Adapted from a story by Loren Eisley
There was an old 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 jumping around.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young boy. The boy 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! What it is that you are doing?"
The little boy paused, looked up and replied, "I'm throwing starfish back into the ocean."
"Why are you throwing starfish back into the ocean?" asked the puzzled old man.
The boy replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back in, they'll all die."
Upon hearing this, the old man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are hundreds of starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
As if he hadn't heard, the the little boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he turned, smiled and said, "It made a difference to that one!"