Once there was a great tide that washed all the starfish up onto the beach. If left exposed on the sand, they would soon shrivel up an die underneath the sun’s scorching rays. Walking along this beach was a boy. He was working hard to pick up every starfish he saw and throw it back into the ocean.

A man was watching this lad from nearby. He glanced at the boy and shook his head, then walked over. “My dear boy,” said the man. “What on earth do you think you’re doing? The sun will soon be up in the mid- day sky, and look: This beach is miles long and littered with thousands, perhaps millions of starfish. These creatures are doomed. You could never save enough to make a difference.

The boy just looked at the man, picked up one more, and threw it back into the ocean. “Made a difference for that one!” he replied.

Questions for discussion: