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...