The indefinite article, a or an, is used with few and little.
a few means a small number, or what the speaker considers a small number
a little means a small amount, or what the speaker considers a small amount
So that ' a little time' can mean days or years, depending on the speaker; and 'a few friends' can mean two or three, or twenty or thirty.
only placed first: 'only a few/only a little' emphasizes that the number/ quantoty really is small -- in the speakers's opinion.
Few and Little can also be used without article but then have an almost negative meaning, and can usually be replaced by hardly any.
For examples:
- 'We had little time for amusement' implies that we were always busy.
- 'Few people know this' = It is almost unknown.
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