It was a crisp autumn day in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.   

A group of  Cherokee children had gathered around their grandfather and they were filled with intense curiosity and excitement.  

A few hours earlier, a fight had broken out between two men and the village elder had been called upon to settle the dispute. 

The children were keen to know what the elder had to say about it.

“Why do people fight?”   asked the youngest child.  

“Well", the elder replied.  “We all have two wolves inside us and they constantly do battle with each other.”

"It is a terrible fight.  One wolf, the grey wolf, is filled with evil and he is bitter, angry, full of fear, he is envious, full of sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity,  resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, guilt, shame and ego."

"The other wolf, the white wolf, is good and honest, he is full of joy, peace, love, hope, goodwill, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, courage, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

The child responded, “These wolves are in all of us?”

“Yes, they are, and these two wolves fight constantly."

The youngster thought about it for a minute and then asked the elder, 

“Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied, 

"The one you feed."