Echo was a beautiful Nymph who lived in the forest.  She was so beautiful that everyone would stop to enjoy her beauty.  However, Echo had a problem that when she opened her mouth she could not keep it closed.  When Echo would begin to talk she would go on talking for hours endlessly and soon her beauty would begin to fade as a result of her endless jabbering.

One day Echo's incessant babbling angered Hera to such a high degree that she cursed her so that she would not be able to speak her own words.  Since Echo insisted on always finishing a conversation Hera cursed her to always repeat the last couple or more words any person said. 

Echo then wandered the forest never being able to speak her own words and always uttering the words of others.  A hunter by the name of Narcissus entered her forest and Echo fell in love with him upon sighting him.  She followed him, and longed for him to utter a few words so that she may repeat them.  

Narcissus walked through the forest and Echo followed him tree by tree.  Echo longed to speak to Narcissus but could say nothing.  

"Hello"  Narcissus said, "Hello" responded Echo.

"Is anybody there?" asked Narcissus, "Is anybody there?" responded Echo.

In this manner the conversation went on until Narcissus became fed up and left.  Narcissus had no time for the Nymph as he so loved himself, with a huff he left the beautiful Narcissus by herself in the forest.  Echo turned away in sadness she began to cry knowing that any attempts to get the man she loved would be hopeless.  It is said that the Nymph Echo became so saddened that she went up a mountain where she turned to stone.

Narcissus went on with his life.  He would be nice to others when they would compliment him or pay him favors, otherwise he would disregard them. All the gods frowned upon Narcissus and what he done as well as the life he had chosen to live.  The gods felt that Narcissus should be punished for his vanity.

There came a day when Narcissus had gone out to hunt.  He became thirsty and came upon a pool of water, and bowed down to drink.  As he was about to drink he saw a beautiful man in the water, "his reflection", smiling at him.  Narcissus then smiled back but as he touched the water the image of the man would disappear as the water would ripple as a result of his touch.  

The gods cursed him to stay at the pool bank and admire his image.  Narcissus stayed at the pool bank for days not eating or drinking until he finally withered away.  The gods then came to take his body away and brought him to the afterlife.  In the place where his body lay a beautiful flower appeared the Narcissus flower.