Licenciatura

Written & Illustrated by

Janaki Sooriyarachchi

TIKIRI PUBLISHERS
1490/8, Hokandara Road, Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka. Tel: ++94 - 11 - 2847438, E-mail: janu@tikiri.com, Web: www.tikiri.com

First Edition 2008

C Janaki Sooriyarachchi

ISBN: 978-955-1090-50-0 Book Ref: T/07/137

This book is dedicated to my beloved Amma

Printed by
Tharanjee Prints

It’s Amma’s birthday,tomorrow
Nikini was a little girl. She lived with her mother and father, in a house near the woods. She was very friendly with the animals in the woods. One evening, Nikini’s father came home with a big gift box. “What’s that, Thatha?” Nikini asked her father. “It’s your mother’s birthday tomorrow,” her father said. “Oh!” Nikini was very upset. “How could I forget my Amma’s birthday? She would neverforget mine. So I should give her a wonderful gift,” Nikini thought.

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“But what shall I give her?” She went into her bedroom and thought. She loved her mother so much that she couldn’t think of anything good enough for a gift for her. She thought and thought until nightfall, but she couldn’t think of anything. Then a firefly, seeing Nikini by the window, flew to her. “Nikini, what are youdoing in the dark?” the firefly asked. “Firefly, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She makes me very happy on my birthdays. So I want to make her happy on her birthday. I want to give her the ‘greatest’ gift of all. But I can’t think of anything as great as my Amma,” said Nikini, sadly.

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“I think you should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. Something like the sky, or theocean,” said the firefly. Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear firefly, the biggest thing in the world is my Amma’s love. So, I would like to find a gift as big as her love. But how can I find it?” said Nikini. “You are a very good daughter who tries to give the biggest gift to her mother. So, I will help you. Let’s go out and find it,” the firefly said. Nikini went out in the dark with the firefly.The firefly showed her the way. They went to the woods. They searched and searched, but they couldn’t find anything as big as her mother’s love.

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On the way, a mynah bird who was about to go to sleep, saw Nikini. “Nikini, where are you going in the dark?” the mynah bird asked. “Mynah bird, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She cooks and cleans and works hard with norest. Her love is the biggest thing in the world for me. So, I should give her the ‘biggest’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as big as my Amma’s love,” Nikini said sadly. “No, I think you should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift, something like beautiful flowers, beautiful pearls,” the bluebird said. Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear mynah bird, the most beautiful thing in the world ismy Amma. So, I would like to find a flower or a pearl as beautiful as my Amma. But where can I find it?” asked Nikini. “You are a very good daughter. So I will help you,” said the mynah bird and away they went. They went on and on but couldn’t find anything as beautiful as her mother.

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They went on until Nikini stumbled upon a rabbit who was fast asleep. “Oh, Nikini, where are you going inthe dark?” asked the rabbit, rubbing his eyes. “Rabbit, it’s my Amma’s birthday tomorrow. She loves me very much. She feeds me, cuddles me and holds me close until I fall asleep. She is the most beautiful thing in the world. So I should give her the ‘most beautiful’ gift. But I still couldn’t find anything as beautiful as my Amma,” said Nikini sadly. “No, I think you should give her the ‘mostprecious’ gift in the world, something as precious as the moon and the stars,” said the rabbit.

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Nikini thought for a moment. “Dear rabbit, the most precious thing in the world is my Amma. Even if I hang the moon on a necklace, even if I make stars into earrings, they are not as precious as she is. I want to find something as precious as my Amma. But how can I find it?” asked Nikini sadly....