One Small Girl

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.

Original Broadway Cast
(The storytellers take their original positions around the fire 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:

Waah!

(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 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. 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:

Waah!

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