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...