ECHO & NARCISSUS PAGE TWO
continued from page one

Echo had spotted the gorgeous - yet conceited - youth and had fallen desperately in love with him. Looking for an opportunity to convey her adoration, she found her chance one day while Narcissus was out hunting stags.

For hours Echo stealthily followed the handsome youth through the woods, her heart beating with excitement, yet unable to speak first. Finally Narcissus heard soft footsteps behind him and paused in his tracks.

Nothing there. He kept walking. He heard the steps again and this time shouted loudly, "Who goes there?" "Who goes there?" came Echo's reply.

And so it went, back and forth, until finally Echo could no longer handle the longing - dashing out from behind a tree, she rushed the startled Narcissus and wrapped her arms around the lovely object of her obsession.

Narcissus was mortified! Who was this impetuous girl, he wondered, and why was she trying to kiss him? Repulsed, he shoved away Echo, rudely telling her to leave his presence.

Chalk up another broken heart. Devastated, Echo spent the remainder of her life wandering in lonely glens, pining away for the love she never knew, until at last only her voice remained.

Narcissus was not finished. A handsome man named Ameinius was one of the vain youth's most ardent admirers and relentlessly vied for his attention. So what did Narcissus do? The conceited youth responded to the entreaties by sending his suitor a sword, telling him to prove his adoration.

Not knowing how else to prove his adoration, Ameinius proceeded to plunge the sword into his heart, committing suicide to demonstrate his love. As he lay dying, he beseeched the gods to punish the heartless Narcissus.

The goddess of the hunt, Artemis, heard the dying plea and proceeded to exact revenge. She caused Narcissus to fall in love, but the kind of love that could never be fulfilled.

Narcissus came upon a clear spring at Donacon in Thespia and, as he bent low to quench his thirst, for the first time caught sight of himself reflected in the pool. Try as he might to touch the exquisite person in the waters, however, he never could.

Enraptured sat Narcissus, gazing at the beauty reflected, but unable to be fulfilled. The spell of Artemis had totally mesmerized him, and for hours he sprawled by the spring, until at last he recognized himself.

Duh!

Tortured by the sudden realization that he could never possess the object of his infatuation, Narcissus grew morose. In the same way that he had tormented all of those suitors unlucky enough to fall in love with him, it was now Narcissus who for the first time experienced the pangs of love unrequited.

Unable at last to stand the agony Narcissus plunged a dagger in his heart and died, calling out a final goodbye to his reflected image.

Where his blood soaked the earth sprung up the white narcissus flower with its red corollary, forever growing at the water's edge, its head inclined towards the water.

Echo & Narcissus continues on page three!

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