Snowy Spice Organic Loose-leaf Tea Blend This green and spice tea blend gives a sense of being snug & cosy while kindling your energy and raising your spirits. The perfect tea for the winter season.
Ingredients*: Cinnnamon sticks, ginger, green tea Chun Mee, cacao nibs, anise, lemongrass, white tea Pai Mu Tan, black pepper, turmeric, star anise, pink pepper, white tea Mao Feng, clove, rose petals, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon powdered, ginger powdered, cardamom powdered, vanilla.
*All certified organic ingredients
Snowy Spice organic tea blend is named after the Russian story, The Snow Maiden. The Snow Maiden A Russian Folktale Once upon a time there lived an old woodcutter and his wife. They were poor and had no children. The old man cut logs in the forest and carried them into town and earned them a meagre life. As they grew older they became sadder and sadder at being childless.
Out of the window of their little cabin they would watch as the children played outside in the snow, it made them long to have a child of their own, although it seemed far too late in their lives for that to happen now.
After the children had gone home the woodcutter suggested to his wife, ‘Let’s go out and play in the snow to raise our spirits.’ At first his wife thought it silly but eventually she was persuaded and they headed out into the snow. ‘Let’s make a child out of snow, like a young girl,’ she said.
They began to roll snowballs together, and in a short while they had made a ‘Snegurochka,’ a snow maiden. The old man and the old woman gazed at her but instead of cheering them up they grew even sadder.
There happened to be magic in the forest this day, a winter spirit was breezing through the trees and saw the plight of the old couple. The spirit spun itself around the snow maiden and the snow began to sparkle. The old couple looked on, their eyes filled with wonder. The eyes of the snow maiden twinkled, nearly white hair appeared on her head, a velvet cape covered her shoulders, and embroidered boots appeared on her feet.
The old couple looked at her and could not believe what they saw. Then the mist of breath parted the red lips of the snow maiden, Snegurochka trembled, looked around, and took a step forward. The old couple were mesmerised and thought they were dreaming. The snow maiden smiled and came over to them.
She spoke, ’Good day, kind folk, do not be frightened! I will be a daughter to you, the joy of your old age. I will honour you as father and mother.’
‘My darling daughter, let it be as you desire,’ answered the old man. ‘Come home with us, our longed-for little girl!’
They took her by her white hands and led her from the forest.
As they went, the winter spirit watched, the pine trees swayed goodbye, saying farewell to Snegurochka, with their rustling they wished her a happy life.
The old couple brought Snegurochka home to their wooden cabin and she began her life with them. She was always most respectful, and they could not praise her enough, nor tire of gazing at her, she was so kind and so beautiful.
Snegurochka, nevertheless, worried her adopted parents. She was not at all talkative and her little face was always so pale. She did not seem to have a drop of blood, yet her eyes glowed like the moon. And her smile! When she smiled she lit up their little cabin like a shining star.
But Snegurochka did not leave the little cabin, from the window she watched the other children playing in the snow but would not go out to join them, even though the old couple encouraged her to do so.
Carnival time arrived. People were on their way into town to join in the celebration, with singing from early morning until late at night. Snegurochka watched the merrymaking through the little frosty window panes. She watched until finally she could resist no longer, she gave in to her mother’s urging, put on her velvet cape, and went into the street to join the merriment.
That first day Snegurochka walked in the street she met a young boy, a shepherd named Lel, he became her good friend, and they became inseparable. She was nervous around the other children but felt safe with Lel, he played a small flute and Snegurochka loved to dance to the music. Lel had never seen anyone so beautiful as her when she was dancing, the air was glittered and snowflakes seemed to whirl above her head and form fantastic shapes.
Everyday that winter Lel would come to collect Snegurochka and they would play in the wood or explore the streets of the town. Most of all she loved it best when Lel played his flute and she would dance. Winter drew on and the first signs of spring began to appear, the weather warmed a little, the days grew longer, and the snow began to melt. Snegurochka became very quiet and would not go outdoors for days on end. The old couple grew concerned about her but the snow maiden would say nothing.
One beautiful spring morning Lel came to Snegurochka's little window, he was missing his dear companion, and pleaded with her to come out with him, for just a little while. For most of the day Snegurochka refused to listen, but finally her heart could no longer resist Lel's pleas, and she went with her beloved friend into the forest.
Snegurochka moved slowly, Lel could tell she was not well, but she looked to him, the glimmer in her eye nearly faded, and said, ‘Lel, my dearest friend, play your flute for me one last time.’
So Lel took out his flute and began to play Snegurochka's favourite tune.
She listened to the song, tears rolled down from her eyes, she began to dance, a few snowflakes swirled above her head before turning to droplets in the warm spring sunshine. Then her feet began to melt, her body turned to water, then to mist, and rose up and circled in the air, to then vanish as vapour in the sun’s rays.
Lel finished his tune with tears running down his cheeks, he was sad to lose his beloved Snegurochka, but as well, he was grateful for such a beautiful winter friend.