The Person I Like Most.

 Of all the people in the world, I like my dear mother the most. Not all the wealth in the world can make hate my mother.

 Everyone knows that mother's love is the greatest love in the world. When I see how my mother behaves towards my father, brothers, sisters an me, I am filled with pride. In everything that she does, there is a tough of love. Even when she washes the dishes, she makes sure that are clean so that no one in her family will become ill.

 Though she sometimes scolds me, I know that she does so not because she is bad but because she is tired, working all day for the happiness of her family. So I keep quiet while she expresses her anger, so that she may feel a little relieved after that.

 That she loves her family is proved every day. When my youngest brother is very hungry in the middle of the night and cries for milk, she wakes up at once to attend to him, even if she is tired or ill. In the same way, she wakes up before all the others and goes to bed last, so that everyone in the family can receive her care. If anyone is ill in the family, she is the one who is the most worried.

 Such care and love no one in the world can give to me. For these reasons my mother will always remain the dearest person to me.

 The Things I Dislike The Most.

 There are many things that I dislike; but the once I dislike the most are noise, crowds and laziness.

 Noise disturbs me greatly. This is why I hate to live in a city. In a city, vehicles run to and fro dawn till midnight. This makes the city very noisy indeed. The voice of thousands of people living close to one another also add to the noises caused by the vehicles. Besides, there are noises in the factories in the city.

 I also dislike crowds. Crowds make movement difficult. If a place is crowded, it is not easy to move about or to do any work quickly. If we are in hurry to go any where, a crowd can delay our progress.

 Finally, I hate laziness because a lazy boy is problem not only to his parents but also to others. By refusing to do any work, he compels others to work for him. Sometimes a week and poor person has to work hard to bring food for a strong and healthy person who is lazy. Such a person is really bad and ill-mannered. As long as he gets what he need and wants, he does not care what others thing of him. I hate to see such a person, even if he is my own brother or father.

 All this explains why I hate the things I have mentioned.

 An Interesting Story I Have Heard.

 One night my father told me a very interesting story. It was a story about an animal that lived in the sea but looked for food on land.

 The animal was very large. Its body was like that of a very big man. But its head was like that of a strange animal in story books. Its body was covered with fish-scales. It would come out of the sea at night to look for human flesh on land.

 One night the animal entered a village and caught a man. The man had been sleeping under a tree. The animal killed the man and ate his flesh quickly. Then it went back to the sea. Early next morning, the people in that village saw the half-eaten head and the bones of the dead man on the ground. They were frightened. They knew at once that the animal would return soon to kill another man. Therefore, they began to prepare to kill the animal.

 The people were right. The animal came back the next night. The people had not gone to bed yet. Then, suddenly, they heard the frightful cries of a man. At once they all ran out of their homes and looked for the animal. They soon found it. It was trying to go back to the sea as quickly as it could with a dead man on its shoulders. But the people threw their spears at the animal. The animal fought hard to reach the sea, but it soon fell to the ground and died.

 After that the people were all very happy. But they were also very sad for the two men who had been killed by the animal.

 A Birthday I Celebrated.

 A day I shall always remember is the day when I celebrated my tenth birthday. All my friends and relatives were invited to the birthday party.

 When the time drew near for me to be ready for the party, I put on my birthday dress which was specially sewn for me. After that I went into the hall where everyone was waiting for me. I saw a lot of lovely presents on a table. They had been brought for me by all those who came to the party.

 A few minutes later, my parents brought my birthday cake with ten candles on it. It was a large and beautiful cake. I was then asked to cut it. Though I felt rather uneasy, with so many eyes upon me, I somehow managed to cut a piece.

 The guests were then served. Music was played throughout the party. There were also jokes and laughter among the guests.

 When the party was over, I unpacked all my birthday gifts. I was surprised to see such lovely gifts. I then thanked my parents for holding such a pleasant party to celebrate my birthday.

 The Fruits I Like To Eat.

 The fruits I enjoy eating are durians rambutans and mangosteens.

 The durian has a very strong smell which many people dislike. So they do not like to eat this fruit. But I find the smell very attractive, through it is not easy to describe the smell. The skin of the durian is very thick and it is full of thorns. It contains about twenty seeds which are covered with delicious white or yellow flesh. This flesh is the only edible part of the fruit. I love this fruit.

 I also like the rambutan which is red or yellow in colour when it is ripe. Its skin is thin and hairy. When the skin is removed, its white flesh round a seed looks very tempting. The flesh is sweet and juicy. Whenever I have a chance to eat rambutans, I eat fifty to sixty of them at one sitting. The rambutan has only one seed in it.

 The mangosteen that I also love is dark red in colour. Some mangosteens are also black. The size of the mangosteen is that of an orange. The seeds of the mangosteen are smaller than those of the durian or that of a rambutan; but they are also covered with sweet juicy flesh. I can eat forty to fifty of them at a time.

