Biography: Leo Tolstoy was born to a Russian aristacratic family.

Both his parents died

by the time he was ten and his grandmother and aunt dies soon after. From this he
inherited the 2,000 acre estate at the age of nineteen. Tolstoy joined the army and sered
as an officer, during this time he wrote two boo!s. "e married, at age #$, to an eighteen
year old family friend. Through a course of fifteen years he wrote his two greatest
noels, %&ar and 'eace% and %(nna )arenina%. "e then moed on to writing moral
tales in a simpified style. "e stressed importance on liing simply and improing
oneself through physical wor!. "e came to a belieing that it is wrong to hold property.
Being unhappy at home he left on *ctober 2+, ,-,0 and died of pnemonia a few days
later.
The short story of %"ow .uch Land /oes a .an 0eed% is based on what greed can do
to a person. ( simple peseant that beliees that with enough land he will be happy has
the chance to a1uire land. 2oon after purchasing the new land he becomes mean toward
his fellow peseants and tired of the amount of land he has. "e sets out to gain more.
&hen he has more land he is still not happy because he has to rent some. "e hears of a
lot of land that he can a1uire for cheap and sets off again. 3n his journey, sta!ing the
land that will be his, he has to run to a finish so his time will not be waisted. "e does
ma!e it to the end but dies at reaching the finish. 3n his death he only needs si4 feet of
land to be buried.
This story can be related to modern literature through reason as first introduced during
the 5nlightenment. The story teaches that, had the peseant had sufficent reasoning, he
would not hae been greedy and died. ( young person reading this story would learn
and understand to use reasonable ideas to obtain goals and not become greedy. The
story also can be used to reflect the &orld &ars and how nations6people attempted to
obtain land more than what was needed. The nations6people were not sucessful in their
attempts just li!e the peseant
HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED?
(n elder sister came to isit her younger sister in the country.
The elder was married to a tradesman in town, the younger to a
peasant in the illage. (s the sisters sat oer their tea tal!ing,
the elder began to boast of the adantages of town life7 saying how
comfortably they lied there, how well they dressed, what fine
clothes her children wore, what good things they ate and dran!, and
how she went to the theatre, promenades, and entertainments.
The younger sister was pi1ued, and in turn disparaged the life of a
tradesman, and stood up for that of a peasant.
%3 would not change my way of life for yours,% said she. %&e may
lie roughly, but at least we are free from an4iety. 8ou lie in
better style than we do, but though you often earn more than you
need, you are ery li!ely to lose all you hae. 8ou !now the proerb,
9Loss and gain are brothers twain.9 3t often happens that people who
are wealthy one day are begging their bread the ne4t. *ur way is
safer. Though a peasant9s life is not a fat one, it is a long one.
&e shall neer grow rich, but we shall always hae enough to eat.%
The elder sister said sneeringly7
%5nough: 8es, if you li!e to share with the pigs and the cales;
&hat do you !now of elegance or manners; "oweer much your good man
may slae, you will die as you are liing<on a dung heap<and your
children the same.%
%&ell, what of that:% replied the younger. %*f course our wor! is
rough and coarse. But, on the other hand, it is sure= and we need
not bow to any one. But you, in your towns, are surrounded by
temptations= today all may be right, but tomorrow the 5il *ne may
tempt your husband with cards, wine, or women, and all will go to
ruin. /on9t such things happen often enough:%
'ahom, the master of the house, was lying on the top of the oen,
and he listened to the women9s chatter.
%3t is perfectly true,% thought he. %Busy as we are from childhood
tilling .other 5arth, we peasants hae no time to let any nonsense
settle in our heads. *ur only trouble is that we haen9t land
enough. 3f 3 had plenty of land, 3 shouldn9t fear the /eil himself;%
The women finished their tea, chatted a while about dress, and then
cleared away the tea<things and lay down to sleep.
But the /eil had been sitting behind the oen, and had heard all
that was said. "e was pleased that the peasant9s wife had led her
husband into boasting, and that he had said that if he had plenty of
land he would not fear the /eil himself.
