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...