Hi Shimmering,

I don't consider Child 3 a riddling ballad, it seems to be a forming of archaic verbal jousting called "flyting." It's there that an antecedent may be found.

As for the Exeter book, I think it's possible the courting riddles of Child 2 Elphin Knight/Scarborough Fair, may be found. As I remember one old riddle known as Dr. Whewell's riddle,

A headless man had a letter (o) to write,
He who read it (naught) had lost his sight;
The dumb repeated it (naught) word for word,
And deaf was the man who listened and heard (naught).

was part of the Exeter riddles, but now I can't remember where I read it. See part of the riddle as last stanza in "Cambrick Shirt" dated Feb. 1867 as taken from from a "lady from Cornwall" who herself had heard it "when a child" from an "old woman of St. Ives:

       Can you make me a cambrick shirt,
       Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
       Without any seam or needle work?
       And I will be a true lover of thine.

       Can you wash it in yonder well,
       Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
       Where never sprung water nor rain never fell?
       And I will be a true lover of thine.

       Can you dry it on yonder thorn,
       Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
       Which never bore blossom since Adam was born?
       And I will be a true lover of thine.

       Now you have asked me questions three,
       Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
       As many wonders I'll tell to thee
       If thou wilt be a true lover of mine.

       A handless man a letter did write[1],
       Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
       And he who read it had lost his sight,
       And thou shalt be a true lover of mine.

Where is this riddle found in the Exeter riddles?

Richie