I didn't know it like that, but I agree that it's better. The version I first read in the early to mid nineties was much longer than this one though, and his achievements at quick wit retort just went on and on from one unbelievable accomplishment to the next -- which of course makes the punch line that much funnier. The version I remember was also quite elegantly written, which made the crudeness of the last line that much funnier.