%(ll right,% thought the /eil. %&e will hae a tussle. 39ll gie you
land enough= and by means of that land 3 will get you into my power.%
33
>lose to the illage there lied a lady, a small landowner, who had
an estate of about three hundred acres. 2he had always lied on
good terms with the peasants, until she engaged as her steward an
old soldier, who too! to burdening the people with fines. "oweer
careful 'ahom tried to be, it happened again and again that now a
horse of his got among the lady9s oats, now a cow strayed into her
garden, now his cales found their way into her meadows<and he
always had to pay a fine.
'ahom paid, but grumbled, and, going home in a temper, was rough
with his family. (ll through that summer 'ahom had much trouble
because of this steward= and he was een glad when winter came and
the cattle had to be stabled. Though he grudged the fodder when
they could no longer gra?e on the pasture<land, at least he was free
from an4iety about them.
3n the winter the news got about that the lady was going to sell her
land, and that the !eeper of the inn on the high road was bargaining
for it. &hen the peasants heard this they were ery much alarmed.
%&ell,% thought they, %if the inn!eeper gets the land he will worry us
with fines worse than the lady9s steward. &e all depend on that estate.%
2o the peasants went on behalf of their >ommune, and as!ed the lady
not to sell the land to the inn!eeper= offering her a better price
for it themseles. The lady agreed to let them hae it. Then the
peasants tried to arrange for the >ommune to buy the whole estate,
so that it might be held by all in common. They met twice to
discuss it, but could not settle the matter= the 5il *ne sowed
discord among them, and they could not agree. 2o they decided to
buy the land indiidually, each according to his means= and the lady
agreed to this plan as she had to the other.
'resently 'ahom heard that a neighbor of his was buying fifty acres,
and that the lady had consented to accept one half in cash and to
wait a year for the other half. 'ahom felt enious.
%Loo! at that,% thought he, %the land is all being sold, and 3 shall
get none of it.% 2o he spo!e to his wife.
%*ther people are buying,% said he, %and we must also buy twenty
acres or so. Life is becoming impossible. That steward is simply
crushing us with his fines.%
2o they put their heads together and considered how they could
manage to buy it. They had one hundred roubles laid by. They sold
a colt, and one half of their bees= hired out one of their sons as a
laborer, and too! his wages in adance= borrowed the rest from a
brother<in<law, and so scraped together half the purchase money.
"aing done this, 'ahom chose out a farm of forty acres, some of it
wooded, and went to the lady to bargain for it. They came to an
agreement, and he shoo! hands with her upon it, and paid her a
deposit in adance. Then they went to town and signed the deeds= he
paying half the price down, and underta!ing to pay the remainder
within two years.
2o now 'ahom had land of his own. "e borrowed seed, and sowed it on
the land he had bought. The harest was a good one, and within a
year he had managed to pay off his debts both to the lady and to his
brother<in<law. 2o he became a landowner, ploughing and sowing his
own land, ma!ing hay on his own land, cutting his own trees, and
feeding his cattle on his own pasture. &hen he went out to plough
his fields, or to loo! at his growing corn, or at his grass meadows,
his heart would fill with joy. The grass that grew and the flowers
that bloomed there, seemed to him unli!e any that grew elsewhere.
Formerly, when he had passed by that land, it had appeared the same
as any other land, but now it seemed 1uite different.
333
2o 'ahom was well contented, and eerything would hae been right if
the neighboring peasants would only not hae trespassed on his corn<
fields and meadows. "e appealed to them most ciilly, but they
still went on7 now the >ommunal herdsmen would let the illage cows
stray into his meadows= then horses from the night pasture would get
among his corn. 'ahom turned them out again and again, and forgae
their owners, and for a long time he forbore from prosecuting any
one. But at last he lost patience and complained to the /istrict
>ourt. "e !new it was the peasants9 want of land, and no eil
intent on their part, that caused the trouble= but he thought7
%3 cannot go on oerloo!ing it, or they will destroy all 3 hae.
