,” said Father.

Father was right. When Sandun looked at the jar again, the soil had separated into five layers.
“Can you see the topmost layer?” asked Father.
“That layer is called humus. It is made of dead leaves. Plants need the humus in the soil to grow.”
“Mmmmm...” Sandun thought for a moment. “It is wrong to burn dead leaves. We should let them turn into humus and improve the quality of the soil in our garden.”

He went back to the pile of dead leaves and started to put them into Grandpa’s bucket. He would transfer them into the barrel in the backyard, and someday the leaves would end up as humus.

“Tin, tin,” said Mr. Squirrel from the mango tree. This time he sounded happy.
“Now I know what you were trying to tell me Mr. Squirrel,” said Sandun. “You were telling me it is wrong to burn the leaves.”

“Tin,” Mr. Squirrel said yes.
Sandun smiled happily. He saw a ladybug on top of the dried leaves and was glad he had saved its life.

My ambition

Many people have their own ambitions. Such as to become doctors, teachers, lawyers, pilots, dancers and artists one day. But my ambition is to become a highly respected fashion designer worldwide. It is a very difficult task though it may seem easy. Anyway, fashion comes in various forms. With fashion you can design three main things, such as clothes, shoes and bags. I love fashion designing and I know for a fashion designer like me, it is kind of amazing , that I have to venture many parts in the field. I always wish to become a good fashion designer one day.

My school

My school is St John’s College.
*It is a boys school.
*Rev N J Gnana ponra jah is our principal.
*There are about hundred teachers teaching in my school.
*There are about two thousand children studying in my school.
*Our college crest is the Eagle.
*There are good computer facilities for the students.
*There is a large playground.
*Our college motto is light shines in the darkness.
*I love my school very much.


Children’s Day celebrations at Great College: The Great College of Alayadivembu celebrated Children’s Day with a variety of items at their cultural hall recently. Here students from UKG class taking part in a dance item. Picture by I L M Rizan, Addalaichenai Central Corrspondent	Little Mermaid (1989) will be screened on October 13 at 3.30pm at the American Centre, No 44, Galle Road, Colom-bo 3. (Running Time: 83 minutes) A mermaid princess makes a faustian bargain with an unscrupulous seahag in order to meet a human prince on land. Please contact the American Centre at [email protected] or at (011) 2498100 with any inquiries.

CIS students celebrate Ramazan

Here the Primary students of the Colombo International School (CIS) Kandy celebrating the Ramazan festival. Pic-ture by Sunil Gunawardana, Kundasale Group Correspondent

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. - Charles Darwin

The Ladybug’s Plea

My ambition

My school