How Much Land

Does a Man Need?

long time ago, there was a farmer named Pahom in

the countryside of Russia. He had 123 acres of land
and a pasture. Also, he had a big house which five
family members lived together in. As he kept farming,
the number of cattle kept increasing. Pahom had a thought that
his land was not big enough. He wanted wider and more fertile
lands and had a desire to farm widely and to grow more livestock.
All day, Pahom kept thinking about only one thing. How can
I have more lands?
Then one day a passing dealer happened to stop at Pahoms to
get some feed for his horse. He drank tea with Pahom and they
had a talk. The dealer said that he was just returning from the
land of the Bashkirs, which was far away, where he had bought
13,000 acres of land all for 1,000 roubles. When Pahom heard
about the land, he was strongly attracted.
Is it true? Is there really a place where the land sells for such
a cheap price? Could we really buy 13,000 acres of land all for
1,000 roubles? There must be a catch.
It could not be. Look at this title deed.
That dealer showed Pahom the title deed, saying:
There is more land there than you could cover if you walked a
year. In addition, all the lands are very fertile. These are the best
lands to farm.
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Pahom thought, I have to go there and buy land. and inquired how to get to Bashkirs. As soon as he bought many presents in the market he started on his journey and took his servant
with him. On the seventh day, they came to a place where the
Bashkirs had pitched their tents. Pahom met the people and the
chief of the town. He greeted them and distributed the presents
that he had prepared for them. The chief said:
Thank you so much. As the reward for these presents, I will
give you anything you ask for. Dont be shy to ask. We will give
you whatever you want which belongs to us.
Actually, I have never seen this much fertile and wide land. I
would like to have some land here for myself.
Well, let it be so. Choose whatever piece of land you like; we
have plenty of it.
Thank you for your kind words. And what will be the price?
asked Pahom.
Our price is always the same: 1,000 roubles a day.
A day? What measure is that? How many acres would that be?
We do not know how to reckon it out, said the chief. We
sell it by the day. As much as you can go round on your feet in a
day is yours, and the price is 1,000 roubles a day.
But how am I to mark the way that I have gone?
You must start from the spot wherever you want and make
Small Talk 45

your round. Take a spade with you and make a mark on the place
you passed. All the land you cover shall be yours. But, there is
one condition. You may make as large a circuit as you please, but
before the sun sets you must return to the place you started from.
Otherwise, everything will be invalid.
Pahom was delighted. It was decided to start early next morning and they went to bed.
Pahom lay on his bed, but could not sleep. He kept thinking
about the land.
If I walk the whole day, what a large tract I will mark off!
thought he. I will make a big pasture in my newly-acquired land
and build a good cottage.
Pahom lay awake all night, and dozed off only just before
dawn.
Next morning, Pahom went to a hillock with the people from
the town. When they arrived at the hillock, the chief came up to
Pahom and stretched out his arm towards the plain:
See, said he, All this is ours. You may have any part of it
you like.
Pahoms eyes glistened: there was wide land in front of his eyes.
He could see that it was all virgin soil at a glance. The chief took
off his fox-fur cap, placed it on the ground and said:
Start from here, and return here again before the sun sets. All
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Words of Wisdom

the land you go round shall be yours.

Pahom took the spade from his man, stood toward the east
and waited for the sun to rise. I will get the largest and best
land above all the people! I must lose no time, he thought. As
soon as the sun appeared above the rim, Pahom carried the spade
over his shoulder and started to walk toward the meadow. He
quickened his pace. He looked at the sun. It was time to think
of breakfast.
How fast time goes! No way. It had grown quite warm now. I
had better take off this outer coat and boots.
He took off his outer coat, flung it across his shoulder, took off
his boots, stuck them into his girdle, and went on again. He went
straight on for a while, and when he looked round, the hillock
was scarcely visible and the people on it looked like black ants.
Ah, thought Pahom, I have gone far enough in this direction, it
is time to turn. Besides I am in a regular sweat, and very thirsty.
He stopped, dug a large hole, and heaped up pieces of turf.
Next he untied his flask, had a drink, and then turned sharply to
the left. He went on and on; the grass was high, and it was very
hot. Pahom began to grow tired: he looked at the sun and saw
that it was noon.
Well, he thought, I must have a rest.
He stopped walking to eat lunch. To save the time, to walk
Small Talk 47

