Indian Summer

IT WAS ALREADY LATE FALL AND THE INDIANS ON A REMOTE
RESERVATION IN
SOUTH DAKOTA 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 WEE K 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 WE'VE EVER
SEEN."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?" THE CHIEF ASKED.

THE WEATHERMAN REPLIED, "THE INDIANS ARE COLLECTING
FIREWOOD LIKE CRAZY.