 A Zoo I Visited.

 I love animals. So, I once paid a visit to the zoo in Kuala Lumpur. It is the largest zoo that I have seen.

 I went to the zoo with a few of my friends, one Sunday. The first thing that impressed me was the size of the zoo, and its beauty. I saw many kinds of plants and flowers all round.

 I also saw the lakes in which ducks of various kinds were swimming. I then saw the cages of the animals which were separated by long distances. Owing to the distance between one cage and another, the visit becomes more interesting indeed. This is because the visitor can walk longer in the cool and pleasant air inside the zoo. In this way, he spends more time in the zoo, resting here and there, while visiting all the cages.

 My friends and I, however, visited the monkeys first. They were of various types from different parts of the world. They were all very active, though they had been confined to their cages for a long time. Then, we saw the tigers, lions and the other animals. They were not also active as the monkeys. They were all lying down and looking at the visitor without any interest. I was a little surprised at their coolness.

 We spent several hours in that zoo. Then, we went out for a freshing drink of coconut water. After that we left the zoo, feeling very happy.

 The Type Of Stories I Like To Read.

 My father has always encouraged me to read. So, I read a lot of story books. But the type of stories that I enjoy most is detective stories.

 I love detective stories because they deal with crimes and criminals. Crimes are interesting to read because they show human behaviour in all sorts of situations. Men commit crimes for various reasons. So, a great deal of information about human conduct can be obtained from such stories.

 Again, detective stories also show criminals are caught and punished. The part played by detectives is very interesting to read. The courage that detectives show in arresting criminals is really great. They not only put themselves in danger but also their families when they deal with hardened criminals. The way they do their duty to protect society from criminals is therefore very interesting to study.

 Also interesting to study is the way criminals hide themselves from the law. They run about desperately; but in the end they are all caught and punished.

 For all these reasons I enjoy reading such stories.

 The Pleasures Of Living In A Village.

 A village is a quite place where the influence of the city is not felt much. It is indeed a very good place for rest and relaxation.

 In a village people do not live very close to one another. Their house are far apart. Each house therefor has a lot of space around it. So, almost every house is surrounded by flower and fruit plants and vegetables. All these make the village look green and fresh. There are also tall trees every where which provide shade from the sun and keep the village cool.

 Some villages are surrounded by paddy-field or mountains. There are also many streams and rivers in most villages. All these add great beauty and variety to the village scene.

 The people of village are simple in thought and behaviour. They are therefor very friendly and helpful. So, the crimes of the city and almost unknown in a village. The people here work together and live in peace. Whenever they celebrate a festival, they dance and sing together and the whole village is in a gay mood.

 Living among such friendly and simple people, in such a quiet place, is indeed a real pleasure.

 The Worst Accident I Have Seen.

 I have seen many accidents. The worst of them was one which three persons were involved. I still remember that accident very clearly.

 That day, I was travelling in my uncle's car. Suddenly, a car, running at great speed, overtook our car. There was only one person in it, the driver him-self.

 My uncle at once told me that very soon that car would cause an accident. That my uncle was right was proved shortly. We found the car inside a big river. It had crashed through the railings of the bridge over that rive. The driver was still trapped in the car. No one tried to help him, though there was a big crowd around. On the bridge itself, a young lady and the girl were lying unconscious with blood all over their bodies. The right hand of the lady was missing and the girl's head was badly injured. Their bicycle was crushed. Soon, an ambulance arrived and took the lady and girl to the hospital. There was a lot of blood on the bridge.

 It was indeed a very ugly sight. I felt very sorry for all those who were involved in the accident. But what actually happened to the man in the car still remains a mystery to me.

 The Worst Accident I Have Seen.

 I have seen many accidents. The worst of them was one which three persons were involved. I still remember that accident very clearly.

 That day, I was travelling in my uncle's car. Suddenly, a car, running at great speed, overtook our car. There was only one person in it, the driver him-self.

 My uncle at once told me that very soon that car would cause an accident. That my uncle was right was proved shortly. We found the car inside a big river. It had crashed through the railings of the bridge over that rive. The driver was still trapped in the car. No one tried to help him, though there was a big crowd around. On the bridge itself, a young lady and the girl were lying unconscious with blood all over their bodies. The right hand of the lady was missing and the girl's head was badly injured. Their bicycle was crushed. Soon, an ambulance arrived and took the lady and girl to the hospital. There was a lot of blood on the bridge.

 It was indeed a very ugly sight. I felt very sorry for all those who were involved in the accident. But what actually happened to the man in the car still remains a mystery to me.

 The Worst Accident I Have Seen.

 I have seen many accidents. The worst of them was one which three persons were involved. I still remember that accident very clearly.

 That day, I was travelling in my uncle's car. Suddenly, a car, running at great speed, overtook our car. There was only one person in it, the driver him-self.

