How Much Land Does a Man Need? Summary and Explanation
PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 5 How Much Land Does a Man Need? Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from English Literature (Supplementary Reader) Book
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PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 5 – How Much Land Does a Man Need?
By Leo Tolstoy
The chapter starts with two sisters chatting and boasting about their lives. Pakhom, the younger sister’s husband, overhears the two women’s chatter. He agrees with his wife, thinking of how they don’t have to deal with the rubbish and unnecessary stress the rich people carry. But then he thinks of how he wishes to have just a bit more land. In his arrogance, he thinks that he could be fearless of the Devil himself if he got enough land. The Devil overhears his thoughts and thinks of challenging the peasant.
- How Much Land Does a Man Need? Summary
- How Much Land Does a Man Need? Summary in Hindi
- How Much Land Does a Man Need? Theme
- How Much Land Does a Man Need? Explanation
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How Much Land Does a Man Need? Summary
The chapter started with two sisters. The elder sister led an urban life, married to a tradesman, and the younger sister lived in the countryside, married to a peasant. The elder sister boasted about her luxurious and comfortable life, which hurt the pride of the younger sister. She defended her rural life by talking about how rich people fall when they suddenly lose their money while the rural life is more stress-free. Pakhom, the younger sister’s husband, overheard the two women’s chatter. He agreed with his wife, thinking of how they didn’t have to deal with the rubbish and unnecessary stress the rich people carried. But then he thought of how he wished to have just a bit more land. In his arrogance, he thought that he could be fearless of the Devil himself if he got enough land. The Devil overheard his thoughts and thought of challenging the peasant. The Devil decided to give the peasant as much land as possible, knowing very well that even with abundant land, the peasant would ask for more because of the man’s greedy and foolish nature. Pakhom then got a chance to get more land when a lady landowner near the village was selling her estate. He was envious when he learnt that his neighbors were going to buy some land but they didn’t have enough money to afford it. He talked to his wife and together they scraped half of the purchase money by selling a young male horse, half of their bees, by borrowing some from their brother in law, and putting their son to labour work and getting his wages in advance. With that, Pakhom got forty acres of land and he paid a deposit of half the purchase money and signed an undertaking that he would pay the remaining amount in two years. He then got to work and used the purchased land to earn so much money that he was able to pay off his debts to the landowner and his brother in law within a year. Then after some time, another opportunity to get more land came up. A peasant who was passing by stopped at his house because he was tired and hungry. Pakhom gave him a place to rest and supper and then talked to him. The peasant said that he had found a place where the soil was very good for cultivation and rye would grow very high and thick. Pakhom wanted to have such land instead of living in his old, crowded village with used land. After visiting the land, he began to sell his assets in autumn and finally shifted to the new village in spring with his family. However, he got used to having this much land and wanted to have more. He then saw that his fellow peasant-dealers were buying more land and were getting richer. He then learned of a peasant who wished to sell three hundred acres of land but didn’t want to sell at a low price. After a lot of haggling, the two settled at 1,500 roubles. But before Pakhom could officially settle this, he met a dealer who told him about the Turkish Bakshirs and how they were as simple as sheep but owned a lot of land. The tradesman gave the chief and the rest of Bakshirs plenty of gifts and they gave him three thousand acres of land in for 1,000 roubles. Surprised and intrigued, he left his wife in charge of the homestead and went to the Bakshirs with the tradesman. He was greeted warmly and with hospitality, and he handed out tea and gifts to the Bakshirs and tea and dresses to the chief. Pleased, they let him have as much land as he wanted, but with two peculiar conditions. One, the land would cost 1,000 roubles per day. Two, he had to return to the spot he started walking from by the end of the day. Pakhom agreed and in the morning, he and the Bakshirs climbed a hillock and the chief pointed out the land. Pakhom’s eyes glistened as he saw that the land was as vast as the eye could see, and it was all virgin soil. The spot was marked by the chief’s fox fur cap and Pakhom got to work immediately. He had covered more than a thousand yards and then he took a break and quenched his thirst and also dug a hole and piled the turf around it to mark it. He looked back and saw that he had gone so far that the hillock was barely visible and the people on it looked like ants. He still continued even though it was unbearably hot and the sun was right on his head because it was noon. Late in the afternoon, he realized that he would need to hurry back or he would lose all his hard-earned money. However, all the exhaustion, sweat, thirst and sleepiness was now catching up to him. He had to abandon his undercoat, shoes and flask, using the shovel to help him stay upright. The sun was now almost gone and he started to panic, both because he would lose money and because he could die of strain. He reached the cap right at the last second, but his body finally gave up. He screamed and collapsed, blood running out from his mouth. Pakhom died because he cared more about earning more money than taking care of his own well-being. The story ended with his servant digging a six foot hole to bury Pakhom, bringing out the irony of how Pakhom thought he needed so much money and land to live, but for his burial, just a six feet long patch of land was enough.
