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...