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...