Summary of the Lesson How Much Land Does a Man Need? in Hindi
अध्याय की शुरुआत दो बहनों से हुई। बड़ी बहन शहरी जीवन जीती थी, उसका विवाह एक व्यापारी से हुआ था, और छोटी बहन ग्रामीण इलाके में रहती थी, उसका विवाह एक किसान से हुआ था। बड़ी बहन अपने आलीशान और आरामदायक जीवन का बखान करती थी, जिससे छोटी बहन के स्वाभिमान को ठेस पहुँचती थी। वह अपने ग्रामीण जीवन का बचाव करते हुए कहती थी कि कैसे अमीर लोग अचानक अपना पैसा खो देने पर गिर जाते हैं और उनका जीवन बहुत अधिक तनाव-मुक्त हो जाता है। छोटी बहन के पति पाखोम ने दोनों महिलाओं की बातचीत सुन ली। वह अपनी पत्नी से सहमत था, यह सोचकर कि उन्हें अमीर लोगों की तरह बेकार की चीज़ों और अनावश्यक तनाव से कैसे निपटना पड़ता है। लेकिन फिर उसने सोचा कि वह थोड़ी और ज़मीन कैसे चाहता है। अपने अहंकार में, उसने सोचा कि अगर उसे पर्याप्त ज़मीन मिल जाए तो वह शैतान से भी निडर हो सकता है। शैतान ने उसके विचार सुन लिए और किसान को चुनौती देने के बारे में सोचा। शैतान ने किसान को यथासंभव अधिक से अधिक भूमि देने का निर्णय लिया, यह अच्छी तरह जानते हुए कि प्रचुर भूमि होने के बावजूद, किसान लालची और मूर्ख स्वभाव के कारण और अधिक मांगेगा। फिर पाखोम को और अधिक भूमि प्राप्त करने का मौका मिला जब गांव के पास एक महिला जमींदार अपनी संपत्ति बेच रही थी। उसे ईर्ष्या हुई जब उसे पता चला कि उसके पड़ोसी कुछ भूमि खरीदने जा रहे हैं लेकिन उनके पास इसे वहन करने के लिए पर्याप्त धन नहीं है। उसने अपनी पत्नी से बात की और साथ मिलकर उन्होंने एक युवा नर घोड़े को बेचकर, अपनी मधुमक्खियों को बेचकर, अपने जीजा से कुछ उधार लेकर, और अपने बेटे को मजदूरी पर लगाकर और उसकी मजदूरी अग्रिम प्राप्त करके खरीद राशि का आधा हिस्सा इकट्ठा किया। इसके साथ ही, पाखोम को चालीस एकड़ भूमि मिल गई और उसने खरीद राशि का आधा हिस्सा जमा कर दिया और एक वचन पर हस्ताक्षर किए कि वह दो वर्षों में शेष राशि का भुगतान करेगा। फिर वह काम पर लग गया और खरीदी गई भूमि से इतना पैसा कमाया कि वह एक वर्ष के भीतर जमींदार और अपने जीजा को अपना कर्ज चुकाने में सक्षम हो गया। फिर कुछ समय बाद, और ज़मीन पाने का एक और मौक़ा आया। एक किसान जो वहाँ से गुज़र रहा था, थका हुआ और भूखा होने के कारण उसके घर पर रुका। पाखोम ने उसे आराम करने और खाने के लिए जगह दी और फिर उससे बात की। किसान ने कहा कि उसे एक ऐसी जगह मिली है जहाँ की मिट्टी खेती के लिए बहुत अच्छी है और राई बहुत ऊँची और घनी होती है। पाखोम अपने पुराने, इस्तेमाल किए गए और भीड़-भाड़ वाले गाँव में रहने के बजाय ऐसी ज़मीन लेना चाहता था। ज़मीन देखने के बाद, उसने शरद ऋतु में अपनी संपत्तियाँ बेचना शुरू कर दिया और आखिरकार वसंत में अपने परिवार के साथ नए गाँव में चला गया। हालाँकि, उसे इतनी ज़मीन रखने की आदत हो गई थी और वह और ज़मीन लेना चाहता था। फिर उसने देखा कि उसके साथी किसान-सौदेबाजों को और ज़मीन मिल रही थी और वे अमीर होते जा रहे थे। फिर