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...