Merry With Mary: "Mary Has A Little Lamb"

Any child is familiar with the song, "Mary Has a Little Lamb." This song has been one of the first nursery rhymes sung to children. Crossing many generations, many people enjoy singing the song, but only a few are curious about its history.

According to the story, Mary in the song is Mary Sawyer. When Mary Sawyer was 14 years old, she was encouraged by her brother to take her lamb to school. Since lambs are not permitted and are a rare occurrence in the place, her companion was noticed and talked. The song is about this event.

As a testament to this event, a statue of Mary and her little lamb was created on Sterling, Massachusetts. The statue replaced Mary Sawyer's house when it caught fire in August 2007. The school where Mary went to was Redstone School (1798) was removed but it was relocated in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Another historical moment for Mary and her lamb is an event with the genius Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison recited the song's words while recording on the phonograph, making it the first song to be recorded on the instrument in 1877.

The original verse has nine stanzas, with four lines each. Most modern versions consist of eight stanzas with two lines for each stanza.

Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879) thought of the words for the song and set it into lyrics. She was also credited as the poet for the poem version of the song. Some theories credited another person named John Roulstone as the author of the first four lines. Meanwhile, the composer Lowel Mason penned the lyric sheet in the 1830s.

This engaging, energetic, and the whimsical song is enduring. On every occasion, this song plays or singing, it's a guarantee that Mary Sawyer and her lamb lives in the hearts of children and the young at heart.