EMBERS

He had a book and a small, dying fire.

The embers weren’t bright enough to read by, so he tore the cover off the book and threw it on the embers.

It smoldered for a moment then burst into flame.  The flame lasted just long enough for him to read the first page.  And give him a little warmth.

When the flame died down he tore off the page he’d read and threw it on the fire. Burning it gave him just enough light to read the second page.

The second page gave light to the third, the third to the forth, and so on through the whole book.

Each bright burning page gave light to the next, until the last page had been consumed.

And by then the dawn had come.