my $lamb;
$lamb->{data}[0] = 'wolf';
my $mary = "Little Rabbit Foo Foo";
my $template = '$mary had a little $lamb->{data}[0].';
$text = eval qq{"$template"};
print $text;
[download]

You're treading down a dangerous path. Why don't you use an existing template system instead of rolling out your own?

my $lamb;
my $mary="Little Rabbit Foo Foo ";
$lamb->{data}[0] = 'wolf';
my $text = '$mary had a little $lamb->{data}[0].';
$text =~ s/(.*)/"\"$1\""/ee;
print $text,"\n";
__END__
Little Rabbit Foo Foo  had a little wolf.
[download]

but then, there's an extra space between "Foo Foo" and "had", since $mary's got it. Maybe $mary =~s/^\s|\s$/g, then.

--shmem

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}