The Star Fish Story
Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley
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 realize 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."
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