Of all the mountain nymphs, none was more charming than Echo. Echo was the daughter of the Air and the earth goddess Tellus. But she had one fault. She talked to much. It was chatter, chatter all day long, and no matter what the subject, Echo always had the last word.
Now one day when Zeus was enjoying the company of the nymphs, Hera suddenly appeared. All hurred to get away except Echo, who, to distract the goddess, started to talk. She kept Hera amused so long that the nymphs made their escape. But Hera was furious when she found out how she had been deceived.
"You shall never get the chance to do it again," she told Echo. "That amusing tongue of yours shall lose its power. From now on it will never be able to do anything except the one thing you are so fond of - reply. Yes you shall have the last work, Echo. But that is all you will have! Never will you be able to speak first!"
Soon after this, Echo found out just how bad her punishment was. She fell in love, and , as luck would have it, with a young hunter who could not love anybody but himself. Narcissus was an exceptionally handsome youth. But he was as cold as he was handsome.
Poor Echo trailed all over the mountains after Narcissus. How she longed to speak to him and win his love by gentle words! Alas, she had not the power!
Then one day while Narcissus was hunting, it happened
that he became seperated from his 
companions.
"Who's here?"he shouted.
"Here!" Echo replied.
Narcissus looked around. He could see no one.
"Come!" he called.
Echo immediately answered, "Come!"
Narcissus waited, but no one came, he called again: "Why do you keep away from me?"
"Away from me!" Echo called back.
"Let us meet!" Narcissus said.
"Let us meet!" the nymph agreed with all her heart. She ran to the spot, arms upraised and ready to throw around his neck.
Narcissus started back. "do not touch me!" he cried. "I would rather die than that you should have me!"
"Have me!" Echo pleaded.
But in vain. The young man strode off, leaving the nymph to hide her blushed in the thisck woods. From that time on, Echo would never show herself. Caves and mountain cliffs became her home. Here body wasted away with greif and longing until all her flesh was gone. Her bones changed into rocks. And nothing was left of her but her voice, with which she still replies to anyone who calles.
Cruel Narcissus was soon repaid for his Cruelty. One day he passed a brook and saw his reflection seeing his beautiful face he instantly fell in love. He sat for hours and days just stareing at his only love. But alas his reflection would not talk back to him or even dare to touch him and ran away in the ripples of the water when ever he tried to touch him. Narcissus began to greive. His greif soon became so unberrable for him that he wasted away and finaly drowned. Where his body sank apeared a beautiful white flower with a purple heart, the Narcissus.