 My uncle at once told me that very soon that car would cause an accident. That my uncle was right was proved shortly. We found the car inside a big river. It had crashed through the railings of the bridge over that rive. The driver was still trapped in the car. No one tried to help him, though there was a big crowd around. On the bridge itself, a young lady and the girl were lying unconscious with blood all over their bodies. The right hand of the lady was missing and the girl's head was badly injured. Their bicycle was crushed. Soon, an ambulance arrived and took the lady and girl to the hospital. There was a lot of blood on the bridge.

 It was indeed a very ugly sight. I felt very sorry for all those who were involved in the accident. But what actually happened to the man in the car still remains a mystery to me.

 What I Wish To Be When I Grow Up.

 I am still very young, yet I already have an ambition. I would like to be a businessman when I grow up.

 Most parents today want their children to become doctors, lawyers, engineers or accountants. My parents too want me to be a doctor or a lawyer. But I wish to be neither. I wish to be a businessman.

 As a businessman I can be independent, and rich. I shall not have to take orders from others. I shall look after my own business. Even if I make any mistakes, I shall not have to answer to anyone, though I might suffer some loss for some wrong decisions.

 I shall also not fell tired of working for long hours. As the business will be my own, I shall be prepared to work day and night, for this will only make me richer.

 In business, hard work is necessary; but hard work also brings much money. Yet most people are afraid of business. They say that business does not always make the man rich. Instead, it often ruins a man.

 But most of the richest people in the world are businessmen. Few people grow rich by earning salaries.

 All these explain why I would like to be a businessman.

 An Accident I Shall Never Forget.

 One day, last year, I was alone in my house, when something terrible happened. I can still remember the incident very clearly.

 My parents were out that day to meet some of their friends. My brothers and sisters had gone to the cinema. All of them returned very late in the night. As I had some school work to do, I stayed at home alone.

 I was reading my lesson in a room at the back of our house. It was now very dark. Suddenly, I heard a strange cry outside the house. It frightened me at once. I heard the cry again, but this time it was not so loud. I now felt certain that a child had been attacked by some person or an animal. I opened the door at the back of the house to find out what it was. As soon as I did so, I saw a small girl with a lot of blood all over her body, lying on the floor. She was still alive, however, I then took her into our house and telephoned to the hospital near by. Soon an ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital. What happened after that I do not know.

 When my parents returned, I told them all that had happened. The thought of this incident frightens me even today.

 How I Feel Ill After Drinking Stream Water.

 As I looked around for some water, one hot day, to quench my thirst, I saw the stream near by.

 I was so thirsty that I did not care whether the water in it was clean or dirty. I drank as much of its water as I could.

 On the next day, I feel very ill and my parents sent me to the hospital. My condition was so serious that not only my parents but also the doctors were worried about me. However, I recovered from the illness, and all those who had been concerned about me felt relieved and happy.

 Since that illness I have never had a drink of water from any stream.

 How I Learned To Ride A Bicycle.

 Learning how to ride a bicycle can be exciting as well as painful. But found it very exciting indeed.

 It was my sister who taught me how to ride a bicycle. One day my sister brought her bicycle and told me to sit on it and place my feet on the pedals. Then, she advised me to pedal slowly while she held the bicycle and ran slowly along. The road on which I was learning was smooth and there was almost no traffic.

 My sister was kind. She spent several hours trying to teach me how to ride. She did not go of the bicycle even once. I was indeed very much excited at this opportunity to learn how to ride a bicycle. I thanked my sister for her kindness and patience. On the next day, again, my sister took me to the road.

 Now, she told me to try to ride without her help. This was painful, for I fell several times and received some cuts on my hands and legs. My sister, however, told me not to lose heart. Soon I found that I could pedal some distance without falling. My sister then told me that had learned enough. I now needed some practice only. I was extremely happy to hear this.

 I was now very happy and proud to be able to ride a bicycle.

 How I Was Once Saved From Death By Friends.

 One hot day I went for a swim in a river, together with some of my friends.

 As I was swimming, one of my legs suddenly got caught in something at the bottom of the river. I tried hard to tree myself but in vain. I now cried for help, and all my friends quickly came to my rescue.

 One of my friends dived into the water and freed my leg. It had been caught in some branches. I then realised how lucky I was to have had my friends near by.

 After getting out of the water, I thanked all my friends for saving me. I had indeed had a very narrow escape from death.

 My School..

 I am studying in Pandan Primary School. It is a well-known school in Singapore. The school is a four-storeyed building, situated close to the West Coast. I am glad that the school is located in a quiet environment away from the bustle of the city.

 There are two sessions in our school, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. There are thirty eight class-rooms in all for both the sessions. Since it is an integrated school there are both boys and girls attending the classes. Besides English as the medium of instruction, Mandarin and Malay are taught as second languages.

 Our principal is Miss Lim who is a disciplinarian. But she is quiet affable and loving towards children. Our class teacher is Mr Tan, an elderly man. He is a very strict but kind man and dislikes noise in the class. He teaches us mathematics and morals.

