Richard Rodgers
In My Own Little Corner (Reprise)
[ELLA]
I am in the Royal Palace of all places
When I meet the finest prince you’ve ever seen
And the color on my two stepsister’s faces
Is a queer sort of sour apple green

I am coy and flirtatious
When alone with the Prince—

(short interlude)

I’m the belle of the ball
In my own little corner
All alone
In my own
Little (chair)

[MARIE]
Fol-de-rol and fiddledy-dee
Fiddledy faddledy foddle
All the wishes in the world
Are poppycock and twaddle!

[ELLA]
(spoken)
Oh Crazy Marie. Are you mocking me with your gibberish?
[MARIE]
Fol de rol and fiddledy dee
Fiddledy faddledy foodle
All the dreamers in all the world
Are dizzy in the noodle

[ELLA]
(spoken)
So what if I do have a dream to see the Prince again? And tell him what life in his kingdom is really like? And what it could be

[MARIE]
(spoken)
Exactly. And then to have him fall in love with you

[ELLA]
(spoken)
No one will fall in love with me. Why do you come to visit me tonight?

[MARIE]
I just knew I would find you
In the same little chair
In the pale pink mist of a foolish dream

[ELLA]
(spoken)
I am being foolish
[MARIE]
(spoken)
Then be foolish with me. What would you dream of?

[ELLA]
(spoken)
An invitation to the ball, I guess

[MARIE]
(spoken)
Right here. There’s an invitation

[ELLA]
(spoken)
*Gasps* But it’s torn

[MARIE]
(spoken)
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect, just go! Now, what else would you dream of?

[ELLA]
(spoken)
Oh a white gown, I imagine. A beautiful white gown sewn up with pearls. And jewels. And a tiara of diamonds

[MARIE]
(spoken)
And on your feet?
[ELLA]
(spoken)
The most beautiful grosgrain pumps, I’d imagine

[MARIE]
(spoken)
No. Better. The Venetian glass that your stepmother so loves in her trinkets and baubles. An entire pair of shoes made only of Venetian glass

[ELLA]
(spoken)
Oh how silly. I’d be the envy of all. But how would I get to the ball?

[MARIE]
(spoken)
Well that pumpkin over here?

[ELLA]
(spoken)
Yes?

[MARIE]
(spoken)
I’ll turn it into a golden carriage

[ELLA]
(spoken)
And horses?

[MARIE]
(spoken)
Those mice. Trapped in this cage

[ELLA]
(spoken)
And a fox as a footman and a raccoon as a driver. Oh you are crazy, Marie. Why, in order to do that, you would have to be a fairy godmother

[ELLA]
(spoken)
Marie! Are you really my fairy godmother?

[MARIE]
(spoken)
But of course, my child. Actually, I’m everyone’s fairy godmother. But you’re the only one who’s given me charity. Generosity. And kindness. And now, I must make all the dreams we joked about come true

[ELLA]
(spoken)
But that’s so improbable. Implausible