We all know the delightful story of a young girl named Mary who brought her beloved pet lamb with her to school one day. In fact, I’d bet money that you have the sing-songy tune playing in your head right now just reading about it. That said, did you know the whole thing was based on a real-life little lady and her lamb?
The lyrics of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” were inspired by Mary Sawyer, who lived in Sterling, Massachusetts, in the 1800s, reports the New England Historical Society. Mary took the young animal under her care after the poor thing was rejected by her sheep mother on the family’s farm. After nursing her unusual pet to good health, the lamb became Mary’s shadow and, indeed, “everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.”
When Mary described the day her lamb joined her at school, she said, “I hadn’t seen her before starting off and, not wanting to go without seeing her, I called. She recognized my voice, and soon I heard a faint bleating far down the field. More and more distinctly I heard it, and I knew my pet was coming to greet me. My brother Nat said, ‘Let’s take the lamb to school with us.’” Makes you wonder if Nat was ever annoyed that he didn’t merit a mention in the classic rhyme.
As the story goes, Mary did try to hide the lamb under her desk in a basket at her feet, but she was quickly discovered by the teacher who made the animal wait outside until class was over. The original poem was penned by one of Mary’s schoolmates, John Roustone, who witnessed the whole thing. In 1830, poet Sarah Josepha Hale added a few stanzas with a moral lesson about treating others with kindness and love.
Later in life, Mary donated socks made with “knitted wool from the first fleece of Mary’s Little Lamb.” She wasn’t trying to profit off her fuzzy friend, but instead raise funds to save a local historical building, the Old South Meeting House in Somerville, Massachusetts. It worked and further secured Mary and her lamb’s impressive (and adorable) legacy.
Now you can share this fascinating backstory with the little ones in your life the next time you enjoy the nursery rhyme together!
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FAQs
According to many, the song is based on a real incident of the early 1800s involving a girl named Mary Sawyer. After finding a sickly young sheep in her family's Massachusetts farm, she not only nursed it back to life — but saw it lovingly follow her every step.
What is the dark story behind Mary Had a Little Lamb? ›
In 1815, Mary, then nine, was helping her father with farm chores when they discovered a sickly newborn lamb in the sheep pen that had been abandoned by its mother. After a lot of pleading, Mary was allowed to keep the animal, although her father didn't hold out much hope for its survival.
Was the poem about Mary and her little lamb based on an actual event? ›
Though the poem's origins are a bit murky, writes Elizabeth Periale for the Smithsonian Libraries blog, it's generally accepted that the poem was “based on an incident in the life of Mary Sawyer, of Sterling, Massachusetts.”
Is Mary Had a Little Lamb a folklore? ›
The rhyme's origins are a bit murky and conflicting, but it seems generally accepted that the original poem was written by Sarah Josepha Hale, who was also behind the creation of The Thanksgiving Day holiday (thanks, Sarah!) and that Mary and her lamb were not just the fictitious characters of rhyme, but based on an ...
What is the connection between the song Mary Had a Little Lamb and Thanksgiving? ›
The connection between the two is the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which was written by Sarah Josepha Hale. She's the lady who persuaded Abraham Lincoln to proclaim 1 Thanksgiving a holiday. Today, most people are familiar with Thanksgiving.
What is the darkest nursery rhyme? ›
“Ring Around the Rosie” – This nursery rhyme originated as a song about the bubonic plague, with the “ring around the rosie” representing the rash that appeared on the skin of those infected and the “ashes, ashes” indicating the funeral pyres that burned the bodies of the dead.
What does the little lamb symbolize? ›
Commonly, the lamb is seen as a symbol of innocence, purity, and childlike simplicity.
What is the story behind Jack and Jill? ›
According to the Kilmersdon story, Jack and Jill were a couple expecting a baby. As the lyrics passed down to us attest, Jack popped out to fetch water but had an accident on the hill and sadly died. Jill experienced a heartbreak so severe that she passed away just after giving birth to her son.
Who wrote the original Mary Had a Little Lamb? ›
What Colour was Mary's Little Lamb? ›
Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow (or black as coal). And everywhere that Mary went, The lamb was sure to go.
Play E D C D E E E.
These notes make up the first line of the song. As you play, sing along the lyrics "Mary had a little lamb." There is 1 note for each syllable. These notes are also the third line of the song, so once you know this line, you already know half the first verse.
What president did the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb convince to celebrate Thanksgiving through letters? ›
Hale wrote letter after letter determined to have the whole country celebrate together. On 28 September 1863, Hale wrote a letter to Pres. Abraham Lincoln, urging him that our divided nation needed a day of unity and peace.
Who lobbied for Thanksgiving and wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb? ›
Sarah Josepha Buell Hale (October 24, 1788 – April 30, 1879) was an American writer, activist, and editor of the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil War, Godey's Lady's Book. She was the author of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
What did Mary Lamb suffer from? ›
She suffered from bipolar disorder and, during an episode in 1796, killed her mother with a kitchen knife. Her younger brother Charles, a poet and essayist who worked for the East India Company, agreed to serve as Mary's caretaker rather than consign her to lifelong institutionalization.
What is the dark meaning of little miss muffet? ›
9. Little Miss Muffet. The story of a little girl scared of a spider is based on an incident that would now involve social services. Dr Thomas Muffet, who died in 1604, is believed to have crushed up spiders and fed them to patients, including step-daughter Patience, to cure their aliments.
What is rock a bye baby meaning? ›
He had a son in 1688 and many feared his heir would lead to a Catholic dynasty in England. According to this political theory, the lyrics of "Rock-A-Bye Baby" were a death wish directed at the infant son of King James II, hoping he would die and be replaced by a Protestant king.
