two exhausted desert travelers kneel beside an extremely small puddle of water that barely covers the bottom of what was once a larger oasis pool. One traveler carefully cups their hands to collect the meager amount of water while the other watches anxiously. The tiny amount of water they manage to gather highlights how insufficient their supply is for survival. Cracked earth and dried vegetation around the edges show how the water source has shrunk dramatically. Both travelers' worried expressions reveal their concern about the exiguity of this vital resource. the state of being very small in amount and scantiness of essential supplies