The Star Thrower
Our Look At The Kids,
The Star Throwers and the Stars
This project was inspired by Dr. Loren Eiseley's short story, "The Star Thrower".
The poem version:
As I walked along the seashore, this young boy greeted me.
He was tossing stranded starfish back to the deep blue sea.
I said, "Tell me why you bother, why you waste your time this way.
There's a million stranded starfish, does it matter anyway?"
And he said, "It matters to this one. It deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one, I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one, I'll return it to the sea.
It matters to this one, and it matters to me."
I walked into the classroom, the teacher greeted me.
She was helping Johnny study, he was struggling I could see.
I said, "Tell me why you bother, why waste your time this way.
Johnny's only one of millions, does it matter anyway?"
And she said, "It matters to this one, he deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one, I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one, I'll help him be what he can be.
It matters to this one, and it matters to me."
When Dr. Loren Eiseley first related an anecdote about a man throwing starfish back into the sea, he was referring to starfish collectors who sold the specimens for money versus those who were becoming more ecologically aware and thought to do something about preserving the species. The story has been retold with different characters, in different countries. Teachers like to tell it when they talk about saving a child.
The Star Throwers, Edna James' 9th Grade Class