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Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean
to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he
began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach
and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at
the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked
faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young
man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young
man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and
throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it
is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into
the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going
out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you
not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are
starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a
difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish,
and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made
a difference for that one."
Adapted from
The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)
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