Friday's Joke of the Day

Many historians are unaware of a little-known aspect of American history involving George Washington.

The Father of our Country became an almost apocryphal figure, and people know a lot of the stories and myths surrounding George Washington. We remember the story of his supposedly throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River. (Of course, money went a lot farther in those days.) We remember other stories about young George's penchant for telling the truth.

But few people or even historians know the story of another incident in George's youth that helped cement his reputation for honesty.

George's father was more than a planter in Colonial Virginia. He was also a collector of colonial artifacts. He was particularly famous for his collection of wooden Indians. In fact, his collection was famous in the Colonies.

Young George, intent on sharpening his skills with the hatchet, went into the large room where his father kept his collection valuable, hand-carved Indian figures and proceeded to cut them to pieces.

When George's father saw the damage that George had hewn with his ax, he confronted him;

"George," his father asked, "are you responsible for this?"

"I cannot tell a lie, father," George answered, "I cut down your Cherokees."

(By Ted Brett)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus Joke:

A Virginia farmer was envious of his neighbors who had developed a big business charging admissions to tourists to see their farmhouses by advertising: "George Washington Slept Here."

He puzzled a long time how he could cash in on the magic surrounding the first President of the United States. He studied history books and to his delight found that one of the battles against the British redcoats was fought over his land. He reckoned that his cow pasture, which had been handed down from generation to generation, must have been a cow pasture even in 1776, and he further reckoned that Washington must have encountered the same problem then as had happened to him only so short a time ago as yesterday.

So he happily erected a sign on the pasture fence next the highway and it bold letters it read: ... "George Washington Slipped Here."

(By Himie Koshevoy)