One Small Girl

* Original Broadway Production
* 2017 Broadway Revival

**One Small Girl** is the second song in *Once on This Island*, telling about how Ti Moune was saved by the gods and adopted by Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian.

## Lyrics

### Original Broadway Cast

(The storytellers take their positions on a new setting as the lights dim and the storm rises again.)

**Storyteller 7:**

Once on this island, there was a terrible storm.

(The Little Girl is lifted up into a flood created by storytellers. Now playing the part of Little Ti Moune, she paddles for dear life.)

**Storyteller 5:**

Many huts washed away! Many peasants drowned by Agwe's angry waters.

**Storyteller 6:**

But one small girl caught his attention

**Little Ti Moune:**

Aaaahh!

**Agwe:**

And she was spared. An orphan, plucked from the flood by Agwe...

(Agwe takes Little Ti Moune out of the arms of the flood.)

**Asaka:**

Sheltered in a tree by Asaka...

(Asaka takes Little Ti Moune from Agwe.)

**Erzulie:**

And sent on a journey by the gods. A journey that would test the strength of love...

**Papa Ge:**

Against the power of death...

**Erzulie & Papa Ge:**

On this island of two different worlds!

(The storytellers form a tree with their bodies, and Little Ti Moune climbs up into it. She sobs with terror.)

**All:**

The story of Ti Moune!

**Storytellers:**

One small girl

In a tree

Torn from her mother

Crying in fright

One small girl

Tossed by sea

And left to face

The stormy night

Once small girl

Holding tight

(The storm ceases and morning arrives. The storytellers who will play Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian come down the road. They are not yet in character.)

**Storytellers:**

At last the storm subsided

And the morning sun glowed

And two old peasants...

(Mama and Tonton assume more elderly postures.)

Came cautiously down the road

**Tonton Jullian:**

Mama Euralie!

**Mama Euralie:**

Tonton Julian!

**Mama:**

Asaka is smiling again, Julian

**Tonton:**

This morning she smiles. Last night she tried

To blow our heads off

**Mama:**

Ah, Julian, just listen to those birds

**Women**

Coo coo coo coo coo

Coo coo coo coo coo

**Little Ti Moune:**

(Screeching)

(Mama and Tonton stop and look around.)

**Tonton:**

What kind of bird is that?

**Mama:**

Look! There!

One small face

Two small knees

**Tonton:**

Why are you up there?

**Mama:**

What is your name?

(A silence, in which Little Ti Moune doesn't respond.)

The girl can't speak

**Tonton:**

(Gestures upward toward the Gods.)

And they're to blame

Agwe probably meant to kill her!

**Mama:**

Then she'd be dead

**Tonton:**

It's possible he forgot

**Mama:**

The gods don't forget

**Tonton:**

Then they had some reason to spare her life

**Both:**

It's best that we don't know what

One small girl...

Better not

(They begin to move away, but Erzulie makes a gesture and they are drawn back.)

**Tonton:**

But we are too old for children

**Mama:**

We have no room, and no food...

**Erzulie:**

And not knowing why, they followed

Their hearts back to the tree, gently lifted

The terrified child down...

**Little Ti Moune:**

No!

**Erzulie:**

And discovered that she could speak after all

**Men:**

One small girl

**Women:**

In the way

**Mama:**

Constantly hungry

**Tonton:**

Learning too quick

**Storytellers:**

One small girl

Hard at play

**Tonton:**

She makes me smile

**Mama:**

She scares me sick!

**Erzulie:**

And they scolded and teased and held her

And mended the clothes she tore

**Storytellers:**

And the hut was crowded

And food was scarce

And somehow, their lives held more

One small girl

To live for

**Erzulie:**

They named her "Desiree Dieu-Donne" or

"God-Given Desire". But in their affection, they Simply called her "Ti Moune"

**Little Ti Moune:**

What does "Ti Moune" mean, Mama?

**Mama:**

It means little orphan. Saved by the gods for something special!

**Little Ti Moune:**

What is it?

**Mama:**

Ti Moune, if we knew why the gods did the things they do, we would be gods ourselves!

**Little Ti Moune:**

Someday I'm going to ask them, Mama!

**Storytellers:**

Sweet as a eucalyptus

And terrible as a tempest

Banging a drum

And humming a tune...

Ti Moune

Falling

And running

And calling

And growing

And growing

And growing

And growing...up too soon...

(Little Ti Moune vanishes and in her place stands a beautiful, full-grown version— Ti Moune as a young woman)

**Tonton:**

One small girl

**Mama:**

Not so small

**Tonton:**

Lost in those daydreams

**Mama:**

Day after day

**Storytellers:**

Ooh way ooh

**Tonton:**

Call her name

**Mama:**

No, don't call

**Storytellers:**

Ooh way ooh

**Mama, Tonton:**

Her ears don't hear

She's far away

**Tonton:**

And I know that she's getting older...

**Mama:**

I know that it's meant to be...

**Mama, Tonton:**

And my arms

Can't hold her

And keep her small

But all that my

Heart can see...

**Storytellers:**

Aaahhh

Is one small girlOne small girlOne small girl
One small girlOne small girlOne small girl
One small girlOne small girl
One small girl

**Mama, Tonton:**

In a tree

(Behind Ti Moune, for just a moment, we see an image of Asaka, holding Little Ti Moune in her arms. Mama, Tonton, Ti Moune and the storytellers now begin to work in the field.)

