A Lamb’s Tale

Surely you know the story of Mary and her little lamb. But have you ever wondered why the lamb followed her to school? This short play for very young children answers that question with simple dialogue and leading narration. Children will love to perform this sweet play along with their as they learn to embrace each other’s differences. The script is based on the public domain poem, ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ by Sarah Josepha Hale.

Here is another script based on ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’

Playwright’s Bio:

Kathleen Maule Holen has contributed two other plays to Drama Notebook, Dorothy’s Adventure in the Magical Kingdom of Oz and Benjamin the Hiding Bunny. She is a current member of the Dramatists Guild of America. Her Award-winning plays include The First Step, a finalist, Julian Playwright Festival 2020; Detective Weston’s Last Case, Second Place, Mixing It Up Spring Festival 2021; Nobody Kills Sherlock, first place, Julian Playwright Festival 2023 and Love’s Labour’s Lost & Found, third place, Robert J Pickering/J.R. Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence 2023. Her plays are also listed on New Play Exchange.

Excerpt from the play:

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR – the storyteller who cues the actors’ lines and actions
KIDS – a group of children interested in Mary’s story (these kids can become other characters)
MARY – a young person who loves animals
LAMB – an animal who wants to be more like a person
STUDENTS & FRIENDS – Mary’s friends from school
TEACHER – Mary’s strict but understanding schoolteacher

SCENE 1

NARRATOR:
Have you heard the poem about Mary, the girl who had a little lamb?

KIDS:
Yes!

NARRATOR:
Can you say the beginning of the poem with me?

NARRATOR and KIDS:
Mary had a little lamb,
Its’ fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

NARRATOR:
That’s great! But do you know what happened next?

KIDS:
No! Tell us!

NARRATOR:
Ok, ok! I’ll tell you the whole story.

NARRATOR:
One day, Mary was walking along the path to her school. (MARY enters and walks across the stage.)

NARRATOR:
And, of course, Lamb was right behind her.
(LAMB enters following MARY. They walk back and forth together following the path.)

NARRATOR:
Suddenly, Lamb said, “I want to be like a kid.”

LAMB:
I want to be like a kid.

NARRATOR:
Mary was surprised and said, “I didn’t know lambs could talk!”

MARY:
I didn’t know lambs could talk!

NARRATOR:
Lamb thought about this for a minute and then said, “ I guess I can. I never tried before.”

LAMB:
I guess I can. I never tried before.

NARRATOR:
Mary and Lamb walked on together for a while then Mary said, “Kids are baby goats; you’re a baby sheep.”

MARY:
Kids are baby goats; you’re a baby sheep.

NARRATOR:
Lamb said, “You don’t understand.”

LAMB:
You don’t understand.

NARRATOR:
Mary stopped walking and said, “So, you don’t want to turn into a baby goat?”

MARY:
So, you don’t want to turn into a baby goat?

NARRATOR:
Lamb stopped walking too and said, “No! I want to be a kid like you!

LAMB:
No! I want to be a kid like you!

NARRATOR:
Mary was so shocked, she gasped!

MARY:
Gasp!

NARRATOR:
Then she laughed out loud.

MARY:
Ha, ha, ha!

NARRATOR:
Then Mary put her hands on her hips, shook her finger at Lamb, and said, “ You can’t be like me. We’re not alike at all!”

MARY:
You can’t be like me. We’re not alike at all!

NARRATOR:
Lamb looked sad and asked, “How are we different?”

LAMB:
How are we different?

NARRATOR:
Mary walked around and took a very close look at Lamb. She saw that Lamb had four legs and said, “You have four legs; I have two legs.”

MARY:
You have four legs; I have two legs.

NARRATOR:
Lamb looked down and counted. “One, two, three, four. Four legs.”

LAMB:
One, two, three, four. Four legs.

NARRATOR:
Then Lamb counted Mary’s legs. “One, two. Two legs.”
You have four legs; I have two legs.

NARRATOR:
Lamb looked down and counted. “One, two, three, four. Four legs.”

LAMB:
One, two, three, four. Four legs.

NARRATOR:
Then Lamb counted Mary’s legs. “One, two. Two legs.”

LAMB:
One, two. Two legs.

NARRATOR:
Mary rubbed Lamb’s head and said, “You have woolly fur called fleece. I have hair.”

MARY:
You have woolly fur called fleece. I have hair.

NARRATOR:
Lamb touched Mary’s hair and said, “Yep, your hair feels different than fleece.”

LAMB:
Yep, your hair feels different than my fleece.

NARRATOR:
Mary was still curious. She asked Lamb, “Lamb, will you turn around?”

MARY:
Lamb, will you turn around?

NARRATOR:
That’s when Mary noticed that Lamb had a waggily tail! She said, “ You have a tail!”

MARY:
You have a tail!

NARRATOR:
Lamb said, “Turn around, Mary.”

LAMB:
Turn around, Mary.

NARRATOR:
Lamb was very surprised and said, “You don’t have a tail!”

LAMB:
You don’t have a tail!

NARRATOR:
Lamb was confused and asked Mary, “How do you show that you’re happy if you don’t have a tail?”

LAMB:
How do you show that you’re happy if you don’t have a tail?

NARRATOR:
Mary thought for a minute and then explained, “ When I’m happy I smile. Can you smile?”

MARY:
When I’m happy I smile. Can you smile?

NARRATOR:
Lamb tried hard to smile, but after a few tries said, “I guess not.”