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...