**All:**

Ooh, ooh way ooh

Ooh, ooh way ooh...

#### 2017 Broadway Cast

**Agwe:**

The story begins on the night of a flood. (The guest is lifted up into a flood created by storytellers. When The Little Girl is now playing the part of Little Ti Moune, she paddles for dear life.) Many huts washed away, many peasants drowned by Agwe’s angry waters. But one small girl was spared. An orphan plucked from the flood by Agwe—

**Asaka:**

Sheltered in a tree by Asaka—

**Erzulie:**

And sent on a journey by the gods. A journey that would test the strength of love—

**Papa Ge:**

Against the power of death—

**Gods:**

On this island of two different worlds!

**All:**

The story of Ti Moune!

**Erzulie, Andrea, Mama, Papa Ge, Armand, Asaka, Agwe, Men:**

One small girl in a tree

Torn from her mother

Crying in fright

One small girl

Tossed by sea

And left to face

The stormy night

One small girl

Holding tight

**Gods:**

At last, the storm subsided

And the morning sun glowed

And two old peasants

Came cautiously down the road

**Tonton Julian:**

Mama Euralie.

**Mama Euralie:**

Tonton Julian

Asaka is smiling again, Julian.

**Tonton:**

This morning, she smiles. Last night, she tried to blow our heads off!

**Mama:**

Hahahaha! Ah, Julian, just listen to those birds!

**Storyteller:**

Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo

**Storytellers:**

Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo

**Little Ti Moune:**

(Sobbing)

**Tonton:**

What kind of bird is that?

**Mama:**

Look! There!

One small face, two small knees

**Tonton:**

Why are you up there?

**Mama:**

What is your name?

The girl can’t speak

**Tonton:**

And they’re to blame

Agwe probably meant to kill her!

**Mama:**

Then she’d be dead.

**Tonton:**

It’s possible he forgot

**Mama:**

Shh! The gods don’t forget

**Tonton:**

Then they had some reason to spare her life

**Mama, Tonton:**

It’s best that we don’t know what

One small girl...

**Storytellers:**

One small girl...

**Mama, Tonton:**

Better not

**Tonton:**

But we’re too old for children.

**Mama:**

And we have no room and no food.

**Erzulie:**

And not knowing quite why, they followed their hearts back to the tree, gently lifted the terrified child down...

**Little Ti Moune:**

No!

**Erzulie:**

And discovered she could speak after all.

**Storytellers:**

One small girl

**Mama:**

In the way

Constantly hungry

**Tonton:**

Learning too quick!

**Mama, Tonton, Storytellers (Daniel, Armand):**

One small girl hard at play

**Tonton:**

She makes me smile

**Mama:**

Ah, she scares me sick!

**Erzulie:**

And they scolded and teased and held her

And mended the clothes she tore

**Erzulie, Papa Ge, Asaka, Agwe, Storytellers:**

And the hut was crowded

And food was scarce

And somehow, their lives held more

**Mama, Tonton, Storytellers:**

One small girl

To live for

**Erzulie:**

They named her "Desirée Dieu-Donné," or "God-Given Desire." But in their affection, they called her simply—

**All:**

Ti Moune

**Little Ti Moune:**

What does "Ti Moune" mean, Mama?

**Mama:**

It means "Little Orphan." You’re our sweet little orphan. We found you, and now your life is forever in our care.

**Little Ti Moune:**

Why?

**Tonton:**

Because the gods willed it.

**Little Ti Moune:**

Why?

**Mama:**

Perhaps they saved you for something special.

**Little Ti Moune:**

What is it?

**Mama:**

Ti Moune, if we knew why the gods did the things they do, we would be gods ourselves!

**Little Ti Moune:**

Someday I’m going to ask them, Mama!

**Mama:**

Foolish girl! Run and hide!

**Mama, Tonton, Asaka, Agwe, Papa Ge, Storytellers:**

Sweet as a eucalyptus

And terrible as a tempest

**Mama, Papa Ge, Asaka, Tonton, Agwe, Storytellers:**

Banging a drum

And humming a tune

Ti Moune falling

And running and calling and growing

And growing and growing and growing

Up too soon

**Tonton:**

One small girl—

**Storytellers:**

One

**Mama:**

Not so small

**Tonton:**

Lost in those daydreams

**Mama:**

Day after day

**Tonton:**

Call her name

**Mama:**

No, don’t call

**Mama, Tonton:**

Her ears don’t hear

She’s far away

**Tonton:**

And I know that she’s getting older

**Mama:**

I know that it's meant to be

**Mama, Tonton:**

And my arms can't hold her and keep her small

But all that my heart can see

Is one small girl

**Erzulie, Asaka, Agwe, Andrea, Armand, Storytellers:**

One small girl

**Papa Ge, Storytellers:**

One small girl

**Mama, Tonton:**

One small girl

**Erzulie, Asaka, Agwe, Storytellers:**

One small girl

**Papa Ge, Storytellers:**

One small girl

**Mama, Tonton, Papa Ge, Storytellers:**

One small girl

**Mama, Tonton:**

In a tree

**All:**

Ooh, ooh way ooh ooh, ooh way ooh