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...