Tolstoy - How Much Land does a Man Need?

How Much Land does a Man Need? Leo Tolstoy The ambitious peasant Pakhom, who, after gaining ever greater plots of land, finally heard of a wonderful deal in a far-off country. He travelled to the land of the Bashkirs and negotiated with the village elder, who seemed a fool. The elder told Pakhom that he could have all the land he wanted for a thousand rubles a day.

make shorter sides. As the afternoon wore on, the heat was exhausting. By now his bare feet were cut and bruised, and his legs weakened. He wanted to rest, but it was out of question. Pakhom struggled on, walking faster, then running. He worried that he had been too greedy, and his fear made him breathless. On he ran, his shirt soaked and his throat parched. His lungs were working like a blacksmith’s bellows, his heart beat like a hammer. He was terrified.

Pakhom did not understand. “What kind of rate is that—a day?” he asked. “How many acres could that be?”

“All these strain will be the death of me.”

“We don’t reckon your way. We sell by the day. However much you can walk around in one day will be yours.”

Although Pakhom feared death, he couldn’t stop. They’d call me an idiot, he thought. When he was close enough to hear the Bashkirs cheering, he summoned his last ounce of strength and kept running. As he finally reached the hill, everything suddenly became dark—the sun had set. Pakhom groaned. He wanted to stop, but heard the Bashkirs still cheering him on. He realized that from where he was at the bottom of the hill, the sun had set—but not for those on top. Pakhom took a deep breath and rushed up the hill. Reaching the top, he saw the elder sitting by the hat, laughing his head off. Pakhom’s legs gave way, and he fell forward grasping the cap.

When Pakhon expressed that a man can walk around much land in one day, the elder burst out laughing. “And all of it will be yours!” he replied. But there was one condition: If Pakhom didn’t return to the starting point by sundown, the money would be forfeited. Ecstatic, Pakhom spent a sleepless night. Rising at dawn, he went with the villagers to the top of a hill, where the elder put down his hat. After placing his thousand rubles on top, Pakhom began walking, digging holes along the way to mark his land. The going was easy and he thought, “I’ll do another three miles and then turn left. The land’s so beautiful here, it would be a pity to miss any.”

“Oh well done,” exclaimed the elder. “That’s a lot of land you’ve earned yourself!”

Pakhom hurried throughout the morning, going out of his way to add more land. But at noon, when he looked back at the hill where he had began, it was difficult to see the people. Maybe I have gone too far, he worried, and decided he must begin to

Pakhom’s worker ran up and tried to lift his master, but Pakhom was dead. The worker picked up Pakhom’s spade, dug a grave, and buried him—six feet from head to heel, exactly the amount of land a man needs. 

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Glossary

groaned → groan make utterance or voice as sign of pain or displeasure.

bellows a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air, to make fire burns more fiercely.

parched dried out by heat. plots of land → plot of land an area of ground covered by specific plants.

bruised injured without bleeding, usually with change in size and color.

reckon expect, believe, take account on.

burst out give an expression suddenly.

rushed → rush move fast.

ecstatic feeling extremely happy or delighted. exhausting affecting loss of energy.

strain damage in physical body caused by applied force.

forfeited taken or must be given as penalty.

summoned → summon collect or bring together.

gave way → give way stop functioning or operating.

weakened → weaken become weak or weaker. wore on → wear on pass slowly (in context of time).

greedy wanting to have more than necessery.

Questions 1. In what country do you think the story took place? How do you know? 2. What do you think the Bashkirs in first paragraph probably means? 3. How many persons involved in the story? Mention each of them. 4. What do you think the physical cause of Pakhom’s death? What’s your reason? 5. What do you think the true cause of Pakhom’s death? What’s your reason? 6. This story is told in past tense, since the events had happened long ago. Still there are sentences in present and also in future tense. Point out which sentences are in present and which are in future tense.

 Ellam ByDefault ([email protected])

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