In the mountain forests of ancient Greece, there lived a beautiful mountain nymph named Echo. Echo was lively by nature and liked to run and play among the mountain forests. Her laughter was as pleasant as the clear stream in the mountains.
One day, all the gods and nymphs in the mountain forest held a grand party. Everyone was chatting, dancing, and sharing all kinds of interesting stories merrily. Echo also participated in it with great enthusiasm, and her clear voice stood out among the crowd. However, Echo had a little flaw. She always liked to rush to speak when others were talking and often imitated the intonation of others' speech just for fun. But she didn't realize that this kind of behavior might cause trouble.
At the climax of the party, Hera, the queen of the gods, appeared. Hera was a very majestic goddess and she didn't like any disrespect towards her. At that time, Hera was seriously discussing important matters with other deities. When Echo saw Hera, she thought it was fun and began to repeat Hera's words. Hera was very angry because she thought Echo was deliberately provoking her majesty.
So, Hera angrily cast a curse on Echo. She cursed that Echo could only repeat the words that others had said from then on and could no longer express her own thoughts. Echo's eyes widened in horror. She regretted it very much, but the curse had already taken effect.
Since then, Echo has become a pitiful nymph who can only repeat other people's words. She often hides in the corners of the mountain forest, watching other nymphs chatting and laughing freely, while she can only make the same sound after others have spoken.
This story warns people, both adults and children, to be cautious in words and deeds and respect others in life. Don't imitate or interrupt others casually when they are speaking, or it may bring bad consequences to oneself.
