NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND            
                                   
                                          
 A STUDENT  AT THE CHARCOAL  GUILD... HIS 
 EYES  SEWN SHUT  FROM BIRTH... THE  MOST 
            SUCCESSFUL STUDENT            
                                          
 BUT ONE DAY HE FELL  DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL 
 CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP  IN THE  MOUNTAIN, A 
 GREAT  HALL  WITH  ONLY  A  SINGLE  TINY 
 INLET   FOR   BOTH  LIGHT  AND   FALLING 
               STUDENTS...                
                                          
 IN  THE  FALL, THE QUARTZ SLICED OFF THE 
 THREADS IN  HIS EYES,  OPENING  THEM FOR 
 THE   FIRST   TIME.  BEFORE   HIM,   THE 
 CRYSTALS  MIRRORED AND REFRACTED THE ONE 
 LIGHT  SMIDGE INTO  A  WHOLE NIGHT  SKY, 
 AND   HE   WAS   STRUCK  DOWN  WITH  AWE 
                                          
 BUT  ALSO  WITH  SHAME, BECAUSE HIS EYES 
 HAD  SEEN.  HURRIEDLY,  HE  USED  THREAD 
 FROM   HIS   ROBE   TO  SEW   THEM  BACK 
 TOGETHER, AND WHEN HELP CAME  HE DID NOT 
        TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION.        
                                          
 FOR YEARS HE  STUDIED  AT THE  GUILD. HE 
 BECAME A  MASTER, AND  THEN  A  PILGRIM. 
 YET THE IMAGE FROM THE  CAVE NEVER  LEFT 
                   HIM.                   
                                          
 AT  THE END  OF  HIS  LIFE, WHEN AT  THE 
 EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD HE  OPENED HIS EYES 
 FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED  IN 
                 THEM...