A woman walking along the beach notices a boy throwing starfish that have washed ashore back into the sea, one by one. When she questions what difference it makes to save just a few of the many starfish stranded on the beach, the boy simply responds that it makes a difference to each individual starfish he returns to the water.

3. Strolling along
the beach, a
woman catches
sight of a young
boy who
appears to be
dancing at the
waters edge.

4. The boy bends
down , straightens
to his full height
and then cast his
arm out in an arc.

6. Drawing closer
she sees that the
sand is littered
with starfish and
he is throwing
them, one by one,
back into the sea.

7. She says, “ There are
stranded starfish as far as
the eye can see. What
difference can saving a few
of them possibly make?”

8. Smiling, he stoops down and
tosses another starfish out over
the water, saying,

10. “It made a difference to that one.”