 We have a spacious playground in our school. There are football, badminton and netball courts in our school. Our boys and girls are good athletes and it is a pride of the school that our boys and girls had won first and second prizes in the recent interschool sports meeting.

 An Autobiography Of An Aeroplane.

 I am quite sure that everyone has seen me. I have many brothers born with me known by different names. I can boast as one of the greatest marvels of this age.

 I am monster, a mechanical bird and me food is petrol. I have a body, four wings and a tail like a bird. I am a product of modern science, a very safe, efficient and useful vehicle, in the air. I have some enemies, and you would not be wise to take me in the air when there is a gale, a thunderstorm or a cyclone.

 You sometimes praise me as the fastest means of transport and condemn me as an engine of total destruction causing death to hundreds of innocent people. Please do not condemn me and my kind, for we are only helpless instruments in human hands to do bloody deeds. Through me man has conquered space and yet many people are ungrateful to me and shoot me down during war time.

 An Autobiography Of A Watch.

 I was born in Switzerland. I am glad that we of the Swiss origin are highly respected by people all over the world. The Swiss firm which made me, sold me to a jeweller's shop. I had a number of competitors by my side. There were also dull-looking watches by my side made in other countries. I really hate to look at them and am ashamed to be in their company.

 Sometime ago I was purchased by a rich man as a present to his studious son. The boy was wearing me for sometime and one day that misfortune happened to me. A thief stole me from the room of the boy and pawned me. I was kept as a prisoner for nearly six months and after sometime, when the thief failed to redeem me from the pawn-shop, the pawn-broker exhibited me for sale.

 I was bought by a soldier who was going to the battle front. Unfortunately my new 

 The Chinese New Year.

 The Chinese consider the first day of their new year to be a very important day. They celebrate the day irrespective of whether they are rich of poor. The Chinese call every year by a new name.

 Usually preparation for the celebration of the new year is made weeks ahead. Cakes of various kinds are made, the houses are cleaned and painted. A kind of red-cloth bearing the words "Prosperity" and "Happiness" is hung on the walls. The children wear new dresses as part of the custom.

 On the eve of the new year's day, the women folk perform a small ceremony just in front of the houses, by offering food and delicacies to their ancestors, Gods and Goddesses. They also burn joss-sticks and joss-papers to mark the occasion. In the evening all the members of the family, parents, grandparents and children gather for are-union dinner.

 On the new year's day, the members of the family get up early and pray to Gods for the prosperity and happiness of the family. Red-packets or "Ang Pows" containing money are given to the youngsters. Cracker firing to scare away the evil spirits is part of the celebration but it is banned by the government now.

 My Neighbours.

 Neighbours are those who stay next to our home. My neighbours are mostly Chinese. To the right side is the home of the Tans. They are a well to do family owning a shop in the busy China Town. And to the left is the home of the Chinags. They are not so rich as the Tans are.

 Mr Tan leaves home early in the morning while Mr Chiang who is a teacher leaves home at about 7.30 a.m. Mr Chiang returns home earlier than Mr Tan does.

 The two families are quite courteous and understanding and I am happy because I have good neighbours. We help each other in times of need. Once it happened that thieves broke into Mr Tan's house and I called the police immediately. Mr Tan thanked me for the help. During the Chinese new year they send us cakes and fruits and during Deepavali we present them with Indian cakes and curries.

 It is indeed a blessing to have good, courteous neighbours. Otherwise it will lead to misunderstanding and endless quarrels. So it is a good choice to have our house among good people.

 My Ambition.

 I am a primary five student now. In five years time I will have completed my school education. My father often tells me that he intends to send me to Australia for higher studies in a medical college there. He will do that only if I pass my school certificate examination with outstanding results.

 If I become a doctor I think I want to serve the sick people who are really desperate and poor. After receiving my MBBS degree, I would open a clinic of my own and give free treatment to the poor. If there be need I will visit the slums and other poor people's settlements in my country and treat them free of charge. As the people in these settlements cannot afford to spend money for treatment, I feel it is my duty to help them as much as I can.

 I shall also consider all the Singaporeans equally, irrespective of their race and religion. There are many poor and helpless people around us, who are in need of timely help. If I achieve my ambition I shall do my best as a doctor to help all our fellow unfortunate citizens.

 The National Day Celebration.

 The National Day of Singapore falls on 9 August of every year. The object of celebrating the National Day is to create national consciousness in every citizen of our island republic. It is declared a public holiday for every patriot to rejoice the occasion.

 Though our country is only 681 square kilometres in area, the people of various races are united and are proud of their unity and harmony. At least a week before the day, the city will be decorated with flags, buntings and arches. Multicolored lights provide a fairy-land look to most of the buildings in the city.

