From The Alchemist

Prologue

The Alchemist picked up a book that someone in the Caravan had brought.
Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus.

The Alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who knelt daily
beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. 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
the Narcissus.

But it was not how the author of the book ended the story.

He said that when Narcissus died, the goddess 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 Goddess asked.

"I weep for Narcissus." The Lake replied

"Ah, it is no surprise you weep for Narcissus." they said "for though
we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate 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 wept for Narcissus, but I never notice 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." the Alchemist thought.