A gentleman was strolling along the beach just at the waters edge.
After he had walked for sometime he came upon several starfish that
had been washed up on shore and then left behind by the tide. The man
stopped and looked at the starfish a moment and then shook his head
when he thought of the fate of the starfish, for they would all surely
die if left out of the water for long. He then continued his stroll
along the waters edge. After he had walked a bit further he came upon
a young boy. The boy was furiously picking up starfish that had been
left by the tide and throwing them back into the sea. The man watched
the boy for several moments, then spoke to him.
"You can't possibly save them all. So why bother ? It won't matter."
The boy paused, a starfish in hand, and thought about the man's words.
He looked out at the sea and then down at the starfish in his grasp.
He looked up at the man and replied
"Well, it matters to this one."
and he threw the starfish back into the sea.
Author unknown.
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