The Tale of the Starfish
by Loren Eisley
(with slight gender modifications...)
A young lady was picking up objects off the beach and tossing
them out into the sea.
A second person approached and saw that the objects were starfish.
"Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?"
"If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes
out and the sun rises high in the sky, they will die," replied the young
lady.
"That is ridiculous. There are thousands of miles of beach and millions
of starfish. You can't really believe that what you're doing could possibly
make a difference!"
The young lady picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and
remarked as she tossed it out into the waves, "It makes a difference to
this one."
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