▁include ▁a ▁claim ▁that ▁he ▁ski pped ▁a ▁silver ▁doll ar ▁across ▁the ▁R app ah ann ock ▁River ▁at ▁Fer ry ▁Farm . ▁Another ▁tale ▁claims ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁child , ▁Washington ▁cho pped ▁down ▁his ▁father ' s ▁cher ry ▁tree . ▁His ▁angry ▁father ▁confront ed ▁the ▁young ▁Washington , ▁who ▁proc laimed ▁" I ▁can ▁not ▁tell ▁a ▁lie " ▁and ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁trans gression , ▁thus ▁ill umin ating ▁his ▁hon esty . ▁Par son ▁Mason ▁Lock e ▁We ems ▁mentions ▁the ▁first ▁c itation ▁of ▁this ▁legend ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁book , ▁The ▁Life ▁of ▁George ▁Washington : ▁With ▁Cur ious ▁A ne cdot es , ▁Equ ally ▁Honor able ▁to ▁Him self ▁and ▁Ex empl ary ▁to ▁His ▁Young ▁Coun tr ymen . ▁This ▁an ec d ote ▁cannot ▁be ▁independently ▁verified . ▁Samuel ▁C lem ens ▁( Mark ▁Tw ain ) ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁spread ▁the ▁story ▁while ▁lect uring , ▁personal izing ▁it ▁by ▁adding ▁" I ▁have ▁a ▁higher ▁and ▁greater ▁standard ▁of ▁principle . ▁Washington ▁could ▁not ▁lie . ▁I ▁can ▁lie ▁but ▁I ▁won ' t ." ▁ ▁Patrick ▁Henry ▁Patrick ▁Henry ▁( May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 7 3 6 ▁– ▁June ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 7 9 9 ) ▁was ▁an ▁att orney , ▁plan ter ▁and ▁politician ▁who ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁an ▁or ator ▁during ▁the ▁movement ▁for ▁independence ▁in ▁Virginia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 7