They must be taught a lesson.%
2o he had them up, gae them one lesson, and then another, and two
or three of the peasants were fined. (fter a time 'ahom9s
neighbours began to bear him a grudge for this, and would now and
then let their cattle on his land on purpose. *ne peasant een got
into 'ahom9s wood at night and cut down fie young lime trees for
their bar!. 'ahom passing through the wood one day noticed
something white. "e came nearer, and saw the stripped trun!s lying
on the ground, and close by stood the stumps, where the tree had
been. 'ahom was furious.
%3f he had only cut one here and there it would hae been bad enough,%
thought 'ahom, %but the rascal has actually cut down a whole clump.
3f 3 could only find out who did this, 3 would pay him out.%
"e rac!ed his brains as to who it could be. Finally he decided7 %3t
must be 2imon<no one else could hae done it.% 2e he went to
2imon9s homestead to hae a loo! around, but he found nothing, and
only had an angry scene. "oweer9 he now felt more certain than
eer that 2imon had done it, and he lodged a complaint. 2imon was
summoned. The case was tried, and re<tried, and at the end of it
all 2imon was ac1uitted, there being no eidence against him. 'ahom
felt still more aggrieed, and let his anger loose upon the 5lder
and the @udges.
%8ou let thiees grease your palms,% said he. %3f you were honest
fol! yourseles, you would not let a thief go free.%
2o 'ahom 1uarrelled with the @udges and with his neighbors. Threats
to burn his building began to be uttered. 2o though 'ahom had more
land, his place in the >ommune was much worse than before.
(bout this time a rumor got about that many people were moing to
new parts.
%There9s no need for me to leae my land,% thought 'ahom. %But some
of the others might leae our illage, and then there would be more
room for us. 3 would ta!e oer their land myself, and ma!e my
estate a bit bigger. 3 could then lie more at ease. (s it is, 3
am still too cramped to be comfortable.%
*ne day 'ahom was sitting at home, when a peasant passing through
the illage, happened to call in. "e was allowed to stay the night,
and supper was gien him. 'ahom had a tal! with this peasant and
as!ed him where he came from. The stranger answered that he came
from beyond the Aolga, where he had been wor!ing. *ne word led to
another, and the man went on to say that many people were settling
in those parts. "e told how some people from his illage had
settled there. They had joined the >ommune, and had had twenty<fie
acres per man granted them. The land was so good, he said, that the
rye sown on it grew as high as a horse, and so thic! that fie cuts
of a sic!le made a sheaf. *ne peasant, he said, had brought nothing
with him but his bare hands, and now he had si4 horses and two cows
of his own.
'ahom9s heart !indled with desire. "e thought7
%&hy should 3 suffer in this narrow hole, if one can lie so well
elsewhere: 3 will sell my land and my homestead here, and with the
money 3 will start afresh oer there and get eerything new. 3n
this crowded place one is always haing trouble. But 3 must first
go and find out all about it myself.%
Towards summer he got ready and started. "e went down the Aolga on
a steamer to 2amara, then wal!ed another three hundred miles on
foot, and at last reached the place. 3t was just as the stranger
had said. The peasants had plenty of land7 eery man had twenty<
fie acres of >ommunal land gien him for his use, and any one who
had money could buy, besides, at fifty<cents an acre as much good
freehold land as he wanted.
"aing found out all he wished to !now, 'ahom returned home as
autumn came on, and began selling off his belongings. "e sold his
land at a profit, sold his homestead and all his cattle, and
withdrew from membership of the >ommune. "e only waited till the
spring, and then started with his family for the new settlement.
