Popularized versions of "The Star Thrower" have been part of our culture for many years. The story appeared in an article in Reader's Digest back in 1991 and appeared in the first addition of Chicken Soup for the Soul in 1993. By the time the story was heard by the Chicken Soup for the Soul authors, Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen, the original source had been forgotten so the authors credited the story to themselves. The story appears to have been retold in popular culture from the time it was originally published.
Since "The Star Thrower" has been part of popular culture for some time, the story has been altered several times. For example, people have augmented the story with additional scenes that parallel the message of the star thrower. One story has an additional scene with a teacher helping a student. A similar story has an extra part at an animal shelter. In both stories, helping one person or animal is important because it makes a difference to the one helped.
One version of the story that appears on personal page of a cat lover has an additional scene where Eiseley's character sees people saving kittens from drowning in the water. This is a very poor variation of the story because it does not make sense. I actually found it more amusing than inspirational.
One final version of "The Star Thrower" with an additional scene actually appears on an mp3 site. A songwriter, L A Hazard, wrote a song called "Ballad of the Star Thrower" that is (obviously from the title) based on "The Star Thrower." In the version of the story told by the artist, Eiseley's character is a young boy who goes to the beach to collect his starfish souvenir. When he sees the star thrower, he thinks that she is like his "crazy old" neighbor back home. In the end, the boy helps the star thrower save the starfish; and when he returns home, he saves his "crazy old" neighbor by befriending him.
I also found one version of the story that completely changes the people and scene, but has the same message of making a difference. In this story, the beach is changed to a mall pet store and the star thrower is changed to an animal rescue worker. The story still has the doubtful Eiseley character who says, "Why do you bother? Don't you know that what you are doing doesn't make any difference at all." To this, the rescue worker responds as the star thrower usually would, "But it does make a difference. It makes a difference to this dog. And to this one. And to this one."
Of course, a popularized story like "The Star Thrower" will also spawn spoofs. One such spoof appears on the personal page of an agronomist. It's an interesting biodiversity spoof that is best if you read it yourself...
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