A Starfish Tale

...by an unknown author

A man was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy. Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide.

The boy walked slowly along the shore.  When he spotted a starfish, he reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean.

The man, hoping to teach the boy a lesson in common sense, walked up to him and said, "I have been watching what you are doing, son. You have a good heart, and I know that you mean well.  But do you realize how many beaches there are?  And how many starfish are dying on every beach every day?  Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?"

The boy looked up at the man,  then down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish and gently tossed it back into the ocean.  "It makes a difference to that one,"  he said.

Starfish can be found here.