Echo was a young woman who talked all the time. Zeus’s wife, Hera, couldn’t stand to hear Echo talking so much. So she put a spell on her. “You will never be able to speak first”, Hera told Echo. “You will only be able to repeat what is said to you”.

 This was very hard on a person who loved to talk. Echo would open her mouth, but nothing would come out. However, when someone else finished speaking, she would repeat what was said.

 Now, all the young women were in love with a young man named Narcissus. To be sure, he had a beautiful face. However, Narcissus had a cold heart. The women all ran after him, but he never even looked at them. He just ran away.

 Echo, too, fell in love with Narcissus. With Hera’s spell on her, she could not speak first. One day she followed him through the woods. Narcissus heard her behind him. He turned around. He saw no one. “Is someone here?” he called.

 “Here”, answered Echo, who could only repeat what he said.

 “What do you want if I find you?” asked Narcissus.

 “You” answered Echo.

 “I will die before I love you,” warned Narcissus.

 “I love you,” answered Echo.

 This went on and on until Narcissus had had enough. He went along his way and left Echo behind.

 Echo felt very sad. Like all the other women, she could not catch Narcissus. She went off to a cave and melted away. Only her voice was left. You can still hear her if you call.

 The gods on Mount Olympussaw what had happened. They decided it was time for Narcissus to learn a lesson about love. He would find out how it felt to love someone without return.

 Here is how it happened. Narcissus bent down to take a drink of water from a pond. As good-looking as he was, this was the first time he had ever seen himself. “Look at that beautiful face!” he cried to the face in the pond. His cold heart melted. He tried to touch the face in the water. But when he did, the water moved and the face went away.

 Time and time again, Narcissus tried to get close to the face in the water. Time and time again, it went away without a word.

 “Now I know how the young women feel when I run away from them,” said Narcissus.

 He was so sad. He never left that spot by the pond. Narcissus was in love. He began to waste away. As he was dying, he called out “Good-bye” to the face in the water. “Good-bye,” came the sound of Echo from the cave.

 The next spring, there was nothing left of Narcissus. But on the spot where he had sat grew a new, white flower. These flowers still grow today. They are named after Narcissus.