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2nd August 1998

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Hello Children,

This week we have a very interesting and informative graphic for all of you. You may have heard about the massive tidal wave that swept away an entire village in Papua New Guinea a few weeks ago. Because the village was situated between a lagoon and the sea most of the villagers were swept into the lagoon. Hundreds of people lost their lives because they were not warned about the approaching tidal wave in time to escape.

These tidal waves are also called tsunamis which is a Japanese name. Tidal waves happen when earthquakes or volcanoes take place under the sea. This makes the water shoot upwards and create a gigantic wave. Although we have no reason to fear the tsunamis, it's always good to know how they are caused.

Until next week,
Aunty Sunshin
e


The culprit

There was a man
Whom they called a culprit
But I saw;
A glimpse of humanity
Tenderness of nature
Modesty in a man
Shining in his eyes
I thought
If the Lotus smells sweet
If the bees are around it
Who cares about the marsh underneath.

By Su
Visakha Vidyalaya


What Am I Doing?

I looked upon the sky
Hoping to see a night
with bright twinkling stars
Dancing around the moon
My heart fell
When I saw a lonely star
Peeping through the blackened sky
Searching for comfort
Around it was endless sky
I felt like crying
Sobbing endlessly
till my tears stopped
The star was lonely
And longing for comfort
Just like me
Asking for comfort
In a deserted place
Far away from "Love", 'affection' and everything
What am I doing?
Holding a gun
Searching for enemies
while my heart cries
for warmth of 'Love', for brotherhood!!

Gayani Charurika G. Punchihewa,
Kandy.


Road Safety

Road safety is very essential for road users of our country, because many accidents take place daily. There is a Highway Code which everybody should obey. The Highway Code is a set of rules that are followed by Motorists. The Motorists are expected to follow the Highway Code for their own safety.

There are some rules to be followed by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Pedestrians must use the pavement or footpath and shouldn't walk more than two abreast. Cyclists and motorists should make sure that they use the rules of the road properly. They should wear seat belts or helmets, and know their traffic signals.

Government has done many things for the safety of the public. They put traffic police near schools and public places. They put traffic lights and road signals, so that people will follow the rules.

We must pay attention to the rules. Then road accidents can be reduced.

Sithara Sandamali


Writing: a noble profession

Writing is one of my favourite hobbies. It keeps me company. A person should have the freedom to write freely about his own thoughts. This makes life interesting. I write poetry, essays and stories in my free time. This increases my knowledge, language and spelling. It helps to look and think about things more widely, deeply and seriously.

If you are familiar with your pen and your paper you can describe and write anything which comes to your mind. That is the correct method of writing and thinking freely.

Now writing has become a part of my life. And I'm very happy with my work. Sometimes writing can ease worried minds. You should read a lot to write well. Reading is the main root for writing. Everyone is born with some purpose and he or she should fulfil it. I am doing what I want. Writing is a noble profession.

Maheshika Raigambandara.


Kind words cost nothing

Kind words have great power. It costs nothing to say a kind word. A kind word may often be more valuable than millions of rupees.

Kind words bring encouragement to the poor in spirit, happiness and cheerfulness to the lonely. Kind words proceed from kind hearts.

"Of your unspoken word you are a master. Once we have said a thing we can never erase it.

Unkind words make people unhappy. Although we are not happy happy we have no right to make others unhappy.

Musfira Abdullah,
Weligama.


Stamp News 27

Maligawa tusker honoured

By Uncle D.C.R

In this Esala season it is appropriate to remember Raja, the royal tusker of the Sri Dalada Maligawa who performed the onerous task of carrying the relic casket in the Esala Perahera for over half a century. The sense of discipline and the solemn and magnificent demeanour displayed by Raja while carrying the relic casket won the admiration and respect of millions of devotees who year on year thronged the streets of Kandy to see the Perahera.

Raja died at 10.16 in the morning on 16th July 1988 at the ripe age of 75. On 12th December 1989 Raja was honoured with the issue of a 75 cts stamp. Earlier, the tusker was honoured by President J R Jayewardene who declared Raja a national treasure for the invaluable services rendered to the religion. Raja was the only tusker in Asia to be so honoured and was the second in the world to receive such an honour. That was in August l986.

