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...