3A
(s soon as 'ahom and his family arried at their new abode, he
applied for admission into the >ommune of a large illage. "e stood
treat to the 5lders, and obtained the necessary documents. Fie
shares of >ommunal land were gien him for his own and his sons9
use7 that is to say<<,2B acres Cnot altogether, but in different
fieldsD besides the use of the >ommunal pasture. 'ahom put up the
buildings he needed, and bought cattle. *f the >ommunal land alone
he had three times as much as at his former home, and the land was
good corn<land. "e was ten times better off than he had been. "e
had plenty of arable land and pasturage, and could !eep as many head
of cattle as he li!ed.
(t first, in the bustle of building and settling down, 'ahom was
pleased with it all, but when he got used to it he began to thin!
that een here he had not enough land. The first year, he sowed
wheat on his share of the >ommunal land, and had a good crop. "e
wanted to go on sowing wheat, but had not enough >ommunal land for
the purpose, and what he had already used was not aailable= for in
those parts wheat is only sown on irgin soil or on fallow land. 3t
is sown for one or two years, and then the land lies fallow till it
is again oergrown with prairie grass. There were many who wanted
such land, and there was not enough for all= so that people
1uarrelled about it. Those who were better off, wanted it for
growing wheat, and those who were poor, wanted it to let to dealers,
so that they might raise money to pay their ta4es. 'ahom wanted to
sow more wheat= so he rented land from a dealer for a year. "e
sowed much wheat and had a fine crop, but the land was too far from
the illage<<the wheat had to be carted more than ten miles. (fter
a time 'ahom noticed that some peasant<dealers were liing on
separate farms, and were growing wealthy= and he thought7
%3f 3 were to buy some freehold land, and hae a homestead on it, it
would be a different thing, altogether. Then it would all be nice
and compact.%
The 1uestion of buying freehold land recurred to him again and again.
"e went on in the same way for three years= renting land and sowing
wheat. The seasons turned out well and the crops were good, so that
he began to lay money by. "e might hae gone on liing contentedly,
but he grew tired of haing to rent other people9s land eery year,
and haing to scramble for it. &hereer there was good land to be
had, the peasants would rush for it and it was ta!en up at once, so
that unless you were sharp about it you got none. 3t happened in
the third year that he and a dealer together rented a piece of
pasture land from some peasants= and they had already ploughed it
up, when there was some dispute, and the peasants went to law about
it, and things fell out so that the labor was all lost.
%3f it were my own land,% thought 'ahom, %3 should be independent,
and there would not be all this unpleasantness.%
2o 'ahom began loo!ing out for land which he could buy= and he came
across a peasant who had bought thirteen hundred acres, but haing
got into difficulties was willing to sell again cheap. 'ahom
bargained and haggled with him, and at last they settled the price
at ,,B00 roubles, part in cash and part to be paid later. They had
all but clinched the matter, when a passing dealer happened to stop
at 'ahom9s one day to get a feed for his horse. "e dran! tea with
'ahom, and they had a tal!. The dealer said that he was just
returning from the land of the Bash!irs, far away, where he had
bought thirteen thousand acres of land all for ,,000 roubles. 'ahom
1uestioned him further, and the tradesman said7
%(ll one need do is to ma!e friends with the chiefs. 3 gae away
about one hundred roubles9 worth of dressing<gowns and carpets,
besides a case of tea, and 3 gae wine to those who would drin! it=
and 3 got the land for less than two cents an acre. (nd he showed
'ahom the title<deeds, saying7
%The land lies near a rier, and the whole prairie is irgin soil.%
'ahom plied him with 1uestions, and the tradesman said7
%There is more land there than you could coer if you wal!ed a year,
and it all belongs to the Bash!irs. They are as simple as sheep,
and land can be got almost for nothing.%
%There now,% thought 'ahom, %with my one thousand roubles, why
should 3 get only thirteen hundred acres, and saddle myself with a
debt besides. 3f 3 ta!e it out there, 3 can get more than ten times
as much for the money.%
A
'ahom in1uired how to get to the place, and as soon as the tradesman
had left him, he prepared to go there himself. "e left his wife to
loo! after the homestead, and started on his journey ta!ing his man
with him. They stopped at a town on their way, and bought a case of
tea, some wine, and other presents, as the tradesman had adised.
