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.
"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