One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up

and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked,

“What are you doing?”

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The youth replied,

“Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out.

If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

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“Son,”

the man said,

“don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and thousands of starfish?

You can’t possibly make a difference!”

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After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.

Then, smiling at the man, he said…

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“I made a difference for that one.”

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THE BOY
AND
THE STARFISH
 

by Loren Eisley