Children

Sandun jumped over the wall that separated his garden from Anushi's. "Shall we ride our bicycles?" he asked Anushi, who was playing with her toy monkey, Benji.

"My bike has a flat tyre," said Anushi. "Why don't you ride your bike? Benji and I will cheer you from the side of the road."

Sandun started to ride his bike from one end of the road to the other. He peddled as fast as he could pretending he was in a bicycle race.

"Come on Sandun, come on," cheered Anushi. Benji too smiled, hanging onto Anushi's neck with his front paws.

Suddenly Anushi stopped cheering. She ran onto the middle of the road shouting "Stop Sandun, stop the bike." Sandun screeched to a stop inches away from Anushi.

He got off the bike and glared at Anushi who was kneeling on the ground staring at something small and green. Anushi took it into her hands and stood up. "A grasshopper," she said. "If I had not asked you to stop you would have run over it."

"And I would have run over you too," said Sandun angrily. "Don't you know it is dangerous to run onto the middle of the road like that?"

"I know. I should not have done it," said Anushi. "Thankfully nothing happened. Mr. Green and I are both safe." She stroked the grasshopper's head gently with her index finger and talked to him in a soft voice. "Mr. Green, you must never walk on the middle of the road again. You belong on the mango tree. Let me keep you on a green leaf on the mango tree. I am sure you will be your merry old self where you belong."

Sandun watched Anushi walking towards the mango tree holding Mr. Green in her cupped hands.

Sandun looked at Benji who was hanging to the handles of his bike. "What a silly thing Anushi did just now," he said to Benji. "Why did she have to stop me from winning my imaginary race just for a grasshopper? If Mr. Green, does not know he should get out of the way when he sees me speeding towards him on my bike, it is surely his fault if something happens to him."

A few days later Sandun and Anushi had a real race on their bikes. Sandun was ahead of Anushi when his bike suddenly ran over a stone. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. The bike landed on top of Sandun. Anushi got off her bike and came to help Sandun get back on his feet.

Sandun looked at his right knee. "I think I have bruised my knee," he said. "It hurts a lot."

When Mother saw the bruise on Sandun's knee she smiled and said "Its nothing serious. Stop worrying about it." Anushi too smiled at Sandun. "You will be alright in next to no time," she assured him.

"But it hurts so much," groaned Sandun. Mother suggested he wash his knee and put a plaster on it.

Sandun turned to Anushi. "You were right," he said. "Now I know how painful it would have been for the grasshopper if I had run over him." He promised Anushi he would be more careful from now on.

Anushi was happy. She said "That is great. My father always keeps telling me, the time is always ripe to do what is right."

Fairies and fairy tales

I know all of you have heard of fairies. When you are quite small you must have waited to receive surprise gifts from the unknown fairies. As you wake up in the morning you find out that a gift you had long been waiting for is there right under your pillow! You get quite thrilled, yet you are curious too as to who had kept it there. Then you inquire from your parents, who tell you that it is the work of a sweet fairy!!

All of you like fairies, I know and all of you wonder why they are never visible to your eyes, but do great deeds while you are fast asleep. This however does not stop you from believing that they exist.

So is the case with fairy tales. May it be “Snow White” “Beauty and the Beast” or any other fairy tale, all of them have happy endings. Where else would ugly frogs become handsome princes and virtues get fully rewarded? As you grow in age you are sure to question yourselves “can this be really true?” Yet your liking for fairy tales will never die.

Fairies and fairy tales are part of the world of small children. Today you grow up in a technologically advanced world where there are a great deal of digital devices to grab your attention. Yet I am sure all of you have a place for fairies in your mind. Today fairy tales may come on CDs, but remember that it is the same old story that your parents have heard from your grandparents when they were small!

These tales reflect universal themes. They are applicable for all times and places. Do read them or watch them and try to be like the virtuous chief character whom you come across in fairy tales. Then I am sure you can make this world a better place.

My pet

* My pet is a cat
* Its name is Sada
* It has got four legs
* Sada eats only rice and curries
* It is black and white in colour
* It is very beautiful
* I love my pet Sada

The Great Mouse Detective(1986) will be screened on
November 24 at 3.30pm at the American Centre, No 44,Galle Road, Colombo 3. (Running Time: 74 minutes)Basil, the rodent Sherlock Holmes, investigates the kidnapping of a toy-maker and uncovers its link to his archenemy, Professor Ratigan. Please contact the American Centre at [email protected] or at (011)2498100 with any inquiries.

A dance item by the pupils of ‘House of English’

Pupils of ‘House of English’ School of Akkaraipattu presenting
a dance item at their Annual Prize Day held at
Ayesha Balika Maha Vidyalaya auditorium recently. Picture
by I L M Rizan, Addalaichenai Central Correspondent

Merry Mr. Green

Fairies and fairy tales

My pet