(::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
(::STORYTELLERS (--Spoken in rhythm--)::)
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!
(::MAMA (--spoken--)::)
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.
(::TONTON (--Gesturing up--)::)
And they're to blame
Agwe probably meant to kill her
(::MAMA (--spoken in rhythm--)::)
The she'd be dead
(::TONTON::)
It's possible he forgot
(::MAMA::)
The god's 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.
(::TONTON (--spoken--)::)
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::)
Noo!!!
(::ERZULIE::)
And discovered that she could speak after all.
(::MEN::)
One small girl
(::WOMEN::)
In the way
(::MAMA::)
Constantly hungry
(::TONTON::)
Learning too quick
(::ALL (--but little Ti Moune--)::)
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
(::ALL (--but Mama, Tonton and Little Ti Moune--)::)
And the hut was crowded
And food was scarce
And somehow, their lives held more
One small girl
To live for.
(::A STORYTELLER::)
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!
(::ALL (--but Mama, Tonton and Little Ti Moune--)::)
Sweet as a eucalyptus
And terrible as a tempest
Banging a drun
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
(::MAMA::)
Not so small
(::TONTON::)
Lost in those daydreams
(::MAMA::)
Day after day
(::STROYTELLERS::)
Ooh way ooh
(::TONTON::)
Call her name
(::MAMA::)
No, don't call
(::STROYTELLERS::)
Ooh way ooh
(::BOTH::)
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
(::BOTH::)
And my arms
Can't hold her
And keep her small
But all that my
Heart can see...
Aaahhh
(::MAMA, TONTON::)
Is one small
Girl
(::MEN::)
One small
Girl
(::WOMEN::)
One small
Girl
(::MAMA, TONTON::)
One small
Girl
(::MEN::)
One small
Girl
(::WOMEN::)
One small
Girl
(::ALL::)
One small
Girl
