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...