Echo
Echowasanymphwhotalkedtoomuch.Shewasveryfondofhavingthelastwords.OnedayshesPokerudelytothegreatHera,whosaidthatforthisoffenceEchoshouldneverusehervoiceagain,unlesstorepeatwhatshehadjustheard,butsinceshewasveryfondoflastwords,shemightrepeatthelastwordsofothers.ThiswasalmostasbadasifHerahadchangedherintoaparrot.Echowasverymuchashamed,andhidherselfintheforest.
Narcissus,ayoungmanwhohadhairasyellowasgoldandeyesasblueasthesky,——averyrarethinginGreece,wheremostpeoplewereverydark,——usedtohuntintheforestwhereEchowashiding.Asshewaslookingoutshylyfromsomecaveorfrombehindagreattree,EchooftensawNarcissus,andsheadmiredhimverymuch.
OnesayNarcissusbecameseparatedfromhisfriends,andhearingsomethingrustleamongtheleaves,hecalledout,“Who'shere?”
“Here,”answeredEcho.
“HereIam.Come!”saidNarcissus.
“Iamcome,”saidEcho;and,asshespoke,shecameoutfromamongthetrees.
WhenNarcissussawastranger,insteadofoneofhisfriendsashehadexpected,helookedsurprisedandwalkedquicklyaway.
Afterthis,Echonevercameoutandallowedherselftobeseenagain,andintimeshedisappearedtillshebecameonlyavoice.
Thisvoicewasheardformany,manyyearsinforestsandamongmountains,particularlyincaves.Intheirlonelywalks,huntersoftenheardit.Sometimesitrepeatedthebarkingoftheirdogs;sometimesitrepeatedtheirownlastwords.Italwayshadastrangeandsadsound,andseemedtomakelonelyplacesmorelonelystill.