It was October and the Indians on a remote reservation asked their 

new Chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he 

was a 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 winter 

was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told 

his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the 

members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. But 

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?"

"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the 

meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even 

more firewood in order to be prepared. 

A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it 

still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going 

to be a very cold winter."

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect 

every scrap of firewood they could find. 

Two weeks later the Chief called the National Weather Service 

again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very 

cold?"

"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is 

going to be one of the coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.

The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like 

crazy."