The Indian Chief’s Weather Forecast

It was autumn, and the Indians on the remote reservation asked their new Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was an Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets.

When he looked at the sky, he couldn’t tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

Also, being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, “Is the coming winter going to be cold?” “Yes, it looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed,” the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared.

A week later, the Chief called the National Weather Service again. “Is it going be a very cold winter?” he asked. “Yes,’ the man at the National Weather Service again replied, ‘It’s definitely going to be a very cold winter.” The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find.

Two weeks later, the Chief called the National Weather Service again and asked, “Are you absolutely sure that this winter is going to be very cold?” “Absolutely,’ the man replied, ‘It’s going to be one of the coldest winters ever.” “How can you be so sure?” the Chief asked.

The weatherman replied, “Because the Indians are collecting firewood like crazy!”