9 years and below
A rainy day
Monsoon is my favourite season because it rains heavily throughout a day. So, we call it as a rainy day. It was an afternoon and my sister and I looked out through the window while we were on the bed. We like the smell of wet clay when it rains and also like watching the white clouds on any other day but on rainy days the clouds are dark in colour. As we were watching the rain we were able to see lightning in the sky. I hid my face with my pillow as I am scared of the sound it makes after the lightning.
The road in front of our house was full of water. So my sister and I made lots of paper boats with newspapers and made them float in the water. We also played in the water and got wet.
This is how I spent my rainy day to make my day fun.
Haajara Nawshad (Grade 3)
Loyal Ladies’ College, Kandy
10 – 12 years
Imagine you’ve invented a time machine! What year would you travel to?
Right now I have time travelled and am on the way to my future house. I have come to the year 2040, using my time machine. My map led me to a wide path with high buildings, at least having 70 floors.
There weren’t any flying cars as I had anticipated, though it was developed in many ways. As I reached a huge three-storied house, my map on the mobile phone started buzzing. I realized that I had reached my future house.
I hid behind a bush as I saw a lady with spectacles get into a Benz. I recognized or to say I guessed that she was me because she had short, curly hair. A child of about three years came running and waved to her. The white colour Benz drove pounding along the road. I felt very happy because on the car there was a doctor consultant sign.
Just at that moment, I was carried along in the air and came back to my present house. I was a bit unhappy because my time had run out but I knew that I had seen what I needed. I wish that what I saw will turn out to be real in the future.
Nadithi Kulasekera (10 years)
Ladies’ College, Colombo
13 – 15 years
Write a story about what it would be like to climb to the very top of the highest mountain in the world
We have been running out of vital supplies for days. Our oxygen and food supplies are shortening as much as the possibility of descending alive.
We had to overcome the dangers. I remembered past climbers who failed, telling us it’s no piece of cake. We’ll lose ourselves, we might face terrible life-threatening shortages and the bulk to carry is not making things easier. But it has been our dream – mine and Connor’s.
“Let’s stop here for a moment,” Connor said at one part.
We sat down on a flat bit of the mountain, exhausted.
“Do you think we’ll make it?” I asked, doubtful.
“Yeah sure, just a couple of dozen feet more and we’ll be on top of the world,” he said easily. “Literally.”
Not too long afterwards, Connor almost lost his life. Thankfully, our equipment held us together and fortunately I found a bulky boulder and managed to save ourselves.
A while later, Connor stopped and said quietly, “I don’t get it.”
“Go on up,” I said thoroughly tired, not being able to see ahead.
“We’re at the top,” he declared, turning around.
We sat down at the top, taking it all in. The calm – and cold – and peace up here, away from the rest of humanity. It was freezing that is true but also pleasant. This is beauty, natural beauty. If we move in with our ‘development’ we will be destroying natural beauty like this without even knowing. Surely we can’t let that happen…
Ifadha Deen (14 years)
Leeds Int. School, Galle
