One day Scouter Kent ( camp chief ) and Scouter Jason ( assistant camp director ) decide to get away from it all and move to the Yukon. The story goes, they sell everything and pack up for a long trip to the Yukon by canoe (get in and row) finally arriving in a sheltered valley they decide that this is the place for them.
Kent: "Nice place, let us build a log cabin"
Jason: Yeah.
So they build a cabin after all that work, they have a nice log cabin to survive the harsh weather of the north. Now fall is at the door.
Kent: "Winter is coming and we need to cut firewood"
Jason: "Yeah".
So they start cutting wood with an ax and saw -- cut and saw and saw and cut 5 cords, 10 cords, 15 cords (neatly piled as good scouts know how).
Kent: "Hey Jason think we have enough for the winter?" Jason: "Yeah, I don't know" Kent ": I heard that there is an old Hermit on top of the mountain that can tell what winter is like here.
Let's go and see him".
Jason: "Yeah, OK".
So they pack up and start the long trek to the top of the mountain, through the woods. (Demonstrate going through rivers, mud, climbing a cliff, rain, encountering bears, mountain lions, cats, and chickens (wild variety demonstrate the trip). They finally arrive at the top of the mountain where they find an old hermit sitting on a rock.
Kent, goes up to the Hermit and says, "Oh Wise Hermit I was told that you can tell us how the winter will be. Please help us. We are from the south and we had warm winters and oil heaters!"
Jason: "Yeah"
The Hermit gets up and goes to the edge of the mountain, looks around puts his hand to his brow looks straight in front of him, and says, "It will be a cold winter and a long winter.” He goes back to his rock.
Kent: "Thank you, Wise Hermit"
Jason:" Yeah, thanks".
So they turn back to their cabin. (Demonstrate trek in reverse).
Kent: "I do not think that we have enough wood for the winter let's cut more."
Jason: "Yeah, yeah"
So for the next two weeks, they cut wood -- 20 more cords. Now they had 35 cords and the snow started falling in the valley and it was cold.
Kent: "Now we have 35 cords, this should be good for winter".
Jason: Yeah
Kent: "We should go and see the Hermit and ask him how the winter will be."
Jason: "Yeah"
REPEAT THE TREK to find the Hermit on his rock at the top of the mountain.
Kent: "Oh Wise Hermit how will the winter be?"
The Hermit gets up goes to the edge of the mountain looks around puts both hands to his brow and says: "It will be a cold winter, a very cold winter, a very long winter!"
Jason: "Oh yeah"
Kent: "Thank you, Wise Hermit."
So back to camp they go. Snow is falling more and more now it is November. Again they cut wood, day and night now they have cut 25 more cords 60 cords in all.
Kent: "I think this should be plenty for the winter. But we should see the Hermit to be safe."
Jason: "Yeah" (Jason should be getting a laugh by now)
So again they trek up the mountain for the third time. (Demonstrate trek again) All tired and sore from their encounters, finally, 5 days later, they got to the top of the mountain where the old Hermit is covered with snow sitting on his rock as usual.
Kent: "Oh Wise Hermit, tell us one more time what will the winter be like?"
Jason: "Yeah."
Again the Hermit gets up goes to the edge of the mountain and puts his hand to his brow and says: "It will be a big winter, a very big winter."
Kent: "Oh Wise Hermit tell me how you know this. Is it because of the mountains or the animals? I want to learn how to read signs of nature".
Jason: "Yeah"
The Hermit turns to Scouters Kent and Jason he says, "It’s easy. I look down in the valley and from here, I can see two guys cutting and piling firewood like crazy!"