It was autumn, and the Indians of a remote reservation asked their new Chief if the next winter was going to be cold or mild. Now, he was Indian Chief in a modern society, so he had never learned the old secrets and as he watched the sky, he could not predict what would happen in the next future. Anyway, to be sure, he told his tribe that the winter was going to be cold and that the members of the village would have to collect firewood to be prepared. But, being also a practical leader, after a few days he had an idea: he went to the telephone cabin and called to the National Meteorology Service and asked:
- Is the next winter going to be very cold?
- It seems that the next winter will be cold enough - said the meteorologist in charge.
So, the Chief returned to his people and told them to collect more firewood, to be prepared.
A week later the Chief called again the National Meteorology Service and asked:
- Will it be a very cold winter?
- Yes - said the meteorologist in charge - it is going to be a very cold winter.
The Chief returned again to his people and ordered them to collect all the pieces of firewood they could find.
Two weeks later the Chief called the National Meteorology Service once again:
- Are you absolutely sure that the next winter will be so cold?
- Absolutely, without any doubt - the man answered - it will be one of the coldest winters ever.
- How can you be so sure? - asked the Chief.
And the meteorologist said:
- All you need is to watch the Indians collecting wood like mad!
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