Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,
School one day, school one day,
It followed her to school one day,
That was against the rule.
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...
And waited patiently about,
Patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?
Mary so? Mary so?
Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cry.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,
The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know!
Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."
The teacher did reply.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere 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.
"What makes the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cry.
"O, Mary loves the lamb you know,"
The teacher did reply.
Notes
Here is the version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in the 2nd mp3 recording:
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere 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.
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."
"Why does 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."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Illustration by H. Willebeck Le Mair from Our Old Nursery Rhymes (1911), arranged by Alfred Moffat.
