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The Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Performance Version of Story/Song - as adapted by Mike Lockett, The Normal Storyteller

Note:  This version of the Little Old Lady is meant for individuals who wish to perform this song for young children.  It is recorded on "Tales for the Young at Heart" by The Normal Storyteller.  The CD features Mike Lockett singing this song with sound effects added for each animal in the song.  (Students enjoy when the teller acts out the story by using the hints in parenthesis.)

There was an Old Lady, who swallowed a ...  (pause and look in the air above you pretending to see a tiny flying object, BUZZ, BUZZ, clap hands together ... SMACK!)  "a fly."

But, I don't know why, she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed ... (wiggle your arms like spider legs) "a spider."  It wiggled and tickled and jiggled "inside her."

She swallowed the spider to catch "the fly," but I don't know why she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed (look up while holding thumbs together and flap fingers making a bird and chirp... chirp, squeal)  "a bird."

How absurd - to swallow a bird!  She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and tickled and jiggled inside her.  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.  But I still don't know why she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed (raise hand high  air with fingers together and cup hand forward to make a tail and meow) "a cat."

Imagine that!  She swallowed a cat!  She swallowed the cat to catch the bird; swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and tickled and jiggled inside her.  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.  But I still don't know why she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed (fold thumbs to palm and hold fingers up by side of your hear to make ears and wiggle fingers and pant, ha ha ha.) "a dog."

What a hog!  She swallowed a dog!  She swallowed a dog to catch the cat; swallowed the cat to catch the bird; swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and tickled and jiggled inside her.  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.  But I still don't know why she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed (make fists, turn palms toward you, stick out thumbs, put fists against head above the ears and hold thumbs our and baaa) "a goat."

It stuck in her throat, that silly old goat.  She swallowed the goat to catch the dog; swallowed the dog to catch the cat; swallowed the cat to catch the bird; swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and tickled and jiggled inside her.  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.  But I still don't know why she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed (make fists, point index fingers forward towards audience, hold fists to forehead and moo) "a cow."

I don't know how she swallowed a cow.  But, she swallowed the cow to catch the goat, swallowed the goat to catch the dog; swallowed the dog to catch the cat; swallowed the cat to catch the bird; swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and tickled and jiggled inside her.  She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.  But I still don't know why she swallowed the fly.  Perhaps, she'll die!

I know an Old Lady who swallowed (neigh and purse lips together and blow) "a horse."

She's DEAD, of course!

Note:  In sensitivity for those who do not like the original ending, a website written to honor the version of The Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Caldecot Award Winner, Simms Taback, listed the following alternate endings to the song:

I know an old lady who swallowed a horse
...She's alive and well of course!
...She's alive and sad of course!
...She's alive and sick of course!
Another Alternate:
Change "perhaps she'll die" to "perhaps she'll cry".