 The most important feature of the celebration is the mass procession held either in the National Stadium or in the open ground (Padang) in front of the City Hall. There will be march past of the contingents of our army, navy and air-force. The police, the Red Cross and various other organizations including school bands will also present themselves in the procession.

 Our President and the Prime Minister are the chief guests at the parade. They take the salute of the members taking part in the procession. It is indeed a great delight for children to watch all the shows on the National Day.

 The Motor Car.

 One of the most wonderful inventions of the modern age is the motor car. While the railway trains make long-distance travel quick, save and cheap, the motor car brings the conveniences of transport to our door step.

 A motor car is the most common means of transport today. It give you so much convenience of travel from place to place within a city or a country. You must sit in a car, start the engine and move a handle and there you go at speed of forty kilometres or above as you like.

 A motor car is a monster on the road. It roars and hisses and hoots along the road. If very driver of a motor car is careful and considerate there would not be accidents on the road. It is important therefore that the traffic police control the movement of motor vehicles on the road.

 There are many different types of motor car especially inside and models. Small cars can carry only two or three persons while big cars can take five to six people. Some cars are meant for race competition and their shape is different from others. Most of the cars run on petrol, but there are cars using diesel oil, a cheaper type of oil.

 How We Spend Our Holidays.

 Holidays are periods of rest between work. They may be long or short. For schools, the long holidays are during the month of June and December. Beside there are weekend and public holidays.

 School students spend the weekends, Saturdays and Sundays for revision work of their lessons. However they may also spend the days for recreation such as shopping or playing games. For workers the holidays are meant purely for rest and recreation.

 During the mid-year and Christmas holidays some useful excursions may be organized. Children either with teachers or themselves visit places of interest in Singapore or go across the causeway to Peninsular Malaysia. Those who can afford would travel as far as Malacca or Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to spend a few days visiting interesting places and shopping. Since every minute in our life is precious, we should spend our free time wisely. Holidays provide the best opportunity for children to improve on their weak subjects like Mathematics or English. They may go for special tuition to catch up with others.

 The first duty of every school student is to study, the rest comes only after study. A responsible child, therefore, looks forward to the holidays as the time to be spent wisely for his or her own benefit.

 Favourite Hobbies.

 An activity in which we take an interest outside our regular work becomes a hobby. Some students make drawing or painting a hobby, for others collection of stamps or gardening. Shell collecting on the beach is the hobby of some children.

 Hobby benefits many individuals. For example, a person who collects stamps of various countries of the world, takes special interest in the study of the subject of the stamp as well as the country where it is used. He may spend a lot of money to buy rare stamps for his album and take a great pride in owning them. Hobby also teaches a person the value of things or activity he is interested in.

 As for me I have had a few hobbies at different stages in my life. My earliest hobby was stamp collecting. Then it was keeping pets. I had two pet dog and parrot. Presently my hobby is gardening. I plant flowers and vegetables in my house compound and water them everyday. I nurse the plants by weeding or putting manures at times. Very often I sell my flowers to florists and get a small income.

 It is wiser to engage oneself in any hobby than it is to idle away one's precious time.

 The Telephone.

 The word "Telephone" means hearing the sounds produced at a distance, just as we see distant objects through a "Telescope" or we see things happening miles away through "Television". The telephone was invented more than one hundred years ago by Alexander Graham Bell, an American. It is now very extensively used everywhere. In Singapore most of the people have their own telephones in their homes. It makes us possible to talk to our friends far away without going all the way to their homes.

 In actual working it appears to be simple. It has a transmitter into which you speak and a receiver at which you hear; and these two are now combined in the same small instrument, one at each end. The two persons who want to speak have each an instrument. There is a connecting wire and an electric battery by the side of each, or there is a common station. It is the electric current that enables the sound vibrations to be reproduced at the other end, and the person at the end hears the talk of his friend.

 Its working is marvelous, though simple. Two persons can now carry on a conversation with each other, while both are lounging on their easy-chairs. There is thus no need now to leave your house to talk to a friend on any business. It saves time, trouble and expense.

 Hawkers.

 Hawkers are vendors who ply about the streets selling foodstuffs, cloths and other wares. They are also called pedlars. Some hawkers use carts to carry their goods from place to place while others have bicycles to carry their wares.

 Sometimes we are reluctant to go to the market or shops because we may not have time to do so. If things ate brought to our door-step and offered for sale, we would readily buy to save time and trouble. If we go to a shop we feel compelled to buy the things offered though they may not be the best, nor the cheapest. Whereas a hawker comes to our door-step and offers his goods and it is our choice to buy or not to buy.

 Sometimes the hawker sells old or stale foods and it is dangerous to buy such foods. They may not be hygienic in handling food. It could be a source of infection and would cause dangerous diseases like typhoid.

 Recently the hawkers in Singapore have been given stalls in various centres such as in housing estates or in new towns. The government has built many hawker centres all over Singapore for them to do business in permanent stalls. There are very few hawkers today plying from place in search of customers.

