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...