*n and on they went until they had gone more than three hundred
miles, and on the seenth day they came to a place where the
Bash!irs had pitched their tents. 3t was all just as the tradesman
had said. The people lied on the steppes, by a rier, in felt<
coered tents. They neither tilled the ground, nor ate bread.
Their cattle and horses gra?ed in herds on the steppe. The colts
were tethered behind the tents, and the mares were drien to them
twice a day. The mares were mil!ed, and from the mil! !umiss was
made. 3t was the women who prepared !umiss, and they also made
cheese. (s far as the men were concerned, drin!ing !umiss and tea,
eating mutton, and playing on their pipes, was all they cared about.
They were all stout and merry, and all the summer long they neer
thought of doing any wor!. They were 1uite ignorant, and !new no
Russian, but were good<natured enough.
(s soon as they saw 'ahom, they came out of their tents and gathered
round their isitor. (n interpreter was found, and 'ahom told them
he had come about some land. The Bash!irs seemed ery glad= they
too! 'ahom and led him into one of the best tents, where they made
him sit on some down cushions placed on a carpet, while they sat
round him. They gae him tea and !umiss, and had a sheep !illed,
and gae him mutton to eat. 'ahom too! presents out of his cart and
distributed them among the Bash!irs, and diided amongst them the
tea. The Bash!irs were delighted. They tal!ed a great deal among
themseles, and then told the interpreter to translate.
%They wish to tell you,% said the interpreter, %that they li!e you,
and that it is our custom to do all we can to please a guest and to
repay him for his gifts. 8ou hae gien us presents, now tell us
which of the things we possess please you best, that we may present
them to you.%
%&hat pleases me best here,% answered 'ahom, %is your land. *ur
land is crowded, and the soil is e4hausted= but you hae plenty of
land and it is good land. 3 neer saw the li!e of it.%
The interpreter translated. The Bash!irs tal!ed among themseles
for a while. 'ahom could not understand what they were saying, but
saw that they were much amused, and that they shouted and laughed.
Then they were silent and loo!ed at 'ahom while the interpreter said7
%They wish me to tell you that in return for your presents they will
gladly gie you as much land as you want. 8ou hae only to point it
out with your hand and it is yours.%
The Bash!irs tal!ed again for a while and began to dispute. 'ahom
as!ed what they were disputing about, and the interpreter told him
that some of them thought they ought to as! their >hief about the
land and not act in his absence, while others thought there was no
need to wait for his return.
A3
&hile the Bash!irs were disputing, a man in a large fo4<fur cap
appeared on the scene. They all became silent and rose to their
feet. The interpreter said, %This is our >hief himself.%
'ahom immediately fetched the best dressing<gown and fie pounds of
tea, and offered these to the >hief. The >hief accepted them, and
seated himself in the place of honour. The Bash!irs at once began
telling him something. The >hief listened for a while, then made a
sign with his head for them to be silent, and addressing himself to
'ahom, said in Russian7
%&ell, let it be so. >hoose whateer piece of land you li!e= we
hae plenty of it.%
%"ow can 3 ta!e as much as 3 li!e:% thought 'ahom. %3 must get a
deed to ma!e it secure, or else they may say, 93t is yours,9 and
afterwards may ta!e it away again.%
%Than! you for your !ind words,% he said aloud. %8ou hae much
land, and 3 only want a little. But 3 should li!e to be sure which
bit is mine. >ould it not be measured and made oer to me: Life and
death are in Eod9s hands. 8ou good people gie it to me, but your
children might wish to ta!e it away again.%
%8ou are 1uite right,% said the >hief. %&e will ma!e it oer to you.%
%3 heard that a dealer had been here,% continued 'ahom, %and that
you gae him a little land, too, and signed title<deeds to that
effect. 3 should li!e to hae it done in the same way.%
The >hief understood.
