But whoever does not honor the golden Aphrodite, who rejects her gifts, who opposes her power, is mercilessly punished by the goddess of love. So she punished the son of the river god Cephisus and the nymph Lavrion, the beautiful, but cold, proud Narcissus. He loved no one except himself; he only considered himself worthy of love.
One day, when he got lost in a dense forest while hunting, the nymph Echo saw him. The nymph could not speak to Narcissus herself. The punishment of the goddess Hera weighed heavily on her: the nymph Echo had to remain silent, and she could answer questions only by repeating their last words. Echo looked with delight at the slender, handsome young man, hidden from him by the thicket of the forest. Narcissus looked around, not knowing where to go, and shouted loudly:
- Hey, who's here?
- Here! - came Echo's loud answer.
- Come here! - Narcissus shouted.
- Here! - Echo answered.
The beautiful Narcissus looks around in amazement. There is no one. Surprised by this, he exclaimed loudly:
- Here, come to me quickly!
And Echo responded joyfully.
- To me!
Stretching out her hands, a nymph from the forest hurries towards Narcissus, but the beautiful young man angrily pushes her away. He hastily left the nymph and disappeared into the dark forest.
The rejected nymph hid in the impassable forest thicket. She suffers from love for Narcissus, does not show herself to anyone and only sadly responds to every cry of the unfortunate Echo.
But Narcissus remained proud and narcissistic. He rejected everyone's love. His pride made many nymphs unhappy. And once one of the nymphs rejected by him exclaimed:
- Love you too, Narcissus! And let the person you love not reciprocate your feelings!
The nymph's wish came true. The goddess of love Aphrodite was angry that Narcissus was rejecting her gifts and punished him. One spring, while hunting, Narcissus came to a stream and wanted to drink the cold water. Neither a shepherd nor mountain goats had ever touched the waters of this stream, not once had a broken branch fallen into the stream, not even the wind had carried lush flower petals into the stream. Its water was clean and transparent. As if in a mirror, everything around was reflected in it: the bushes growing along the shore, and slender cypress trees, and the blue sky. Narcissus bent down to the stream, resting his hands on a stone protruding from the water, and was reflected in the stream in all its glory. It was then that Aphrodite’s punishment befell him. He looks in amazement at his reflection in the water, and strong love takes possession of him. With eyes full of love, he looks at his image in the water, it beckons him, calls him, stretches out its arms to him. Narcissus leans towards the mirror of the waters to kiss his reflection, but kisses only the cold, clear water of the stream. Narcissus has forgotten everything: he does not leave the stream; without looking up, he admires himself. He doesn't eat, doesn't drink, doesn't sleep. Finally, full of despair, Narcissus exclaims, stretching out his hands to his reflection:
- Oh, who suffered so cruelly! We are separated not by mountains, not by seas, but only by a strip of water, and yet we cannot be with you. Get out of the stream!
Narcissus thought, looking at his reflection in the water. Suddenly a terrible thought came to mind, and he quietly whispered to his reflection, leaning towards the water itself:
- Oh, grief! I'm afraid I've fallen in love with myself! After all, you are me! I love myself. I feel like I don't have much time left to live. Having barely blossomed, I will wither and descend into the dark kingdom of shadows. Death does not frighten me; death will bring an end to the torment of love.
Narcissus' strength leaves, he turns pale and already feels the approach of death, but still cannot tear himself away from his reflection. Narcissus is crying. His tears fall into the clear waters of the stream. Circles appeared on the mirror surface of the water, and the beautiful image disappeared. Narcissus exclaimed with fear:
- Oh, where are you! Come back! Stay! Don't leave me. After all, this is cruel. Oh, let me at least look at you!
But now the water is calm again, the reflection has appeared again, and again, without looking up, Narcissus is looking at it. It melts like dew on flowers in the rays of the hot sun. The unfortunate nymph Echo also sees how Narcissus suffers. She still loves him; Narcissus's suffering squeezes her heart with pain.
- Oh, grief! - exclaims Narcissus.
- Woe! - Echo answers.
Finally, exhausted, Narcissus exclaimed in a weakening voice, looking at his reflection:
- Goodbye!
And even quieter, barely audible, came the response of the nymph Echo:
- Goodbye!
Narcissus's head bowed on the green coastal grass, and the darkness of death covered his eyes. Narcissus died. The young nymphs cried in the forest, and Echo cried. The nymphs prepared a grave for young Narcissus, but when they came for his body, they did not find it. In the place where Narcissus's head bowed on the grass, a white fragrant flower grew - the flower of death; narcissist is his name.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru