" 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 realise 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 .”
The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907-1977 .