The Starfish tale By: Evelina B.

Long ago, on the coast of British Columbia, lived a small little girl named Elenora. She was kindhearted, gentle and compassionate. She lived with her mother and father in the Bear Clan in the Coast Salish region.

Every day she would wake up at sunrise and go down to the beach Every day she would wake up at sunrise and go down to the beach. One morning, as Raven was soaring in the sky he noticed the little girl hurriedly picking things up and throwing them into the ocean.

He slowly descended and perched upon a branch of a nearby tree He slowly descended and perched upon a branch of a nearby tree. “Child, what are you doing?” said Raven. Elenora replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide is going out and if I don’t throw them back in they will die.”

The old Raven chuckled to himself and said, “Dear Elenora don’t be so naïve. Don’t you realize that there are kilometers and kilometers of beach and hundreds of starfish. You will never be able to make a difference.”

The girl looked discouraged but after a moment she bent down, picked up another starfish and gently placed it in to the water. Quietly she replied, “I made a difference for that one.”

Decades passed since young Elenora encountered Raven and she grew up to become a modest and graceful woman. However, she never failed to go down to the beach every morning and place one starfish back into the ocean.