One Small Girl

"One Small Girl" is the second song in Once on This Island. It is sung as Ti Moune is saved from a flood and adopted by Mama Euralie and Tonton Julian, and begins living with them.

Lyrics
[AGWE, spoken]

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, spoken]

Sheltered in a tree by Asaka—

[ERZULIE, spoken]

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

[PAPA GE, spoken]

Against the power of death—

[GODS, spoken]

On this island of two different worlds!

[ALL (EXCEPT TI MOUNE), spoken]

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

(spoken)

Asaka is smiling again, Julian.

[TONTON, spoken]

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

[MAMA, spoken]

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

[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 1)]

Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo

[STORYTELLERS (ANDREA, WOMEN)]

Coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo coo

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

Waah!

[TONTON, spoken]

What kind of bird is that?

[MAMA, spoken]

Look! There!

(sung)

One small face, two small knees

[TONTON, spoken]

Why are you up there?

[MAMA, spoken]

What is your name?

(sung)

The girl can’t speak

[TONTON]

And they’re to blame

Agwe probably meant to kill her!

[MAMA, spoken]

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 (ANDREA, MAN 1)]

One small girl...

[MAMA, TONTON]

Better not

[TONTON, spoken]

But we’re too old for children.

[MAMA, spoken]

And we have no room and no food.

[ERZULIE, spoken]

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

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

No!

[ERZULIE, spoken]

And discovered she could speak after all.

[STORYTELLERS (DANIEL, ARMAND, TONTON)]

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 (DANIEL, ARMAND, MEN, WOMEN)]

And the hut was crowded

And food was scarce

And somehow, their lives held more

[MAMA, TONTON, STORYTELLERS (DANIEL, ARMAND, WOMEN)]

One small girl

To live for

[ERZULIE, spoken]

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

[ALL (EXCEPT TI MOUNE)]

Ti Moune

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

What does "Ti Moune" mean, Mama?

[MAMA, spoken]

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

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

Why?

[TONTON, spoken]

Because the gods willed it.

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

Why?

[MAMA, spoken]

Perhaps they saved you for something special.

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

What is it?

[MAMA, spoken]

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

[LITTLE GIRL, spoken]

Someday I’m going to ask them, Mama!

[MAMA, spoken]

Foolish girl! Run and hide!

[MAMA, TONTON, ASAKA, AGWE, PAPA GE, STORYTELLERS (ANDREA, WOMEN)]

Sweet as a eucalyptus

And terrible as a tempest

[MAMA, PAPA GE, ASAKA, TONTON, AGWE STORYTELLERS (ANDREA, WOMAN)]

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 (ANDREA, ARMAND, MEN, WOMEN)]

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 (MEN)]

One small girl

[PAPA GE, STORYTELLERS (WOMEN)]

One small girl

[MAMA, TONTON]

One small girl

[ERZULIE, ASAKA, AGWE, STORYTELLERS (ANDREA, ARMAND, MAN 2)]

One small girl

[PAPA GE, STORYTELLERS (WOMEN)]

One small girl

[MAMA, TONTON PAPA GE, STORYTELLERS (ARMAND, MEN, WOMAN)]

One small girl

[MAMA, TONTON]

In a tree

[ALL (EXCEPT TI MOUNE, DANIEL)]

Ooh, ooh way ooh ooh, ooh way ooh