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...