«Mary Had a Little Lamb» is a nursery rhyme based on the true story of a girl named Mary Sawyer who nursed a sick lamb back to health, and it followed her to school. The song’s meaning is centered on themes of love, affection, and devotion, particularly between a child and an animal. It is also used as an educational tool to teach children about rhyming and language.

Origins and true story
– The poem is based on an event in Massachusetts in 1815 when Mary Sawyer, age 9, cared for a newborn lamb abandoned by its mother.
– The lamb became very attached to Mary and would follow her everywhere, including to school one day.
– A visitor at the time, John Roulstone, wrote a poem about the event, which was later expanded by Sarah Josepha Hale into the version we know today.