PAN AND SYRINX
(Greek)
Once there was a beautiful nymph of the woods whose name was Syrinx. She was much admired by all the satyrs and spirits of the wood, but she was a faithful worshipper of Artemis and did not respond to the attentions of any of her admirers. One day, however, Pan met her, and was so delighted with her that he persistently wooed her with many compliments. Away she ran from him without stopping to hear what he had to say, but on the bank of the river he overtook her. Then she called on her friends the water-nymphs to help her. They heard her, and just as Pan was about to throw his arms around her they changed her into a tuft of reeds. As he breathed a sigh, the air sounded through the reeds and produced a plaintive melody. Pan, delighted with the music and with the novelty of the experience, exclaimed, “Thus, then, at least, you shall be mine.” So he took some of the reeds, of unequal lengths, and placing them together side by side, he made an instrument and called it Syrinx, in honor of the nymph.