Hi Jim,
Of course you are right that the story is widely known and very old but I would contend that the 17th century ballad is sufficiently close to the 18thc Scots song to suggest a much stronger link and therefore the likelihood is that the Scots derives directly from the English. Only an opinion but based on good grounds.

Joe, As for Child including it with 281, perhaps, but by the time he had got into the last volume he had a greater understanding of what versions consisted of and I feel with good grounds that he would have included the broadside in the appendix like he did with others similar. It would not in that sense have been a Child Ballad.