An old man had a habit of early morning
walks on the beach. One day, as he looked along the shore, he saw a
human figure moving like a dancer. As he came closer he saw that it was
a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking
up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.
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"Young lady," he asked, "Why
are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
"The sun is up, and the tide
is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die."
"But young lady, do you not
realise that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along
it? You cannot possibly make a difference."
The young woman listened
politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it
into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying:
"It made a big difference to that one."
Adapted from the story "The Star Thrower"
by Loren Eiseley (www.starfishcharity.org)
by Loren Eiseley (www.starfishcharity.org)
