A credulous lot, the human race."
-- The Purple Swamp Hen ("The Purple Swamp Hen" )

Importance: This quote is sarcastic, but it is very telling of the tone within this collection. Many of the stories in Lively's collection show the ugly side of human nature, and many of the characters are not shown at their best. In this story, the purple swamp hen has been mistreated by the human race. All but one human he has come across has mistreated him or others in his vicinity. This produces a negative viewpoint of human beings, a cynical stance that continues throughout the collection.

And there we settled, and bred, as have my descendants, thus ensuring the survival of the species from that benighted age into your own. Where things are done differently, but it is not for me to proclaim progress, or otherwise.
-- The Purple Swamp Hen (The Purple Swamp Hen paragraph Final line of the story)

Importance: This quote sets up the entire collection of short stories in this book. Here, the purple swamp hen...