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...