Siddhartha School Students Celebrate Spring by selecting the Orange Blossom Fairy from an old Tibetan Folk Tale as This Week’s Heroine.

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“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher

Siddhartha School fifth graders Tsewang Phuntsog and Tsewang Otsal collaborated on this portrait of the ‘Orange Blossom Fairy,’ a character in a well loved Himalayan folk tale. Born from the blossom of a magical orange tree, this angelic figure captured the imagination of our students who have read her story in the Siddhartha School Library many times. In honor of the advent of spring, the Orange Blossom Fairy is this week’s Siddhartha School heroine.

Dear Friend,

Our West coast readers can only imagine what a long and snow-bound winter it has been for the Easterners in our midst. The dismal gray piles of dirty snow have finally dissolved into the groundwater and our daffodils and crocuses have bloomed. We welcome the warmer breezes and the opening buds of long sleeping trees.

I think it is so appropriate that the Siddhartha School children have selected the ‘Orange Blossom Fairy’ as our heroine for the coming of spring and Earth Day in particular. Her miraculous appearance to a hopeful prince echoes the natural magic of the season, in all its blooming. We hope you enjoy reading the fairy tale, as told by Siddhartha School’s fifth grade class below.

Today is also Earth Day and the children have been very busy planting flowers and young saplings to beautify the campus grounds. This beautification would not have been possible without your kind support for the Siddhartha School Water Project, which we are happy to report is now irrigating the school campus.

On behalf of the Siddhartha School Project Board, teachers, and students, we wish you a happy spring filled with random acts of kindness and youthful wonder for the world. It is through your continued friendship that we are making the lives of children in Ladakh bloom with promise and curiosity.

With deep appreciation,

Laura Kozaitis
Executive Director
Siddhartha School Project

The Tale of the Orange Blossom Fairy-Angel, as told by the Siddhartha School Fifth Grade Class

Once upon a time, in a beautiful village there was a prince. He was a kind-hearted and very good man. One day his father announced that he would marry his son to the world’s most beautiful girl. But the prince had another plan. He only wanted to marry the Orange Blossom Fairy. He’d never seen this miraculous angel, but he still loved her very much and believed that she was the only one for him.

The prince refused to propose to the many beautiful girls his father introduced him to. This was very frustrating to the king, who did not believe in fairies, and certainly not that this Orange Blossom girl was the only one for his son. Well, one day the prince went into town and an old woman with a pot on her head walked by. The pot was filled with precious water that she had carried all day. Suddenly, the pot fell on the ground at his feet and the old woman became quite upset. In seeing her sadness, the prince’s heart broke for her misfortune as well. So he gave her a gold coin to help her.

The old woman was so happy to have his help that she blessed him, saying that the prince would get a princess like Orange Blossom Fairy to marry. The prince could not believe his ears that the old lady knew of the Orange Blossom girl of his dreams, so he asked her where the fairy might live. She was a very smart and observant old lady, and she told the prince where to find the magical girl.

The Prince set out to find the Orange Blossom Fairy at once. He crossed many mountains covered in snow and a huge forest filled with wild animals. At last, he came to a very beautiful and peaceful grove, and found an orange tree— the orange tree the old woman described to him when they met. He said a prayer and the plucked an orange from a tall branch.

The fruit shined brightly, like a blazing sun. This was no ordinary orange. He stroked it with his fingers and could see the face of the girl of his dreams on the surface of the fruit. He called to her and she appeared. He asked for her to be his bride and she agreed, because he had been so kind to her, back on the road. They set off, hand in hand, to be married by the king who had promised to marry his son to the most beautiful girl in the world, which she was.

“The moral of this story is if you want to touch the stars in the sky, you need wings like a cloud. And if you want to be with the Orange Blossom Fairy you need a kind heart like gold. The Orange Blossom Fairy is our hero because she is beautiful, and on top of that, she has a very kind heart. We believe in fairies, and we think our mothers are as beautiful as her and will always stay beautiful in our eyes.”

–Tsewang Otsal and Tsewang Phuntsog on why they love the “Orange Blossom Fairy.”

The Children Celebrate Earth Day, Planting Trees and Flowers on Campus

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”

– An old Buddhist saying

In honor of Earth Day and the generous gifts from the GO Campaign and the Siddhartha School Project community for the campus water project, the children celebrated Spring by planting flowers and young saplings at the school. Up to now, all water was trucked in and stored in plastic containers at the school. Thanks to all who have generously supported the water project. It is because of your kindness that we have brought water to the school for gardens. To have flowers growing on campus is a true miracle, as anyone who has been to the school can attest. Together we are transforming the campus from a dust bowl to a garden graced with trees and blossoms, shade and green grass.

The children worked with parents and teachers to plant seeds and saplings on campus for Earth Day. Note the water piping has reached the campus from the pumping site, thanks to the Spring thaw and a very busy crew of workers.

If you haven’t yet contributed to our campaign for campus improvements, it’s not too late. Make your tax deductible gift in any amount to the Siddhartha School Project’s annual fund today, or consider sponsoring a child’s tuition for less than a dollar a day. All gifts are tax deductible and make a significant impact on the lives of the children we serve.


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