Children

Sri Pada season begins

Joy is not in things; it is in us - Richard Wagner

Dear Children,

Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak is worshipped by all major religious followers. File photo

Did you notice that we are already into the last month of the calendar this year? I am sure children are all excited with the Christmas cool breeze in the air. Big shopping malls have already started their festive bonanzas with huge discounts and sales on offer. Are you ready for the school holidays as many schools will close for the third term on December 9? How about visiting Sri Pada now that the Sri Pada season has begun. As you all know Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak is worshipped by all major religious followers.

The first group of Sri Pada pilgrims began their trek to Sri Pada from Pelmadulla.

The Sri Pada season commences usually on the Poya day in December each year and goes on till Poya day in April.

Our Muslim friends celebrated one of their holiest festivals the Hajj or Id-Ul-Alha.

The Hajj is an act of remembrance of the footsteps of the Prophet Abraham who is revered in Islam.

This year Hajj was performed between November 25 and 27.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Today we should focus on another significant section of the society. Persons with disabilities as December 3 marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

In 1992, the United Nations proclaimed December 3 as International Day of Disabled Persons. On December 18, 2007 the International Day of Disabled Persons was renamed and is now the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Recognition of this day aims to increase awareness and understanding of persons with disabilities and the issues that impact their lives.

By the way for those who are hoping to sit for the GCE (O/L) all the best for the exam.

Bye for now.

Aunt Anji

Jamaica

Kingston is located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island. Courtesy: Google

Jamaica is an island in the West Indies (Carribean). It is a tropical paradise like Sri Lanka. Jamica is world famous for ‘Reggae’ music which was pioneered by Bob Marley. I am sure most of you children must be very familiar with the Bob Marley’s song ‘Buffalo Soldier’.

This song is very popular in Sri Lanka. Jamaica which is famous for its scenic beauty is also the birth place of world famous athlete Usain Bolt, who is considered to be the fastest man on earth.

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (145 mi) in length and as much as 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width, amounting to 11,100 km2. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 kilometres (90 mi) South of Cuba and 190 kilometres (120 mi) West of Hispaniola, the island harboring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Its indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants named the island Xaymaca, meaning the ‘Land of Wood and Water’, or the ‘Land of Springs’. Formerly a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it later became the British Crown colony of Jamaica. With 2.8 million people, it is the third most populous anglophone country in North America, after the United States and Canada.

It remains a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. Kingston is the largest city in Jamaica and the country’s capital. Courtesy:Wikipedia

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Capital Kingston

Official languages English

National language Jamaican Patois and English

Ethnic groups Africans, Indians,

Chinese, Spaniards, Germans, Britons, Syrians and Lebanese

Demonym Jamaican

Area Total 11,100 km2

Population July 2009 estimate 2,825,928

Currency Jamaican dollar (JMD)

Part 65

By Uncle Sachi and Aunt Ruwi

Sudden urge to sleep

The story so far...

Pramodaka, Nalaka, Champika and Chinthaka go on a trip to the woods with their parents for their school holidays. In the middle of the night the children are awakened by a strange noise. On following their dog, Scooby, Chinthaka is snared by the spell of the ‘luring stones’. Pramodaka departs with Ruwi, a pixie, to recall a book of spell to cast off the spell while Nalaka, Champika and the dog remain behind with Sachi, a gnome who updates them on the life of mythical creatures. A storm breaks and the kids are blown away.

Meanwhile Sulo, the goblin who is always trying to make trouble for the mythical creatures, comes up with a nasty plan. She rushes off gang up the rest of her pack. There she reveals a secret that could hold the key to all the goblin’s troubles.

Emida, a middle-aged gnome goes in search of peace and manages to rescue Chinthaka.

Now the friends have to find each other and the answer to their problems is through the ‘Mythic Scope’. But first they have to find a way to deal with HE...

He had to find out who it was - quickly. Every minute counts and despite being one of the most powerful wizards in history, he did not possess the knowledge to seek the unknown.

Unfortunately he had lost the power to look into the future once he had taken to dark magic.

A thought struck him.

“Who else knows about the prophecy?” he questioned.

The mirror was quick to react. Mist enveloped its surface once again and cleared to reveal a scene in daylight. It showed a scroll being handed by an old female gnome to a tall, thin gnome. Balthazar caught his breath as he recognized the female gnome as Marina, the gnome who had been constantly by Jay’s side. Of course she had been within earshot when the prophecy was uttered. The much younger gnome was walking slowly up the drive. His long hair was barely combed and he looked tired as well as bored. Each step seemed to be a tiring process for him.

Suddenly the mirror zoomed in to catch a glimpse of two crafty yellow eyes studying the gnome from a distance. It was a female goblin and it was watching the gnome’s every move. Making sure that the road was clear overhead and behind, the goblin jumped out of its hiding place. It chuckled and rubbed its hands before approaching the gnome.

Batting its eye lids and swaying its body, it hopped as close as it could to him and caught hold of his hand.

“Heeeee... heeee... Heeeeeeeee... Where are you going Russell? What is this you have in your hand?” it asked.

Russell grazed at it. It seemed charming and harmless to him. It is such a pity that most of his group disliked it.

Balthazar watched how the goblin charmed the information out of the gnome. He was impressed.

“That is one creature I should have on my side,” he thought.

“No doubt it will come in useful... and it seems especially hungry for wealth and power - which I can offer it - when I make it my creature. I must catch it for it knows the prophecy. It will help me trap the gnome and Marina.”

He paused and looked closely at the image of Sulo. It looked as if it knew many things. It must have been always snooping around and putting its nose into other’s business. A practised eye told him that it could be deceived easily through riches.

How to get there was the main problem. So many intruders lie across his path and he did not wish to reveal himself to the other party so soon.

“There is only one way. At least the forest animals will out of the way...,” he muttered to himself as he approached the closet at the other end of the room.

As time passed, a couple of yards away Champika had to keep on rubbing her eyes to ward off the sudden drowsiness that had begun to take hold of her. To her left Nalaka gave a sudden yawn.

“Sorry. Just tired and sleepy after chasing across half of the forest tracking down our idiotic brother,” he grinned at her.

“I feel sleepy too. It is getting worse each passing minute. Can’t we rest for a while?”

She gave Pramodaka a hopeful look. A few paces form them Chinthaka too had the feeling that he need to curl down and rest for a while. It was a strange feeling and though he tried to follow Scooby’s lead with Emida, he felt his knees buckling beneath him.

What is happening to the kids? Are they already falling in the grasp of Balthazar’s spell? Will they ever return to their parents?

Find out in ‘Return of the Kids’ coming from next week.

Our Temple	Mountain Range
Kavinda Sadaruwan 2B, Isipathana Vidyalaya Colombo 5	Taniya S. Jayatilaka Grade 3, Kusinara International School Moratuwa

Beautiful Fish	Elephant
Chandler Hensley von Haght 2A, St Thomas College Kotte	Ganesharajah Karthikeyan 2D, S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia

Students of International Pre-school Anderson Road Dehiwala who held their graduation ceremony with principal Bhagya Wijesundara.

The annual concert of Dharmapala Maha Vidyalaya, Wadduwa was held in the presence of a large gathering of well-wishers and parents. Here, one of the colourful items of Kala-gedi dance of the students of primary grades. - K. A. Perera, Wadduwa special correspondent