 The Pleasures Of Reading.

 We get pleasure in life in various ways. Some people find pleasure in eating delicious foods, others in hearing their favourite music while some others in seeing beautiful natural sights. Reading books, no doubt, gives pleasure not only to intellectuals but also to ordinary individuals. Reading an interesting account of anything, be it a literary piece or facts of science, is indeed a great pleasure.

 By reading we get pleasure in many ways. We may appreciate the style of the language or the story, if it is told in an interesting way. Some people prefer to read the novels of one author and they enjoy the style and the type of story of that author.

 Many children like to read story books and they appreciate the themes or morals of the stories. There are children particularly boys who enjoy reading adventure stories. Among the girls the interest is in fairy tales or simple love stories. Dreadful stories like "Dracula" are also popular among the children. By reading favourite books children get enormous pleasure. Some boys and girls enjoy nothing except reading books.

 Some people believe that reading comic books gives one a sensual pleasure and it is a waste of time and money in reading such books. They call the comic book readers "penny dreadfuls". Hence even in the matter of reading our tastes are essential. One should not indulge in too much reading; that may upset one's other responsibilities in life.

 The Proper Use Of Our Free Time.

 The interval of time between serious or compulsory work is our free time, or leisure. Such a period of free time is for relaxation and recreation. This is absolutely necessary in order to recoup our energy or refresh our minds, for "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". Continuous work will render our system, physical as well as mental useless. Free time, therefore, makes us fit for work once more.

 Leisure has another use, if it is sufficiently long. During periods of leisure we might improve ourselves in various ways.

 Workmen, in well-developed countries in Europe and America, spend their leisure in study and qualify themselves for their profession better. They improve their methods of work in various ways. They may improve their skills in the job. Some office workers like to discuss their office problems during free-time and help each other to improve their skills. Pupils at school might do some extra reading during their free-time. They might cultivate their hobbies or powers of observation.

 To idle away your time, if the period of leisure is long, is bad. To spend the time in idle talk or gambling is abuse of leisure.

 School Games.

 There are various types of games played in schools. Some games are meant for boys and others for girls. Football (soccer), hockey and rugby are popular games among boys while netball, basketball and badminton are girls' favourite games.

 Paying games gives ample exercise for all the muscles of our body. They energize the lungs and make a child healthy. The physical talent of a child develops if she or he plays games or participate in cross-country race or gymnastic activities.

 Games also give the best opportunity for boys and girls to learn co-operation and the habit of obeying rules. They may learn the team spirit instead of self-interest. It enables students to become good citizens. A game like football is played by a team of eleven players and each one has to follow the rules of the game. In this way all the players show co-operation in a team to win the game.

 In our school various games are organized by our sports teacher for boys and girls. Every evening games are played after classes. Our school has a spacious playground for football, basketball, and netball games. There is an indoor badminton court as well for both boys and girls.

 Every student should engage in one other game for physical, mental and moral development.

 Courtesy Campaign.

 The proverb says, "Manners make the man". The idea is that we think of a person as good or bad if we are impressed with his manners. Manners are the outward expression of one's character. These are shown by the words one uses and the way one behaves towards others. A person who behaves in a rude way to others is said be lacking in manners. Very often bad manners may not necessarily reflect one's character but only bad training at home or school.

 The good manner are softwords, being courteous, graceful ways of doing things and obedience. They are not learnt in just a day or two. Parents and teachers are duty bound to train their young children to cultivate good habits. They should develop the habit gradually as they grow up.

 Good manners certainly pay. People will be pleased to do us favours in times of need. Good manners also help us to gain friends. A man of good manners is a friend to all and an enemy to none.

 We all know that our government launches courtesy campaign week periodically. This is to propagate the importance of good manners. In schools awards are given to the pupils who excel in courtesy campaign.

 Pocket Money.

 Pocket money is what parents give to their children to spend as they like especially during festive season. Poor parents cannot afford it yet they feel they should give small sums to their children during the festival time. With the money children buy sweets and toys. The children of wealthy parents receive substantial amounts, for instance fifty dollars or even a hundred dollars and they like to spend it in buying expensive things and thus waste their money.

 Their is no reason why we should spend all our pocket money on luxuries like fashionable dresses and shoes. It is wiser for the rich children to buy some useful articles such as books, sports goods or stationery materials for use in school. They could spend as well part of the money to help their poor classmates and earn a good name.

 We should also realize the importance of saving part of our pocket money. We can open a Savings Account with the Post Office Savings Bank or any other bank. We should be wise in spending our money so that we would learn the values of thrift.

 It does not need a person to take any effort to spend money but it does need effort to earn it.

 A Visit To The Mandai Zoo.

 During the mid-term holidays I joined a number of my classmates and visited the Mandai Zoo. This zoo is situated in a beautiful countryside surrounded by a lush green vegetation.

