Nursery Rhymes · A nursery rhyme by Sarah Josepha Hale
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary's loyal little lamb follows her all the way to school, where it makes the children laugh. The rhyme has a clear friendship, repeated sounds and a safe return at the end.
The traditional rhyme
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 waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear.
“What makes the lamb love Mary so?”
The eager children cry.
“Oh, 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.”
About this story
The first verse works alone for a one-year-old; all five give an older toddler a tiny story about friendship and kindness.
Read this next
-
Row, Row, Row Your Boat 1 min · Ages 1–3Another genuine one-minute rhyme for ages 1–3.
-
Rock-a-bye Baby 1 min · Ages 1–3Another genuine one-minute rhyme for ages 1–3.
Talk about it
A faithful friend stays close and waits patiently.
Questions to ask
- What colour is the lamb's fleece?
- Where did the lamb follow Mary?
- Which animal would you take to school?
Words to know
- fleece
- The woolly coat of a sheep.
- lingered
- Stayed nearby for a while.
- patiently
- Waiting calmly without fussing.
More stories like this
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
A friendly black sheep has three full bags of wool to share. The animal sound, simple question and counting pattern…
2 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Old MacDonald's cow, duck, pig, sheep, hen and horse each add a new sound to the farm. Children can join in before they…
10 min
Ages 3–7 · Nursery Rhymes
Goody Two Shoes
Goody Two Shoes is a kind girl who loves helping everyone in her village. With her mischievous friends, she learns to…
9 min
Ages 3–7 · Responsibility
Hey Diddle Diddle, Little Red Hen
The Little Red Hen dreams of baking her own bread, starting from a tiny wheat seed. She asks her farmyard friends for…
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Hey Diddle Diddle
A fiddling cat, a moon-jumping cow and runaway crockery begin the familiar nonsense, followed by new verses that yawn…
1 min
Ages 1–3 · Nursery Rhymes
Hickory Dickory Dock
A tiny mouse races up a tall clock, hears it strike one and scampers straight back down. The tick-tock beat makes this…