It is late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation
in Oklahoma ask their new young chief whether the coming winter
would be cold.
Being unschooled in the lore of local Indian knowledge, and not wishing
to lose face, he nevertheless gambles and tells his tribesmen
that the imminent winter would indeed be cold. He recommends
they stock up with plenty of firewood in anticipation of freezing
conditions to come.
Later he phones the Weather Service, which confirms his assertion
that a cold winter was on the way. He returns to his tribe and tells
them to gather every piece of firewood they can lay their hands on.
Weeks later he phones the Weather Service once more and asks:
'Are you absolutely sure we are in for a cold winter?'
'Yes,' the meteorologist assures him, 'it looks like being one of
the coldest on record?'
'How can you be so sure?' enquires the sceptical chief.
'Because the Indians are collecting firewood by the s...load.'
Topical theme courtesy of Ed
