Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near,
And patiently waited about
Till Mary did appear.

About This Rhyme

Written by Sarah Josepha Hale in 1830. Believed to be based on a true story — a girl named Mary Sawyer in Sterling, Massachusetts really did bring her pet lamb to school. In 1877, Thomas Edison recited this rhyme as the first words ever recorded on his phonograph.