In ancient Greece, there lived a boy named Narcissus. He was so handsome that people stopped and stared wherever he went. But Narcissus was proud. He cared for no one and laughed at those who loved him. He believed no one was as perfect as he was.

In the forest lived Echo, a shy mountain nymph. She saw Narcissus one day and fell deeply in love. But she could only repeat the last words she heard. When she tried to speak to him, he mocked her and walked away. Heartbroken, Echo hid among the rocks until her voice was all that remained.

One warm afternoon, Narcissus wandered alone through the woods. He was tired and thirsty. He came to a small, quiet pool hidden among tall trees. The water was still and bright, like a mirror. He knelt down to drink.

As he leaned closer, he saw a face in the water—a beautiful face, with eyes full of light. He smiled, and the face smiled back. He reached out to touch it, but ripples broke the image. When the water calmed, the face returned. Narcissus did not understand it was his own reflection.

He could not look away. He sat beside the pool, staring at the face in the water. The forest grew quiet around him. Day turned to night, and night to day again, but Narcissus never moved. He whispered softly, “Stay with me. Don’t leave me.” He forgot hunger, thirst, and time itself.

His body grew weak, his skin pale. He leaned closer and closer, as if the reflection might finally touch him back. But when he reached again, the water broke, and the image was gone. Narcissus cried for the first time—and the tears fell into the pool like rain.

When the forest grew quiet once more, the boy was gone. In his place, beside the pool, a white flower had bloomed—its head bent gently toward the water, as if still gazing at its reflection.

The nymphs whispered, “The gods have turned him into a flower, so his beauty will remain forever.” The narcissus flower swayed softly in the breeze, watching itself in the still water, just as the boy once did.