Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow

Poet Sarah Josepha Hale first published a version of this poem in 1830. Around 50 years later, an elderly woman named Mary Sawyer stepped forward as the real Mary.

Sawyer’s story goes pretty much like the version we know and love today. She rescued a little lamb that had been abandoned by its mother and hand-fed it until it regained its health.

One morning, she and her brother decided to bring the lamb to school. The lamb hid in a basket by Mary’s feet until it bleated, drawing attention from the teacher, who gently let the lamb outside so Mary could bring it home at lunch. The other kids did, indeed, laugh.

In a letter included in a 1928 book detailing the story, Sawyer says that the lamb grew up and had a few lambs of its own.

Who knew?!

We especially love lambs and love these little tidbits of information – we hope you do as well!