more and to get more land, he stood up and ate some bread and
drank some water. After finishing his lunch, he went on again. At
first he walked easily: the food had strengthened him; but it had
become terribly hot, and he felt sleepy; still he went on, thinking:
An hour to suffer, a life-time to live. He went a long way in this
direction also, and was about to turn to the left again, when he
perceived a damp hollow.
It would be a pity to leave that out, he thought. Flax would
do well there. A desire to get this hollow made him not turn and
he continued on to the hollow. After he made a mark on it, he
looked towards the hillock. The heat made the air hazy: it seemed
to be quivering, and through the haze the people on the hillock
could scarcely be seen.
Ah! thought Pahom, Shall I go back to hillock now? No, as
I go further, there are more and more fertile lands. This is too
early. This is not the time yet.
Pahom stepped faster. To get more land, he proceeded over
the pain. He kept walking without thinking and suddenly he
looked at the sun. It was nearly half way to the horizon and the
sun started to go down. The chiefs saying hit his head.
Before the sun sets, you must return to the place you started
from. Otherwise, everything will be invalid.
No, he thought, I must hurry back in a straight line now. I
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might go too far, and as it is I have a great deal of land.

So Pahom hurriedly dug a hole, and turned and went straight
towards the hillock. However, he now walked with difficulty. He
was done up with the heat, his bare feet were cut and bruised, and
his legs began to fail. He longed to rest, but it was impossible.
The sun waits for no man, and it was sinking lower and lower. In
that case, all his effort and money would be in vain. He became
hesitant. He began running.
Oh dear, he thought, if only I have not blundered trying for
too much! What if I am too late?
He was still far from his goal, and the sun was already near
the rim. Pahom felt serious pain but he pressed on. Still, he was
far from the hillock. At last, he threw away his outer coat, his
boots, his flask, and his cap, and kept only the spade which he
used as a support. Pahom went on running, his soaking shirt and
trousers stuck to him, and his mouth was parched. His breast was
working like a blacksmiths bellows, his heart was beating like a
hammer, and his legs were giving way as if they did not belong
to him. Pahom was seized with terror lest he should die of the
strain. Though afraid of death, he could not stop. And he ran on
and on, and drew near and heard the Bashkirs yelling and shouting to him. He was quite near his aim. Pahom could already see
the people on the hillock waving their arms to hurry him up. He
Small Talk 49

could see the fox-fur cap on the ground.

With all his remaining strength he rushed on, bending his
body forward so that his legs could hardly follow fast enough to
keep him from falling. Just as he reached the hillock it suddenly
grew dark. He looked upthe sun had already set. He gave a
cry: All my labor has been in vain, thought he, and was about
to stop, but he heard the Bashkirs still shouting, and remembered
that though to him, from below, the sun seemed to have set, they
on the hillock could still see it. He took a long breath and ran up
the hillock. It was still light there. He reached the top and saw the
cap. His legs gave way beneath him, he fell forward and reached
the cap with his hands.
Ah, what a fine fellow! exclaimed the chief. He has gained
much land!
Pahoms servant came running up and tried to raise him, but
he saw that blood was flowing from his mouth. Pahom was dead!
Because he lost his whole energy to get more land, when he got to
the goal, he fell down and died. His servant picked up the spade
and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him
in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.
How Much Land Does a Man Need? is a short story by Leo
Tolstoy. This fun story is like a miniature Sketch of our life. For
our whole life time since our birth, we focus our life on how to
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Words of Wisdom

please and satisfy our flesh. How can I get and use more money?
What shall I drink and eat? How can I have a higher position and
more power? If we can live in this earth forever and our flesh is
everlasting, we might need to live for our flesh. However, once
we are born in this earth, we realize that someday we will face
death. After all, we cannot help but return to dust.
. . . till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19)
Let us suppose that Pahom could have gained wide land,
farmed and gotten a big ranch. Still, he cannot help but die some
day and be buried in a six-foot grave. And then, does such a huge
land have any meaning ultimately?
Even though we live in splendor in the world, if there is nowhere to go when we leave this earth, that life would be just in
vain and a stupid one. Nevertheless, today, many people do not
see the end of their life and just live to pursue their own desire
and carnal pleasure in front of their eyes. The truly wise person
is not the one who lives for more enjoyment in this earth but the
one who prepares for the day when he will stand up in front of
God who created his soul.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)
(Condensed from How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy)
Small Talk 51