,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~:                                          :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~:*                                          *:~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~:*%                                          %*:~,,,,,,
,,,,,~:*%¶                 ,,,:,,,                  ¶%*:~,,,,,
,,,,~:*%¶#           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...                 ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~:                                          :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~:*                                          *:~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~:*%                                          %*:~,,,,,,
,,,,,~:*%¶                                          ¶%*:~,,,,,