THESE ARE NOT THE CORRECT WORDS. They are, however, the words that I sing when reading the book to my students. I'm a great believer in the folk process. I hope that the formating doesn't screw up.

There was an old woman who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly
perhaps she'll die

There was an old woman who swallowed a spider
it wriggled and squiggled and tickled inside her
she swallowed the spider to catch the fly but
I don't know why she swallowed a fly
perhaps she'll die

There was an old woman who swallowed a bird
how absurd to swallow a bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
she swallowed the spider to catch the fly but
I don't know why she swallowed a fly
perhaps she'll die

There was an old woman who swallowed a cat
Imagine that! She swallowed a cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
that wriggled and squiggled and tickled inside her
she swallowed the spider to catch the fly but
I don't know why she swallowed a fly
perhaps she'll die

There was an old woman who swallowed a dog
She went whole hog to swallow the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
that wriggled and squiggled and tickled inside her
she swallowed the spider to catch the fly but
I don't know why she swallowed a fly
perhaps she'll die

There was an old woman who swallowed a cow
I don't know how she swallowed a cow
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
that wriggled and squiggled and tickled inside her
she swallowed the spider to catch the fly but
I don't know why she swallowed a fly
perhaps she'll die

There was an old woman who swallowed a horse
SHE DIED OF COURSE