Occupy Nursery Rhymes

Mother Goose was shocked to discover civil disobedience in her nursery rhyme research this morning. Please consider closely the events surrounding the story of Mary and her little lamb:

Mary had a little lamb,
little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
whose fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
and everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day
school one day, school one day,
It followed her to school one day,
which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,
laugh and play, laugh and play,
it made the children laugh and play
to see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,
turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out,
but still it lingered near,

And waited patiently about,
patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about
till Mary did appear.

“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
Love Mary so? Love Mary so?
“Why does the lamb love Mary so,”
the eager children cry.

“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know,
“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,”
the teacher did reply.

The poem is pastoral in its simplicity — its childhood innocence is charming to say the least. Mary has a dear pet lamb, and like most pet/mistress relationships, they are lovingly devoted to one another. Mary dotes on the little lamb, grooming it incessantly to keep its wool so clean and white. (Mother Goose has been to sheep farms and knows that most lambs and sheep are not as white as snow. Ordinary unloved sheep are dingy and stinky and messy, my dear friends.)

But Mary loves her lamb and the lamb loves her.

Mary and the lamb making the decision to enter the school yard.

Going on in the story, the lamb follows Mary wherever she goes, and alas! even tags along with her to school. And here’s where things get a little dicey… Mary is fully aware of the school rules about bringing lambs onto the school property and into the classroom. The rules are posted at the entrance to the school and in the hallways. They are listed plainly in the behavior booklets which were sent home the first week of school. Her parents have received the emails regarding sheep visitations at school, and they have certainly attended the school district and PTO meetings where this issue has been specifically addressed.

Scene of Occupy Nursery Rhymes

Civil disobedience can be defined as the active and professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power, or of an educational institution. Mary’s decision to bring Little Lambie Pambie onto the grounds of The Redstone School was truly an active refusal to follow the rules of said institution. Can you imagine how this simple act of civil disobedience must have stunned school and government officials at the time? I believe that Mary caught the attention of the Wall Street crooks and bankers as well.

I’m certain the teacher called security immediately as soon as she realized the borders of the classroom had been breached. Panic and pandemonium, chaos and general disorder reigned supreme in the school building — the obvious result of civil disobedience. The rhyme clearly states that this situation “made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play.” What kind of a learning environment is that? How will they ever test well and meet the state’s standards if the children are laughing and playing? The Redstone School is very close to losing their governmental funding because of this Occupy movement.

Education suspended until further notice.

In time, the lamb was turned out of the building. Its First Amendment rights to gather peacefully were trampled upon the ground on that notorious day.

The lamb is forcibly turned out of the school.

How can we ever forget the look on the lamb’s face as it was lead away? Though the text is unclear, we can surely assume that Mary was pepper-sprayed. Surrounded on all sides by big burly policemen… Mary and the small sheepish creature hang their heads low to avoid identification by the authorities and the glaring news cameras. Hear the chanting and the shouting as once again justice is denied. And we are left wondering, Why? Why use pepper spray on Mary and her innocent little lamb? How much longer will this police brutality go on? When will the President address the problems that America is having right here at home?

And it was all about love! Mary and her lamb and their love for one another! All in the name of love, dear and gentle reader!

Omigosh, Mother Goose is just squawking beside herself… Please excuse me whilst I go and settle myself down…

Mary's poor little lamb...