Mary Had A Little Lamb

Did you know that the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb is said to be based on an actual incident?

https://modernfarmer.com/2017/12/true-story-behind-mary-little-lamb/

Originally, it was published as a poem by Sarah Josepha Hale on May 24th, 1830 and was based on a student of hers named Mary Elizabeth Sawyer, a woman born in 1806, who lived on a farm in Sterling Massachusetts. In 1815, while working on the farm with her father, Mary who was 9 years old at the time, discovered a newborn lamb in the sheep pen, that had supposedly been abandoned by its mother. Though the lamb was sick and not expected to live much longer, Mary was permitted to keep the animal... where against all odds, she somehow managed to nurse the lamb back to good health.

Mary would eventually begin to bring the lamb to school but this became too distracting, so she had to make the lamb stay outside. When school was dismissed for the day, the lamb would run up to Mary looking for attention. The other students wanted to know why the lamb loved Mary so much & Sarah used this incident as a teachable moment to her class.

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Mary Elizabeth Sawyer Tyler

BIRTH	22 Mar 1806 Sterling, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH	11 Dec 1889 (aged 83) Sterling, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
BURIAL	Mount Auburn Cemetery Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5673293/mary-elizabeth-tyler

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Original Poem

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Its fleece was white as snow,

And every where that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go ;

He followed her to school one day—

That was against the rule,

It made the children laugh and play,

To see a lamb at school.

And so the Teacher turned him out,

But still he lingered near,

And waited patiently about,

Till Mary did appear ;

And then he ran to her, and laid

His head upon her arm,

As if he said—‘ I’m not afraid—

You’ll keep me from all harm.’

‘ What makes the lamb love Mary so ?’

The eager children cry—

‘ O, Mary loves the lamb, you know,’

The Teacher did reply ;—

‘ And you each gentle animal

In confidence may bind,

And make them follow at your call,

If you are always kind.’

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Popular Version

Mary had a little lamb,

Little lamb, little lamb,

Mary had a little lamb

Whose fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went,

Mary went, Mary went,

Everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go.

He followed her to school one day,

School one day, school one day,

He followed her to school one day

Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,

Laugh and play, laugh and play,

It made the children laugh and play,

To see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,

Turned it out, turned it out,

And so the teacher turned it out,

But still it lingered near,

He waited patiently about,

Patiently about, patiently about,

He waited patiently about,

Till Mary did appear.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?

Love Mary so? Love Mary so?

Why does the lamb love Mary so?"

The eager children cried.

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,

Lamb, you know, lamb, you know,

Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,"

The teacher did reply.

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Mary Had a Little Lamb has become one of the staple nursery rhymes and children's songs of the past 100 or so years, and is now generally regarded as being one of the Top 10 Nursery Rhyme & Lullabies of all-time.

Mary Had a Little Lamb (Instrumental Version)