Echo laughed, “Oh Goddess, I haven’t yet seen a mortal man to kindle the fire within me, and gods are too fickle. When the day comes that I find the man that I can love, I shall let you know immediately.”
Aphrodite sighed, “That day will come soon, and he will be special. You deserve no less.” and Aphrodite was gone.
Echo was on her way back to her tree, when she came across a small clearing. She stooped low to crawl under a set of bushes, and gasped at what she saw. There was Zeus looking down to a beautiful river nymph, laying his hand gently on her shoulder. “Well!” thought Echo, “Won’t Aphrodite enjoy hearing about this!” A flash of colour caught her eye off to one side, and she immediately recognised the purple robes of Hera, and knew full well what would happen to the innocent river nymph if Hera caught them together. Thinking swiftly, Echo intercepted Hera, and bowed deeply in front of her.
“Greetings Great Queen. Welcome to the wood.”
“Hush fool!” hissed Hera “Can’t you see I am trying to take someone by surprise?”
“It isn’t often that we are visited by some many gods. Only a few minutes ago, Zeus was here looking for you!”
Hera looked puzzled, “Zeus? Looking for me? Are you sure?”
“Yes, he was here looking for you, and he asked me if I had seen you. When I told him that I hadn’t, he flew off looking very disappointed.”
Hera laughed, “Well, miracles never cease! Which way did he go, child?” “Oh, towards Olympus!”
Hera smiled down to Echo, “Thank you, I shall be going too.” and she disappeared.
Zeus, who had heard Hera coming and found a hiding spot, came out to thank Echo. As a reward, he gave her a sapphire ring that he had been wearing on his finger. She accepted it with thanks, and Zeus quickly left before Hera returned.
Up on Olympus, Hera returned to find that Zeus was nowhere to be seen. She rushed back to the forest, and found Echo admiring a beautiful sapphire ring on her finger, which she immediately recognised as Zeus’. “Wretched creature!” Hera howled. “You tricked me to protect my husband! Foolish nymph, thinking you could outwit me, Queen of the Gods!” As Hera was shouting, Echo gasped in pain, and clutched her throat. “No more shall you chatter or gossip. No more shall you tell your stories and weave your lies. From this moment on you will only be able to repeat the last words that are spoken to you. You will soon learn the price for your treachery.” And with that, Hera spun back into the forest to search for Zeus once more.
Echo opened her mouth and tried to speak, but no sound issued forth. She fell to the ground and began to weep. She lifted her tear stained face to look at the ring that Zeus had given her. She tore it from her finger and flung in into the river, cursing the river nymph that she had made this sacrifice to protect. She remained by the side of the river until the sun was setting over the horizon, then picked herself up from the ground, and slowly walked back to her tree, weeping the whole time.
Not too far off from Echo’s tree, a hunter was wandering through the forest. He lost his way while chasing down his prey, and couldn’t figure out where he was. His name was Narcissus, and his beauty could only be compared to the gods themselves. No matter where he was, there were always women swooning over him, and pushing each other aside to get a better look at him. The only woman that never tried to take advantage of him was his own mother. He sat down, resting his back against a tree, sighing in frustration. There wasn’t even anybody around that he could ask for directions.
Echo returned to her tree, and felt a presence nearby. She peeked around the corner and saw the most beautiful creature that she had ever seen leaning up against a nearby tree. Her grief for the loss of her voice vanished instantly, and she was happy. She danced out of the bushes onto the path and stood before Narcissus, her eyes full of love for the man before her. Narcissus looked up, “Ah, thank the gods! Excuse me, could you tell me the way out of the wood?”
Echo replied, “Out of the wood?”
“Yes,” he said, “I seem to be lost, and I was wondering if you knew the way out of the wood.”
“Out of the wood?” came the reply.
Narcissus stood up, “Are you deaf perhaps? I only want to find my way home!” Echo smiled, “My way home.”
Narcissus threw his arms up in frustration and set off down the path. Echo flung herself to the ground and wrapped her arms around his legs.
“Oh no, you’re just like the others! All of those foolish women tripping over themselves to get to me. They’re all a nuisance, and so are you!” He kicked his way through her arms, and stormed off into the forest. Echo sat up; grief tore at her like the sharpest of claws. She closed her eyes and began to pray, “Aphrodite! You promised me one true love, and the only man I could love has refused me. Make me disappear forever, I no longer wish to be a part of this world!”
Up on Olympus, Echo words rang clear in Aphrodite’s mind, and she took pity on Echo. “Your wish will be granted, and I will avenge you, my friend.” Aphrodite looked down to Echo, and began to speak a spell. Echo sat on the path, and her form began to fade from view, turning into a thick mist and blowing away. Aphrodite had granted her wish, but she couldn’t bear to lose Echo’s voice; she didn’t want to lose the one thing that she cherished most about her beloved friend.
Still lost, Narcissus collapsed by a small river pool weary from his long day in the forest. He had a burning thirst, and leaned over the pool to drink. Right as he loomed over the pool to drink, the most beautiful creature looked back up to him from the water. Never before had he seen anything so beautiful! He figured that it was the daughter of the river’s god, the most beautiful nymph in the world. He tentatively reached out to touch her, and as his fingers brushed against the water’s surface, the form before him shifted and wavered.
“Please come back!” pleaded Narcissus.
The form righted itself, and the eyes of the nymph stared right back up into his. He reached out again, and just as before the form of the image before him shifted and faded from view.
“Why don’t you stay with me? Why do you keep avoiding my touch?” Narcissus reached out for the third time, and again the form faded from view in a miasma of ripples.
Narcissus cried out, “Why won’t you love me!?”
“Love me?” came the reply of a faint female voice.
“I do! I do!” he cried. “I shall stay here until you love me in return!” Narcissus stared at the image in the water for days after, never eating or drinking. Soon he died; Aphrodite’s revenge was complete. As a remembrance of the ill-fated love, she created a flower, which sprung up where Narcissus had died. The flower - named after him - only grows by river pools, always remaining close to the only love that they shall never have.
