In another thread, which I can't find now, there was talk of the origin of I Gave My Love a Cherry, and someone thought it derived from Capt. Wedderburn's Courtship, although the riddles are different.

I think it more likely related to a (Child?) ballad called something like "The Pretty Little Boy Just __??__ Years Old", in which it is clear the devil is trying to entrap the wise child with riddles much as in the Cherry song. Needless to say, the child's wise and pious answers defeat the devil.

Does anybody have the text of this, and tune? I couldn't find it in the DT.

Dave Oesterreich