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...