Raja's is a fascinating history. It was captured on 5th January 1925 when it was 12 years old from the jungles on the eastern coast close to Batticaloa. The 4 ft. 5 ins. tall animal had excellent features, which suited the requirements to be a royal tusker. According to tradition, the four legs, the trunk, the tail and the genitals of a royal tusker should touch the ground. The spine should be flat. The head when raised should give a dignified look. Raja had all these features.

The owner of Raja, Tikiri Banda Mampitiya Disawa of Giragama Walauwa, Yatinuwara (he bought the animal for Rs 3300/- in December 1925) offered Raja to the Dalada Maligawa on 31 st July 1937 along with another baby tusker, Kanda. Diyawadana Nilame, Tikiri Banda Ratwatte received them on behalf of the Maligawa and the Buddhist public.

In the last years, Raja was well looked after by the present Diyawadana Nilame, Niranjan Wijeratne who tried his utmost to save the tusker when it started falling ill from 1986.

While the Maligawa tusker stamp is a proud possession among stamp collectors, visitors to Kandy are able to see Raja in its earlier form because it is being stuffed with cotton wool and preserved.


Nature WatchLobsters and barnacles

Crustaceans form the third largest class of arthropods and are only exceeded in numbers of species by the insects and arachnids. Familiar crustaceans are crabs, lobsters, shrimps, the small shorehoppers, garden woodlice and barnacles. But there is a large number of lesser known forms that have no popular names.

Midgets and giants

The majority of crustaceans live in the sea, but some inhabit brackish and fresh waters, and a limited number are land dwellers. A few live as parasites on or in other aquatic animals. Adults vary in size - the smallest water flea measures only about 0.25 millimetres whilst the largest known crustacean is the giant spider crab of Japan. It spans 3.6 metres from claw to claw.

Lobsters

The common lobster shows the general features of crustaceans. The external skeleton is thick and rigid. (It is thin and flexible in many smaller crustaceans.) Only the lobster's abdomen is clearly divided into segments. The forepart of the body has a shield (carapace) that protects the delicate gills through which the lobster breathes .

Sensors

The antennules and antennae are used as sensors. The whip-like antennae detect prey, sex partners and obstacles. In addition, at the base of each antennule is an organ of balance. The large claws differ slightly in shape and are used for crushing and cutting food, for defence and during mating. The remaining pairs of legs are used for walking. The lobster's heavy shell prevents it from being a really good swimmer. It much prefers to crawl along over the sea bed in a similar way to its crab-like relatives .

Moulting

The lobster's hard shell must be shed periodically to allow growth. Shell-shedding, or moulting, is hazardous and exhausting. Preparation begins with many changes within the body tissue. Eventually, a new shell is formed beneath the old. As moulting begins, the shell between the abdomen and the thorax splits across its width. The lobster flexes and straightens its body so that the split becomes wider. After a while, the lobster can withdraw its limbs and its soft body through the gap. The shell of a newly moulted lobster is soft. At this stage the animal takes up water that causes it to swell and increase in size. During the next few weeks the shell gradually hardens. Until this has happened the lobster is vulnerable to predators and usually remains carefully hidden.

Reproduction in lobsters

During the summer newly moulted female lobsters mate with hardshelled males. Later, the spawned eggs are attached to the hairs on the female's swimmerets. These eggs are carried for nine to ten months and hatch as minute larvae that swim in the upper regions of the sea. As they pass through successive stages they get larger and eventually become tiny lobsters.

Barnacles

An example of the smaller crustaceans is the barnacle. A barnacle is attached to a rock surface by its head; its legs are movable "nets" used for collecting small food particles from the water. Common shore species have limy plates surrounding their delicate body. They can close their valves to prevent the body from drying out when exposed at low tide.

Some species of barnacles live high upon the shore and can withstand long periods of exposure to air. Others live in vast numbers in the rocky intertidal regions of the shore. The goose barnacle lives very differently. It attaches itself to driftwood or to submerged parts of ships. Its head is elongated to form a stalk.

The barnacle larva that hatches from the egg is totally unlike its parent in body shape. The minute swimming larva that first emerges gradually develops into a form that has a bean-shaped shell.

This bean-shaped larvae seeks out a surface on which to settle. It may make several attempts to attach itself to a surface before using it adhesive "cement" to eventually fix itself in position. Once secure, it develops into the final barnacle like form.

Acorn barnacles, along with many other marine organisms attach themselves to submerged parts of ships. Sometimes, the growths are so thickly encrusted that they affect the ship's speed through the water.

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