Three tiny strokes: 小 pictured either sand grains or a stick split into slivers. Smallness drawn as scatter. Its cousin 少 'few' adds a slash — small in size versus small in number, separated by one stroke.
小 softens Chinese social life: 小王 Little Wang is friendly address for juniors, 小姐姐 'little big-sister' is the internet's polite flattery, 小心 'small heart' means careful — attention shrunk to a fine point. 从小 'from small' is how every childhood story begins.
Three grains of sand — SMALL things scattered.
小学问 isn't small learning — 小 tricks foreigners: 小吃 'small eats' are snacks worth crossing cities for.