A favorite of Aphrodite, Echo was a dryad beloved for her beauty, kindness, and talent for singing and storytelling. Narcissus was a handsome boy who had become arrogant because his beauty made girls faint. One day, Narcissus became lost in the same wood where Echo lived, and their paths crossed.

Echo was returning to her tree-hollow home when she noticed Zeus with a river nymph. A noise behind her proved to be Hera searching for her husband. Echo intercepted Hera, telling her that Zeus had been in the woods looking for her and, unable to find her, had returned to Olympus. Hera hurried off to find him, and a grateful Zeus gifted Echo a sapphire ring. After finding Zeus absent from Olympus, however, Hera realized that Echo had tricked her and cursed the dryad. Since Echo had used her voice to lie, Hera took it away. Now Echo would only be able to repeat the last works spoken to her by others.

In tears, Echo came upon Narcissus wandering through the woods and fell in love with his beauty. When he asked her for help finding his way home, Echo was only able to repeat the last words he said to her, and he became exasperated.