Short Fiction · Chapter
The Champion of the Weather explained
Bud Kingsbury, a guide on a hunting trip in the Kiowa Reservation, reveals his ability to identify a New Yorker by their brief weather comment.
What happens
Bud Kingsbury, a guide on a hunting trip in the Kiowa Reservation, reveals his ability to identify a New Yorker by their brief weather comment. He recounts his own experience in New York City, where he felt starved for genuine conversation and confronted a cafe manager who made a casual remark about the weather, forcing him to expand the exchange into a full, sociable dialogue.
Themes in this chapter
Humor and Irony
Bud's comedic exaggeration of New York's social reserve and his forceful, absurd method of extracting a full weather conversation highlight the ironic contrast between Western and Eastern social norms.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The cafe manager's initial polite remark about the weather is revealed to be a mere social formality, not an invitation to friendship, underscoring the theme of surface appearances versus genuine connection.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator is part of the hunting party and recounts Bud Kingsbury's story.
- Billy Keogh
Bud Kingsbury is referred to as 'Bud' and is the guide telling the story; his full name is William Kingsbury.
- Luke Summers
Summers is the friend Bud knew in New York, who later explains New York etiquette regarding weather conversation.
Key passages
“Nice night!”
A pleasant evening.
The pinkish-haired young man's casual comment triggers Bud's identification of him as a New Yorker.
“How did I know he was from New York? Well, I figured it out as soon as he sprung them two words on me.”
I recognized he was from New York the moment he said those two words.
Bud explains his method of deducing the young man's origin based on the brevity of his weather remark.
“Keep your hands off the weather unless you're ready to follow it up in a personal manner.”
Don't mention the weather unless you're prepared to engage in a full conversation.
Bud's admonition to the cafe manager reflects his belief that weather talk should lead to sociability.