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...