Meet-on-the-Road

This is creepy, and I've always loved it. I don't believe the author is known, but it's fairly old. I think it was an influence on Kipling's "Danny Deever". Note that in the UK, "dinner" can mean the meal you eat at midday. I wonder whether "road" and "stood" rhymed when this poem was written.

"Now, pray, where are you going, child?" said Meet-on-the-Road.
"To school, sir, to school, sir," said Child-as-it-Stood.

"What have you in your basket, child?" said Meet-on-the-Road.
"My dinner, sir, my dinner, sir," said Child-as-it-Stood.

"What have you for your dinner, child?" said Meet-on-the-Road.
"Some pudding, sir, some pudding, sir," said Child-as-it-Stood.

"Oh, then I pray, give me a share," said Meet-on-the-Road.
"I've little enough for myself, sir," said Child-as-it-Stood.

"What have you got that cloak on for?" said Meet-on-the-Road.
"To keep the wind and cold from me," said Child-as-it-Stood.

"I wish the wind would blow through you," said Meet-on-the-Road.
"Oh, what a wish! What a wish!" said Child-as-it-Stood.

"Pray, what are those bells ringing for?" said Meet-on-the-Road.
"To ring bad spirits home again," said Child-as-it-Stood.

"Oh! then I must be going, child," said Meet-on-the-Road.
"So fare you well, so fare you well," said Child-as-it-Stood.