stephen flaherty – one small girl lyrics
(the storytellers take their original positions around the fire as the lights dim and the storm rises again.)
[storyteller 7, spoken]
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, spoken]
many huts washed away! many peasants drowned by agwe’s angry waters!
[storyteller 6, spoken]
but one small girl caught his attention
[little ti moune, spoken]
aaaahh!
[agwe, spoken]
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, spoken]
sheltered in a tree by asaka…
(asaka takes little ti moune from agwe.)
[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…
[erzulie & papa ge, spoken]
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, spoken]
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, spoken in rhythm]
at last the storm subsided
and the morning sun glowed
and two old peasants…
(mama and tonton -ssume more elderly postures.)
came cautiously down the road
[tonton julian]
mama euralie!
[mama euralie]
tonton julian!
[mama, spoken]
asaka is smiling again, julian
[tonton, spoken]
this morning she smiles. last night she tried
to blow our heads off
[mama, spoken]
ah, julian, just listen to those birds
[women, as birds]
coo coo coo coo coo
coo coo coo coo coo
[little ti moune, spoken]
waah!
(mama and tonton stop and look around.)
[tonton, spoken]
what kind of bird is that?
[mama, spoken]
look! there!
(sung)
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 k!ll her!
[mama, spoken]
then she’d be dead
[tonton]
it’s possible he forgot
[mama, spoken]
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
(they begin to move away, but erzulie makes a gesture and they are drawn back.)
[tonton, spoken]
but we are too old for children
[mama, spoken]
we have no room, and no food…
[erzulie, spoken]
and not knowing why, they followed
their hearts back to the tree, gently lifted
the terrified child down…
[little ti moune, spoken]
no!
[erzulie, spoken]
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, spoken]
they named her “desiree dieu-donne” or
“god-given desire”. but in their affection, they simply called her “ti moune”
[little ti moune, spoken]
what does “ti moune” mean, mama?
[mama, spoken]
it means little orphan. saved by the gods for something special!
[little ti moune, 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 ti moune, spoken]
someday i’m going to ask them, mama!
[storytellers]
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…
(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]
is one small girl
one small girl
one small girl [men]
one small girl
one small girl
one small girl [women]
one small girl
one 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…
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