Question: Who composed the folk song that tells the story of an old woman who swallowed increasingly large animals, each to catch the previously swallowed animal?

 The song tells the story of an old woman who swallowed increasingly large animals, each to catch the previously swallowed animal. The phrase and title There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly—alternatively, "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," or "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly," or "I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly"—is a children's rhyme and song of a kind known as cumulative.  There are many variations of phrasing in the lyrics, especially for the description of swallowing each animal.  The spider and fly are described in each verse, but the other animals are only described when they are introduced starting with the bird.  The absurdity stems from the increasingly improbable solutions that only worsen the initial problem and are more likely to cause the woman's death: the logic of swallowing of even more animals of preposterous sizes without dying, contrasted with the expected, matter-of-fact recounting of her death from swallowing an animal larger than herself, when in fact the swallowing of any animal as a solution was absurd. <SEP> "There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" is a popular English language nursery rhyme, with a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19132.  Debates over its meaning and origin have largely centered on attempts to match the old woman with historical female figures who have had large families, although King George II (1683–1760) has also been proposed as the rhyme's subject. <SEP>  He was best known for popularizing Canadian folk music, and he composed the classic folk song "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" (with lyrics by Rose Bonne) which was later recorded by Burl Ives, Peter Paul and Mary and many others. Alan Mills, CM, (born Albert Miller September 7, 1913(sometimes given as 1912) – June 14, 1977 ) was a Canadian folksinger, writer, and actor.  He also appeared on several radio and television programs and in movies.  He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1974 for his contributions to Canadian folklore.  Mills has also released several albums on Folkways Records of Canadian and French folk songs. <SEP> Sham feeding is any procedure that mimics normal food consumption but where food and drink are not actually digested or absorbed.  It is generally used in experiments studying hunger, eating or digestion, and is a predominant method used in studying binge eating disorder.  In animal research it often involves inserting a tube into either the oesophagus or stomach, that leaks out anything that has been swallowed.  Animals who are sham fed in this manner eat and swallow almost continually without becoming satiated.  Chewing gum can also be considered sham feeding, as whilst very-little or no nutrients are being absorbed into the body, the process of chewing still stimulates digestive system nerves which trigger the release of gastrointestinal hormones, and also increase the production of both saliva and pancreatic secretions.  In human studies a process known as modified sham feeding (MSF) is typically used, which involves smelling, tasting and chewing food, then spitting it out when it would normally be swallowed.