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The Starfish
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 he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure
moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day.
So he began to walk faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasnīt dancing, but
instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing
it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out: "Good morning! What are you doing?"
The young man paused, looked up and replied: "Throwing starfish in the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked: why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"
"The sun is up, and the tide is going out. And if I donīt throw them in theyīll
die."
"But, young man, donīt you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and
starfish all along it. You canīt possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into
the sea, past the breaking waves and said: "It mad a difference for that one."
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