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, 

   That 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. 



Why does the lamb love Mary so?

    The eager children cry;

Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know, 

   The teacher did reply.

Opie, Iona and Peter Opie, Comps. The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1951, pp. 299-300. No. 340

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, 

   That was against the rule; 

It made the children laugh and play, 

    To see a lamb in school.



And so the teacher turned it out, 

   But still it lingered near, 

And waited patiently about 

   Till Mary did appear. 



Why does the lamb love Mary so?

   The eager children cry; 

Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know, 

   The teacher did reply. 

Baring-Gould, William S. and Cecil Baring-Gould, Eds. The Annotated Mother Goose: Nursery Rhymes Old and New. New York: Bramhall House, 1962, p. 127-128. No. 174