 On the day we visited, there were not many people. Being my first experience I was thrilled to see the various animals, reptiles and birds of the zoo. Most of the animals are kept in huge open enclosures especially the lions and tigers. Some of these enclosures are provided with pools.

 The tallest animal, giraffe delighted us by its strange manner of walking and eating tree leaves. I was so excited to watch the lions because I had never seen the animal in real life. The tigers too were interesting sights for me. However, the most amusing sight was the orang-utan, a huge ape-like animal. We all had enjoyed the antics of these monkeys. Their swinging from bar to bar and climbing up the wooden poles at a fast pace delighted us enormously. It was here that we spent most of our time. We could see polar bear at a close range in a cold-water pool. Elephant, rhinocerous and hippopotamus had also amused us.

 It really takes a long time to go round the zoo and watch all the inmates. We returned in the evening exhausted after a long hectic visit to the zoo. Nevertheless it is a memorable visit for me.

 Fire Accident.

 It was past midnight and I was awaken by shouting which was followed by cries of distress. I did not want to lose the opportunity to see a big fire and so without wasting time, I ran towards the scene. When I reached the place, I saw a rubber factory on fire and there was thick black smoke in the sky. By now a big crowd had gathered and nobody cared to do anything except to express sympathy.

 A few minutes later, three fire engines arrived at the scene, and before their arrival the fire had already gutted the whole factory as well as the nearby "atap" huts. It was a spectacle which I cannot easily forget. I saw panic and anxiety among the victims. Most of them were standing hopelessly and looking at the fire with the meager personal effects they could carry along.

 Soon afterwards buses and vans arrived at the spot to carry the victims. They were housed in a welfare-home in the nearby town.

 A Dreadful Dream.

 One night I took a heavy meal and went to bed earlier as usual at 9.30 p.m. I used to have many pleasant and unpleasant dreams. Of all these, the one that I cannot easily forget from my memory is a frightening dream I had that night.

 I dreamt that while I was with my parents in a neighbouring estate. I was suddenly carried away by a tiger. Although I was shouting and screaming no one could hear me. The tiger caught me by one of my legs and I was dragged along a lonely path before it got ready to devour.

 However, I was lucky enough. As the tiger was getting ready to eat me, the manager of the estate Mr Jame, accidentally passing that way heard me crying. He took out his shot gun and fired at the tiger. It died instantly.

 So from that day, I used to take a light meal.

 A Visit To A Market.

 Last Sunday I accompanied my mother to the market at Kandang Kerbau Road. The market is located at the former site of the Kandang Kerbau Police Station. It is one of the oldest markets in Singapore.

 I entered the market holding a basket, and my mother led me. It was about 8.00 a.m in the morning and the market was crowded with customers as usual. Most of the customers were housewives carrying baskets to do the marketing. It was so crowded that each one had to rub shoulder with another in the narrow alleys. I felt so miserable in the midst of the noisy crowd and my mother held me tightly while we were moving from stall to stall. Inside the market I could hear the stall holders announcing the prices and attracting the customers as well as the bargains between customers and stall holders.

 We went to the vegetable stall where I was a wide selection of fresh vegetables displayed for sale. In the market there are different sections for vegetables, fish, meat and poultry. When we moved to the fish stall I could not help but bear the foul smell all around. We bought some fish and prawns and managed ourselves to come out of the place.

 In Singapore there are many markets like this and they are all kept clean and tidy. This will help to safeguard the public health.

 A Visit To The Vankleef Aquarium.

 One day last week my cousin took me to the Vankleef Aquarium near the River Valley Road. The aquarium itself is housed in an impressive building surrounded by lush green trees and plants.

 After buying the tickets we entered the building. To my surprise I found myself in a dark cell, the only bright spots being the glass cases containing fishes. It looked as if we were walking under the sea with a variety of marine creatures floating around us.

 The fishes and other sea creatures are kept in huge glass cases brightly lit for the visitors to watch them closely. It was indeed a great delight to watch the fishes moving in between sea plants, rock pieces and dead shells. The most interesting fish I saw was the octopus, the "demon" among the fishes. It is a monster among the marine creatures. There were sea horse and sea snakes in the aquarium.

 While we were observing these creatures we happened to see two men feeding the fishes. They threw the fish food into the cases from behind and suddenly all the fishes went rushing to grab it. We were amused by the great fight of the fishes for the food. We stayed for sometime to watch the fun.

 After spending about an hour and a half, we returned home. It is worth visiting the aquarium to learn about the marine creatures of our oceans and seas.

 A Rainy Day.

 A rainy day is disliked by school children because it keeps them indoor. They have little chance to go out and play on a rain day.

 Once I had an unpleasant experience on a rainy day. It was one Monday and I was attending my class. All of a sudden the clouds became darker, followed by a torrential rain. The rain started at about 9.00 a.m and continued for more than an hour. The water started to creep into our class gradually. Our school being in a low land, it took little time for the whole school compound to get flooded.

