h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm sure lots of silver surfers remember the words to "I know an Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly". I started to sing it to my grandson and then promptly forgot them. Can anyone out there help me?

This is what I can remember of the verse:

There was an only woman who swallowed a fly, I don't why she swallowed a fly perhaps she'll die. There was an old woman who swallowed a spider, that wriggled and jiggled and squiggled (?) inside her, she swallowed a spider to catch the fly, I dont' know why she swallowed a fly, perhaps she'll die. There was an old woman who cat, fancy that, to swallow a cat, she swallowed the cat to catch the spider that wriggled and jiggled and squiggled inside her, she swallowed the spider to catch the fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly, perhaps she'll die. There was an old woman who swallowed a dog ( ), she swallowed the dog to catch the cat, fancy that to swallow a cat, she swallowed the cat......etc.

I think she ended up swallowing a horse that killed her - hopefully someone else can correct and fill in the rest of it!!

Didn't she swallow a bird to catch the spider, and a cat to catch the bird, a dog to catch the cat...
Not sure about the rest until you get to the final verse:
"I know an old woman who swallowed a horse. She's dead, of course."

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On behalf of my grandson Murphy and me, thank you very much for tracking down the Burl Ives song. What's the betting he'll get bored long before I get to the horse! Once again, thank you. Great website this, isnt it?

You're welcome! It certainly is a great website... it gets results, doesn't it?

If you want to get the book, this is the best version:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670869392/o/qid=968173306/sr=2-1/104-0091802-2065528

I had one very similar when I was three, and I remember it to this day!



- Adam