your wife's dress is mighty short

it'll be mighty long till she gets another one

The version I heard was on a folk box compilation set. Either the Vanguard or the Electra one, both 4 lp collections. Vanguard I think, but I'm not sure who the artist was but maybe Jimmy Driftwood. I remember learning Driftwood's version of the the Very Unfortunate Man from thos records. We had a different version, Damsel of 19 years old, on a Theo Bikel lp. [anyone with these records, esp. the Vanguard 4 record folk compilation - I'd love to get cd copies!]

When the traveller asks the man why he doesnt play the rest of the tune, it's because he doesnt know it, so the traveller takes the banjo and plays part two of the tune and they are friends from there on