All of his life Ole heard stories of an amazing family tradition.

It seems that on each of their 21st birthdays his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all been able to walk on the water of their famous Lake Okeebee, part of a chain of lakes in Minnesota. On that day, each walked across the lake to the boat club for their first legal drink.

So when Ole’s 21st birthday arrived, he and his pal Corky took a boat out to the middle of the lake.

Ole stepped out of the boat and nearly drowned. Corky just managed to pull him to safety.

Furious and confused, Ole went to see his grandmother.

“Grandma, it’s my 21st birthday, so why can’t I walk across da lake like my fadder, his fadder, and his fadder befer him?”

Ole’s grandmother looked into his eyes and said, “Because, my poor Ole, your fadder, grandfadder and great-grandfadder ver born in Januvary, and you ver born in July.”