Due a strong storm and with a receding tide thousands of starfish had stranded on the beach. Being unable to get back into the water they would surely dry out and die.
A man walking along the beach and suddenly noticed a young boy. The boy was picking up one of the stranded starfish and threw it back into the sea.
Intrigued, the old man asked what the boy was doing.
“If the starfish are still on the beach when the sun gets high, they’ll die,” the boy replied, gently throwing another one into the waves.
The old man shook his head. “But the beach goes on for miles, and there are so many starfish stranded out here. You can’t possibly make a real difference.”
The boy paused, considering the man’s words. Then he picked up another starfish and held it out. “It makes all the difference to this one,” he said, and gently tossed the starfish into the welcoming sea.
The old man watched, amazed, as the boy continued. Inspired, he joined in. Together, the man and the boy saved starfish until the tide came back in, gently tossing their starfish friends to safety.
The man realized the boy had shown him something profound: Each kind act, no matter how small, matters more than we can ever know. With renewed hope, he looked out over the glistening water.
Based on the book The Starish Thrower by Loren Eiseley
