There was a grandfather, his little grandson often came in the evenings to 
sit at his knee and ask the many questions that children ask. One day the
grandson came to his grandfather with a look of anger on his face. 

Grandfather said, "Come, sit, tell me what has happened today." The child 
sat and leaned his chin on his Grandfather's knee. Looking up into the 
wrinkled, nut brown face and the kind dark eyes; the child's anger turned 
to quiet tears. The boy said, "I went to the town today, with my father, 
to trade the furs he has collected over the past several months. I was happy 
to go, because father said that since I had helped him with the trapping, 
I could get something for me. Something that I wanted. 

I was so excited to be in the trading post, I have not been there before. I 
looked at many things and finally found a metal knife! It was small, but 
good size for me, so father got it for me." Here the boy laid his head against
his grandfather's knee and became silent. The Grandfather, softly placed his 
hand on the boys raven hair and said, "And then what happened?". 

Without lifting his head, the boy said, "I went outside to wait for father, 
and to admire my new knife in the sunlight. Some town boys came by and saw me,
they got all around me and starting saying bad things. They called me dirty 
and stupid and said that I should not have such a fine knife. The largest of 
these boys, pushed me back and I fell over one of the other boys. I dropped 
my knife and one of them snatched it up and they all ran away, laughing." 
Here the boy's anger returned, "I hate them, I hate them all!" 

The Grandfather, with eyes that have seen too much, lifted his grandson's face 
so his eyes looked into the boys. Grandfather said, "Let me tell you a story. 
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with
no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your 
enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. 

I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if there are two 
wolves inside me, one is white and one is black. The White Wolf is good and 
does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense 
when no offense was intended. But it will only fight when it is right to do so, 
and in the right way. But, the Black Wolf, is full of anger. The littlest thing 
will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no 
reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless 
anger, for his anger will change nothing. 

Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them 
try to dominate my spirit." 

The boy, looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes, and asked "which one 
wins Grandfather?" 

The Grandfather, smiled and said, "The one I feed."

Author Unknown