The Story of Narcissus

Sham S. Misri

There was a young man of Greek mythology named Narcissus. He was the son of river god. He was a very handsome youth. One nymph, who loved him died with grief, because he did not love her. One of his rejected lovers prayed that he be punished for his cruel heart. As a punishment Narcissus was drowned in the well. Narcissus was to see his own face reflected in a well, and to fall in love with his own image. Some say that he was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, which was called narcissus. These flowers are usually white or yellow. They are characterized by a narrow, tubular base (hypanthia), three petals and three petal-like sepals (the perianth), and a central cup-like appendage (the corona, cup, or crown) that may be of contrasting colour.

But this was not the end of the story.

I say when Narcissus died; the goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.

“Why do you weep?” the goddesses said.

“I weep for Narcissus,”   the lake replied.

“Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus,” they said, “for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could think of his beauty close at hand.”

“But was Narcissus beautiful?” the lake asked.

“Who better than you to know that?” the goddess said in wonder. “After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself?”

The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said.

“I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.”

“What a lovely story,”