Here's the Sandburg version, which agrees with Tiger. Sandburg says "all of the minstrels sang it," but that's all Sandburg says. I couldn't find any history on this song at all.

ANIMAL FAIR

I went to the animal fair
The birds and beasts were there
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his auburn hair.
The monkey he got drunk
And sat on the elephant's trunk
The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees
And what became of the monk, the monk?
The monk, etc., ad nauseam

MIDI file: ANIMAL~1.MID

Timebase: 192

Name: Animal Fair
Text: By traditional minstrel song
Key: D
TimeSig: 6/8 24 8
Start
0000 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0224 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0160 0 71 000 0032 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0224 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 73 110 0094 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 71 110 0046 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0046 0 71 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 73 110 0046 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0046 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0160 0 71 000 0032 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0224 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0160 0 71 000 0032 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0224 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0224 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 73 110 0046 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0046 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 73 110 0046 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0046 0 73 000 0002 1 73 110 0160 0 73 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0160 0 71 000 0032 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Animal Fair
M:6/8
Q:1/4=120
K:D
FA2A/2A/2BB|FA5|FA2AB2|FA5|dc2cc2|B/2B/2c2c/2c/2c2|
BA2A/2A/2B2|FA5|FA2AB2|FA5|FA2A/2A/2BB|FA5|
dc2c/2c/2c2|Bc2c/2c/2c2|BA2AB2|F/2F/2A2AA||