,,,,,,,~=* *=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~= =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,=,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ 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... ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~= =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~=* *=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~=*¤ ¤*=~,,,,,,