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...