code: public static char littleChar(InputStream input) throws IOException {
          int lo = input.read();
          if (lo < 0) {
              throw new EOFException();
          }
          int hi = input.read();
          if (hi < 0) {
              throw new EOFException();
          }
          return (char)((hi << 8) | lo);
      }
docs: Reads the next little-endian unsigned 16 bit integer from the
  given stream.
  
  @param input  the input stream to read from
  @return  the next 16-bit little-endian integer
  @throws IOException   if an IO error occurs