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...