 Our teachers had little work to do during the rain as thunder became deafening followed by a stormy weather. The school was dismissed an hour earlier than usual and we had to walk back home in knee-deep water. I did not bring my umbrella, so I had to share my friend's umbrella on my way home. By the time I reached home I was drenched. I felt miserable as my books were all wet. I had to dry them up for the next day. I saw a few trees up-rooted in front of my house and it was caused by the rain. A canal near my house was over-flowing and it looked like the whole place would go under water. We were lucky that the flood water receded and the sky became clearer soon.

 I still remember the dreadful scene of that rainy day.

 A Visit To An Island.

 Last month my uncle who is working with Shell, an oil firm in Pulau Bukom invited me to visit him. My mother did not want to send me alone and so she sent my sister to accompany me.

 In the early hours of the morning my sister and I went to the World Trade Centre. There we took a ferry. The ferry left the Pier in fair weather and there was no important incident worth mentioning on our trip. We had a smooth journey all the way as sea was calm. Our ferry passed through boats and ships anchored in the harbour waters. We reached the island within twenty-minutes and I was surprised to see my uncle waiting at the Pier for us.

 Leaving us in his residence, he went to work. My sister and I took the opportunity to survey the island from one end to the other. It is full of oil tanks, both huge and small and in the mid-day sun the huge aluminium painted tanks shone brightly. Near the refinery there were steel pipes running in different directions. It was not a pleasant walk near the oil tanks. So we returned earlier to our uncle's residence. On the whole it was an interesting visit.

 My Relatives.

 I am lucky to have at least a dozen aunts and uncles. Of all my aunts and uncles I like Mr Chan the most. He is a teacher in a secondary school. In fact he is the only uncle who shows his true love towards me. He is very much concerned about my study.

 During week-ends I visit him and spend a few hours with him. He sits with me and helps me in my school lessons. He insists that I should work hard to produce good results in the school examinations. Mr Chan makes it a point that he buys a good present for my birthday every year. In return for his help I always remain an obedient and loving nephew.

 The aunt I like best among the many is Mrs Leong. She is my father's youngest sister. She says that she feels miserable if she does not see me at least once a week. So every Sunday I make it a point to visit her. Not only she treats me with tasty foods and cakes but also buys story books, comics and clothes for me. Recently Mrs Leong bought me an expensive camera as my birthday present.

 I am indeed fortunate to have two loving relatives to make life happier. I am ever grateful to them.

 My Family.

 We are a poor family. There are a total of nine members in my family, including my father and mother. The children are seven in all, four boys and three girls.

 My father is a hawker selling fruits in a food centre in Singapore and my mother is a washerwoman. My father earns about twenty-five dollars a day and my mother is getting about two-hundred dollars a month. Though poor, ours is a happy family. My parents seldom quarrel and they are thrifty.

 All my brothers and sisters are attending Schools. My eldest brother Ronnie is in secondary four in a government school. He says that he will pass this year, with good credits to go to Junior College. My second eldest brother is a sports enthusiast. He often gets medals in his school sports.

 On school days my brother goes to school by bus and we children are in a nearby primary school not very far from our home.

 During week-ends my eldest brother helps us in our studies.

 The Person Whom I Like Best.

 The person whom I like best is Mr William Kiang. He is a neighbour of mine and known to my family ever since we have shifted to our present house, about ten years ago.

 He is an odd-job man having no permanent job to earn a steady income, yet he earns enough for a living. He is still a bachelor, though he is nearing his fiftieth birthday. His only pleasure is derived from helping those who need help. He can paint, white wash, mow the lawn, trim the plants, wash clothes and do carpentry.

 I like him, for one day he gave me a dollar when I had no bus fare. On another occasion it was raining cats and dogs and Mr Kiang who happened to pass that way sheltered me in his umbrella and took me home.

 He is a good Christian and seldom misses his Sunday Church attendance. He is called by the people in the neighbourhood, the second "Rip-van-winkle". A Good Samaritan indeed, he is.

 A Visit To The National Library.

 Recently I followed my elder brother to our National Library. The library is situated in Stamford Road next to the National Museum. We visited one Saturday morning and it was crowded with school children.

 The library is housed in a huge building with many sections and hundreds of thousands of books. The books are for all age groups: school students, university students and general members of the public. School children can register as members of the library and thus are allowed to borrow books for reading at home.

 National Library has a special children's section on the ground floor. I saw row and row of shelves stocked with children's books. There are even books for kindergarten children. Every one was busy inside the hall picking up books, writing notes from reference books or registering for membership. A diligent child interested in reading will enjoy the pleasure of looking at the titles of his or her favourite subjects. Apart from books the library has magazines and newspapers for the general public.

 It being my first visit to the library everything looked strange and interesting. I did not miss the chance to register myself as a member, and borrowed my first book to take home. My brother too borrowed books and later we returned home.