%8es,% replied he, %that can be done 1uite easily. &e hae a scribe,
and we will go to town with you and hae the deed properly sealed.%
%(nd what will be the price:% as!ed 'ahom.
%*ur price is always the same7 one thousand roubles a day.%
'ahom did not understand.
%( day: &hat measure is that: "ow many acres would that be:%
%&e do not !now how to rec!on it out,% said the >hief. %&e sell it
by the day. (s much as you can go round on your feet in a day is
yours, and the price is one thousand roubles a day.%
'ahom was surprised.
%But in a day you can get round a large tract of land,% he said.
The >hief laughed.
%3t will all be yours;% said he. %But there is one condition7 3f
you don9t return on the same day to the spot whence you started,
your money is lost.%
%But how am 3 to mar! the way that 3 hae gone:%
%&hy, we shall go to any spot you li!e, and stay there. 8ou must
start from that spot and ma!e your round, ta!ing a spade with you.
&hereer you thin! necessary, ma!e a mar!. (t eery turning, dig a
hole and pile up the turf= then afterwards we will go round with a
plough from hole to hole. 8ou may ma!e as large a circuit as you
please, but before the sun sets you must return to the place you
started from. (ll the land you coer will be yours.%
'ahom was delighted. 3t<was decided to start early ne4t morning.
They tal!ed a while, and after drin!ing some more !umiss and eating
some more mutton, they had tea again, and then the night came on.
They gae 'ahom a feather<bed to sleep on, and the Bash!irs
dispersed for the night, promising to assemble the ne4t morning at
daybrea! and ride out before sunrise to the appointed spot.
A33
'ahom lay on the feather<bed, but could not sleep. "e !ept thin!ing
about the land.
%&hat a large tract 3 will mar! off;% thought he. %3 can easily go
thirty<fie miles in a day. The days are long now, and within a
circuit of thirty<fie miles what a lot of land there will be; 3
will sell the poorer land, or let it to peasants, but 39ll pic! out
the best and farm it. 3 will buy two o4<teams, and hire two more
laborers. (bout a hundred and fifty acres shall be plough<land, and
3 will pasture cattle on the rest.%
'ahom lay awa!e all night, and do?ed off only just before dawn.
"ardly were his eyes closed when he had a dream. "e thought he was
lying in that same tent, and heard somebody chuc!ling outside. "e
wondered who it could be, and rose and went out, and he saw the
Bash!ir >hief sitting in front of the tent holding his side and
rolling about with laughter. Eoing nearer to the >hief, 'ahom
as!ed7 %&hat are you laughing at:% But he saw that it was no longer
the >hief, but the dealer who had recently stopped at his house and
had told him about the land. @ust as 'ahom was going to as!, %"ae
you been here long:% he saw that it was not the dealer, but the
peasant who had come up from the Aolga, long ago, to 'ahom9s old
home. Then he saw that it was not the peasant either, but the /eil
himself with hoofs and horns, sitting there and chuc!ling, and
before him lay a man barefoot, prostrate on the ground, with only
trousers and a shirt on. (nd 'ahom dreamt that he loo!ed more
attentiely to see what sort of a man it was lying there, and he saw
that the man was dead, and that it was himself; "e awo!e horror<struc!.
%&hat things one does dream,% thought he.
Loo!ing round he saw through the open door that the dawn was brea!ing.
%3t9s time to wa!e them up,% thought he. %&e ought to be starting.%
"e got up, roused his man Cwho was sleeping in his cartD, bade him
harness= and went to call the Bash!irs.
%3t9s time to go to the steppe to measure the land,% he said.
The Bash!irs rose and assembled, and the >hief came, too. Then they
began drin!ing !umiss again, and offered 'ahom some tea, but he
would not wait.
%3f we are to go, let us go. 3t is high time,% said he.
A333
The Bash!irs got ready and they all started7 some mounted on horses,
and some in carts. 'ahom droe in his own small cart with his
serant, and too! a spade with him. &hen they reached the steppe,
the morning red was beginning to !indle. They ascended a hilloc!
