national weather service
It was autumn, and the American Indians on a 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, so 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 wood to be prepared.
But 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?"
"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.
One week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Is it 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 wood they could find.
Two weeks later he 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 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 wood like crazy."
