diff --git a/tinyboot.py b/tinyboot.py
index 93f3dad..52f9733 100755
--- a/tinyboot.py
+++ b/tinyboot.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ def end_loop():
     '[': start_conditional, ']': end_conditional,
     '{': start_loop,        '}': end_loop,
     ' ': nop, '\n': nop,
+    "'": eat_byte,                      # ignore the literal character
 }
 
 def tbfcompile():
@@ -222,6 +223,9 @@ def loop():
     if not stack.pop(): return
     jump()
 
+def literal_byte():
+    # you put 'A into your program to get 65, or 'B to get 66, etc.
+    stack.append(ord(eat_byte()))
 
 run_time_dispatch = {    
     '(': jump,
@@ -238,6 +242,7 @@ def loop():
     '[': conditional, ']': nop,
     '{': nop,         '}': loop,
     ' ': nop, '\n': nop,
+    "'": literal_byte,
 }
 
 for digit in '0123456789': run_time_dispatch[digit] = push_literal
diff --git a/tinyboot1.tbf1 b/tinyboot1.tbf1
index b43686a..6bdc8d4 100644
--- a/tinyboot1.tbf1
+++ b/tinyboot1.tbf1
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-( Second step toward a tiny bootstrap Forth compiler written in itself.
+( A tiny bootstrap Forth compiler written in itself.
 
-Generates an ELF executable for x86 Linux that exits with return code
-42, following Brian Raiter’s lead.  Uses functions.
+Generates an ELF executable for x86 Linux.
+
+Bytes preceded by ' and numbers are compiled into instructions to push
+their values on the stack.
 
 Compile-time primitives:
 ( — defines a comment that extends to the next right-paren
@@ -277,7 +279,7 @@ v B # 0 ( buffer for w )
 
 ( routine to dispatch a byte being compiled )
 : D 
-  d 40 = [ p { G 41 - } ; ]   ( drop comments until right paren )
+  d '( = [ p { G 41 - } ; ]   ( drop comments until right paren )
   d 32 = [ p ; ]              ( drop spaces )
   d 10 = [ p ; ]              ( drop newlines )
   d 35 = [ p w 48 - n E ; ]   ( # writes the next number as data literally )
@@ -292,6 +294,7 @@ v B # 0 ( buffer for w )
   d 93 = [ p P ; ]            ( ] backpatches the address on the compile stack )
   d 123 = [ p % H @ ; ]       ( { merely pushes an address to jump back to )
   d 125 = [ p j ; ]           ( } compiles a conditional jump to that address )
+  d '' = [ p G L ; ]          ( ' pushes a character literal )
   d 118 = [ p w V ; ]         ( v registers the next non-blank as a 
                                   variable label )
   d 45 = [ p 41 . 4 . 36 . 88 . ; ] ( - is `sub %eax, [%esp]; pop %eax` )
diff --git a/trim.py b/trim.py
index 4b335ea..67e5a62 100755
--- a/trim.py
+++ b/trim.py
@@ -22,5 +22,6 @@
                 if not firstline: sys.stdout.write('\n')
             elif wsp: sys.stdout.write(' ')
             sys.stdout.write(byte)
+            if byte == "'": sys.stdout.write(sys.stdin.read(1))
             wsp = newline = firstline = False
 sys.stdout.write('\n')