Ccalled by the Bash!irs a shi!hanD and dismounting from their carts
and their horses, gathered in one spot. The >hief came up to 'ahom
and stretched out his arm towards the plain7
%2ee,% said he, %all this, as far as your eye can reach, is ours.
8ou may hae any part of it you li!e.%
'ahom9s eyes glistened7 it was all irgin soil, as flat as the palm
of your hand, as blac! as the seed of a poppy, and in the hollows
different !inds of grasses grew breast high.
The >hief too! off his fo4<fur cap, placed it on the ground and said7
%This will be the mar!. 2tart from here, and return here again.
(ll the land you go round shall be yours.%
'ahom too! out his money and put it on the cap. Then he too! off
his outer coat, remaining in his sleeeless under coat. "e
unfastened his girdle and tied it tight below his stomach, put a
little bag of bread into the breast of his coat, and tying a flas!
of water to his girdle, he drew up the tops of his boots, too! the
spade from his man, and stood ready to start. "e considered for
some moments which way he had better go<<it was tempting eerywhere.
%0o matter,% he concluded, %3 will go towards the rising sun.%
"e turned his face to the east, stretched himself, and waited for
the sun to appear aboe the rim.
%3 must lose no time,% he thought, %and it is easier wal!ing while
it is still cool.%
The sun9s rays had hardly flashed aboe the hori?on, before 'ahom,
carrying the spade oer his shoulder, went down into the steppe.
'ahom started wal!ing neither slowly nor 1uic!ly. (fter haing gone
a thousand yards he stopped, dug a hole and placed pieces of turf
one on another to ma!e it more isible. Then he went on= and now
that he had wal!ed off his stiffness he 1uic!ened his pace. (fter a
while he dug another hole.
'ahom loo!ed bac!. The hilloc! could be distinctly seen in the
sunlight, with the people on it, and the glittering tires of the
cartwheels. (t a rough guess 'ahom concluded that he had wal!ed
three miles. 3t was growing warmer= he too! off his under<coat,
flung it across his shoulder, and went on again. 3t had grown 1uite
warm now= he loo!ed at the sun, it was time to thin! of brea!fast.
%The first shift is done, but there are four in a day, and it is too
soon yet to turn. But 3 will just ta!e off my boots,% said he to himself.
"e sat down, too! off his boots, stuc! them into his girdle, and went on.
3t was easy wal!ing now.
%3 will go on for another three miles,% thought he, %and then turn
to the left. The spot is so fine, that it would be a pity to lose
it. The further one goes, the better the land seems.%
"e went straight on a for a while, and when he loo!ed round, the
hilloc! was scarcely isible and the people on it loo!ed li!e blac!
ants, and he could just see something glistening there in the sun.
%(h,% thought 'ahom, %3 hae gone far enough in this direction, it
is time to turn. Besides 3 am in a regular sweat, and ery thirsty.%
"e stopped, dug a large hole, and heaped up pieces of turf. 0e4t he
untied his flas!, had a drin!, and then turned sharply to the left.
"e went on and on= the grass was high, and it was ery hot.
'ahom began to grow tired7 he loo!ed at the sun and saw that it was noon.
%&ell,% he thought, %3 must hae a rest.%
"e sat down, and ate some bread and dran! some water= but he did not
lie down, thin!ing that if he did he might fall asleep. (fter
sitting a little while, he went on again. (t first he wal!ed
easily7 the food had strengthened him= but it had become terribly
hot, and he felt sleepy= still he went on, thin!ing7 %(n hour to
suffer, a life<time to lie.%
"e went a long way in this direction also, and was about to turn to
the left again, when he perceied a damp hollow7 %3t would be a pity
to leae that out,% he thought. %Fla4 would do well there.% 2o he
went on past the hollow, and dug a hole on the other side of it
before he turned the corner. 'ahom loo!ed towards the hilloc!. The
heat made the air ha?y7 it seemed to be 1uiering, and through the
ha?e the people on the hilloc! could scarcely be seen.
