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...