In the year of the great drought, time was baked to ask; and if you tried to grab the sun, it would stick to your palm like charcoal.
-- Narrator ("The Years, Months, Days")

Importance: This quote is important because it sets the tone of the novella. It explains to readers in a concise way about how severe the drought is and it makes the drought seem like a solid entity. In doing so, the readers realize just how bad it is and how it will affect all of the characters.

The seedling grew only one leaf at a time, and the Elder wondered why scholar trees, elm trees, and toon trees all grew two leaves at a time?
-- The Elder ("The Years, Months, Days")

Importance: This quote is important because it shows the difference between how the life of a scholar and the life of a farmer can differ. It can be easier for the scholar to gain wisdom and harder for the...