%(h;% thought 'ahom, %3 hae made the sides too long= 3 must ma!e
this one shorter.% (nd he went along the third side, stepping
faster. "e loo!ed at the sun7 it was nearly half way to the
hori?on, and he had not yet done two miles of the third side of the
s1uare. "e was still ten miles from the goal.
%0o,% he thought, %though it will ma!e my land lopsided, 3 must
hurry bac! in a straight line now. 3 might go too far, and as it is
3 hae a great deal of land.%
2o 'ahom hurriedly dug a hole, and turned straight towards the hilloc!.
3F
'ahom went straight towards the hilloc!, but he now wal!ed with
difficulty. "e was done up with the heat, his bare feet were cut
and bruised, and his legs began to fail. "e longed to rest, but it
was impossible if he meant to get bac! before sunset. The sun waits
for no man, and it was sin!ing lower and lower.
%*h dear,% he thought, %if only 3 hae not blundered trying for too
much; &hat if 3 am too late:%
"e loo!ed towards the hilloc! and at the sun. "e was still far from
his goal, and the sun was already near the rim. 'ahom wal!ed on and
on= it was ery hard wal!ing, but he went 1uic!er and 1uic!er. "e
pressed on, but was still far from the place. "e began running,
threw away his coat, his boots, his flas!, and his cap, and !ept
only the spade which he used as a support.
%&hat shall 3 do,% he thought again, %3 hae grasped too much, and
ruined the whole affair. 3 can9t get there before the sun sets.%
(nd this fear made him still more breathless. 'ahom went on
running, his soa!ing shirt and trousers stuc! to him, and his mouth
was parched. "is breast was wor!ing li!e a blac!smith9s bellows,
his heart was beating li!e a hammer, and his legs were giing way as
if they did not belong to him. 'ahom was sei?ed with terror lest he
should die of the strain.
Though afraid of death, he could not stop. %(fter haing run all
that way they will call me a fool if 3 stop now,% thought he. (nd
he ran on and on, and drew near and heard the Bash!irs yelling and
shouting to him, and their cries inflamed his heart still more. "e
gathered his last strength and ran on.
The sun was close to the rim, and cloa!ed in mist loo!ed large, and
red as blood. 0ow, yes now, it was about to set; The sun was 1uite
low, but he was also 1uite near his aim. 'ahom could already see
the people on the hilloc! waing their arms to hurry him up. "e
could see the fo4<fur cap on the ground, and the money on it, and
the >hief sitting on the ground holding his sides. (nd 'ahom
remembered his dream.
%There is plenty of land,% thought he, %but will Eod let me lie on
it: 3 hae lost my life, 3 hae lost my life; 3 shall neer reach
that spot;%
'ahom loo!ed at the sun, which had reached the earth7 one side of it
had already disappeared. &ith all his remaining strength he rushed
on, bending his body forward so that his legs could hardly follow
fast enough to !eep him from falling. @ust as he reached the
hilloc! it suddenly grew dar!. "e loo!ed up<<the sun had already
set. "e gae a cry7 %(ll my labor has been in ain,% thought he,
and was about to stop, but he heard the Bash!irs still shouting, and
remembered that though to him, from below, the sun seemed to hae
set, they on the hilloc! could still see it. "e too! a long breath
and ran up the hilloc!. 3t was still light there. "e reached the
top and saw the cap. Before it sat the >hief laughing and holding
his sides. (gain 'ahom remembered his dream, and he uttered a cry7
his legs gae way beneath him, he fell forward and reached the cap
with his hands.
%(h, what a fine fellow;% e4claimed the >hief. %"e has gained
much land;%
'ahom9s serant came running up and tried to raise him, but he saw
that blood was flowing from his mouth. 'ahom was dead;
The Bash!irs clic!ed their tongues to show their pity.
"is serant pic!ed up the spade and dug a grae long enough for
'ahom to lie in, and buried him in it. 2i4 feet from his head to
his heels was all he needed