Mary Had a Little Lamb Lyrics

Often attributed to American writer Sarah Josepha Hale, this rhyme first appeared in print in 1830 and has remained one of the most familiar tunes in the English-speaking nursery canon ever since. It's a good fit for toddlers and young preschoolers, roughly ages 1-5, thanks to its short, plainly told story and gentle, easy-to-follow melody. The lamb following Mary everywhere she goes gives children a simple narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and early-childhood educators often use short story-songs like this to build basic narrative sense, the understanding that events happen in order and lead somewhere, well before children can read a story on their own. Its steady rhythm and repeated phrasing also make it easy for very young children to join in on familiar words even before they can sing the whole verse. Notably, this simple melody also became one of the first sounds ever recorded on Edison's phonograph, cementing its place in music history well beyond the nursery. For more on how these classic rhymes support development, see [this roundup of nursery rhymes every child should know](/blog/best-nursery-rhymes-every-child-should-know).

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.
And 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,
Which was against the rules.