Mary Had a Little Lamb is a nursery rhyme first published in 1830.
The poem was inspired by an actual pet lamb belonging to Mary Sawyer. At the encouragement of her brother, the young Mary brought her lamb to school one day, resulting in the poem still recited by children generations later.
The poem, and the character, have had numerous appearances and mentions in Muppet productions over the years.
Adaptations
- The Mother Goose Stories episode "Mary's Little Lamb" is based on the nursery rhyme.
Recordings
- On Sesame Street, a string quartet tunes up before it plays "Mary Had a Little Lamb."(EKA: Episode 3811)
- David sings "Mary Had a Little Lamb" while Linda signs it.(EKA: Episode 2283)
- The interactive video game Let's Learn to Play Together features the song.
- Versions of the song are included on the recordings Big Bird Leads the Band, among others.
References
- The Sesame Street reoccurring segment "Murray Has a Little Lamb", is a play on the famed nursery rhyme, and features a rap variation of the classic song.
- In a Sesame Street News Flash segment, Don Music is trying to compose "Mary Had a Little Lamb," but he can't find a rhyme for "snow." Kermit suggests he try a new angle and the result is "Mary Had a Bicycle". And in another News Flash segment, Kermit interviews Mary and her lamb, which follows Kermit home.
- In the News Flash segment "Cookie Red Riding Hood", the doorbell to Red Riding Hood's Grandmother plays "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
- In yet another New Flash segment, Kermit encounters a distressed Little Bo Peep, whose sheep is missing. One of the sheep they interview claims to be Mary's little lamb.
- In episode 4110 of Sesame Street, Mary shows off her lamb's animal impressions at Storybook Community School.
- Hoots plays jazz in a park, accompanied by Chip and Dip. They are encountered by Mary, who wants them to play a new version of her nursery rhyme, which involves another lamb.(EKA: Episode 2899)
- Honkers attempt to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on their noses in episode1576 of Sesame Street.
- Big Bird and the Birdketeers welcome Mary and her little lamb to their nest, but the group decide to change Mary's nursery rhyme to "Jenny Had a Little Jam" for the day.
- In episode 4010 of Sesame Street, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and Rosita perform a reenactment of "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
- Abby Cadabby tries to use her magic to find Mary's lost lambs in the book Abby Cadabby's Nursery Rhymes.
- Shadow tells the story of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in Friends at Play of Bear in the Big Blue House.
- Special footage was shot for the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" segment of Kids' Favorite Songs 2 video.
- In the book Muppet Babies' Classic Nursery Rhymes, Baby Piggy takes on the role of Mary.
- The nursery rhyme is featured in the books The Sesame Street Library Volume 2, The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 15, Read Along with Elmo, Elmo Plays Piano, Big Book of Nursery Rhymes & Fairy Tales and Muppet Treasury, among others.
- Herry Monster plays "Mary" in the On My Way with Sesame Street volume "Just Pretend." In the rhyme he has a monster lamb with blue fur.
- Prairie Dawn has a little lamb, and a cow, dog, baby chick, a shaggy friend with purple fur ([[Telly Monster), and another who was blue (Grover) in Sesame Street's Mother Goose Rhymes.