> It was April and the Aboriginals in a remote part of Northern  
> Australia asked their new elder if the coming winter was going to  
> be cold or mild. Since he was an elder in a modern community 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  
> tribe should collect firewood to be prepared.
> But being a practical leader, after several days he had an idea.
> He walked out to the telephone booth on the highway, called the  
> Bureau of Meteorology and asked, 'Is the coming winter in this area  
> going to be cold?'
> The meteorologist responded, 'It looks like this winter is going to  
> be quite cold.' So the elder went back to his people and told them  
> to collect even more wood in order to be prepared.
> A week later he called the Bureau of Meteorology again. 'Does it  
> still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?'
> The meteorologist again replied, 'Yes, it's going to be a very cold  
> winter.'
> The elder again went back to his community and ordered them to  
> collect every scrap of firewood they could find.
> Two weeks later the elder called the Bureau again. 'Are you  
> absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?' he asked.
> '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 elder asked.
> The weatherman replied, 'Our satellites have reported that the  
> Aboriginals in the north are collecting firewood like crazy, and  
> that's always a sure sign.'
> Bussy
> Rutherglen, Victoria