Saturday's Storyteller: "He, for once, did not start the fire."

by Belinda Roddie

He, for once, did not start the fire. His mother did, and it glowed warm and bright in the living room hearth by the Christmas tree. The yule log smelled of oak and cinnamon, and the aroma renewed the strength in old men's bones and sad women's hearts. The lights glittered - the tinsel, too. The holiday was at last settling in.

As cups of hot cocoa were passed around, his uncle asked the important question. "So, was last week Sylvester's third arson charge, or his fourth?"

"His fourth," his mother said with a thin, cool smile. "Now, drink your cocoa."

This week's prompt was provided by Amy Bernstein.