उसे एक किसान के बारे में पता चला जो तीन सौ एकड़ ज़मीन बेचना चाहता था लेकिन कम कीमत पर बेचना नहीं चाहता था। बहुत मोल-तोल करने के बाद, दोनों ने 1,500 रूबल पर समझौता किया। लेकिन इससे पहले कि पखोम इस मामले को आधिकारिक रूप से सुलझा पाते, उनकी मुलाकात एक डीलर से हुई जिसने उन्हें बश्किरों के बारे में बताया और बताया कि कैसे वे भेड़ों की तरह ही सीधे-सादे होते हैं, लेकिन उनके पास बहुत सारी जमीन होती है। व्यापारी ने मुखिया और बाकी बश्किरों को बहुत सारे उपहार दिए और उन्होंने उसे सिर्फ़ 1,000 रूबल में तीन हज़ार एकड़ ज़मीन दे दी। हैरान और उत्सुक होकर उसने अपनी पत्नी को घर की देखभाल के लिए छोड़ दिया और व्यापारी के साथ बश्किरों के पास चला गया। उसका गर्मजोशी से और आतिथ्य के साथ स्वागत किया गया और उसने बश्किरों को चाय और उपहार दिए और मुखिया को चाय और कपड़े दिए। खुश होकर, उन्होंने उसे जितनी ज़मीन चाहिए थी उतनी ज़मीन दे दी, लेकिन दो अजीबोगरीब शर्तों के साथ। एक, ज़मीन की कीमत 1,000 रूबल प्रतिदिन होगी। दूसरा, उसे दिन के अंत में उस जगह पर वापस लौटना होगा जहाँ से उसने अपना काम शुरू किया था। पखोम सहमत हो गया और सुबह वह और बश्किर एक पहाड़ी पर चढ़ गए और मुखिया ने ज़मीन की ओर इशारा किया। पखोम की आँखें चमक उठीं जब उसने देखा कि ज़मीन जितनी नज़र जा सकती थी उतनी ही विशाल थी और यह पूरी तरह से कुंवारी मिट्टी थी। उस जगह को मुखिया की लोमड़ी की फर वाली टोपी ने चिह्नित कर दिया था और पाखोम ने तुरंत काम करना शुरू कर दिया। वह एक हजार गज से ज़्यादा की दूरी तय कर चुका था और फिर उसने आराम किया और अपनी प्यास बुझाई और एक गड्ढा खोदा और उसके चारों ओर घास बिछाकर उसे चिह्नित कर दिया। उसने पीछे देखा और पाया कि वह इतनी दूर चला गया था कि पहाड़ी मुश्किल से दिखाई दे रही थी और उस पर लोग चींटियों जैसे लग रहे थे। हालांकि, वह फिर भी चलता रहा, भले ही बहुत गर्मी थी और दोपहर होने के कारण सूरज उसके सिर पर था। दोपहर के बाद, उसे एहसास हुआ कि उसे जल्दी से वापस लौटना होगा या वह अपनी सारी मेहनत की कमाई खो देगा। हालाँकि, सारी थकावट, पसीना, प्यास और नींद अब उसे जकड़ रही थी। उसे अपना अंडरकोट, जूते और कुप्पी छोड़नी पड़ी, और फावड़े का इस्तेमाल करके सीधा खड़ा होना पड़ा। सूरज अब लगभग ढल चुका था और वह घबराने लगा, क्योंकि वह पैसे खो सकता था और तनाव से मर भी सकता था। वह आखिरी सेकंड में कैप तक पहुँच गया, लेकिन आखिरकार उसका शरीर हार मान गया। वह चीखा और गिर पड़ा, उसके मुँह से खून बह रहा था। पाखोम की मौत इसलिए हुई क्योंकि उसे अपनी भलाई का ख्याल रखने से ज़्यादा पैसे कमाने की परवाह थी। कहानी का अंत उसके नौकर द्वारा पाखोम को दफनाने के लिए छह फुट का गड्ढा खोदने के साथ हुआ, जिससे यह विडंबना सामने आई कि कैसे पाखोम को लगा कि उसे जीने के लिए बहुत सारे पैसे और ज़मीन की ज़रूरत है, लेकिन उसके अंतिम क्षणों के लिए, सिर्फ़ छह फुट का गड्ढा ही काफी था।
Theme of the Lesson How Much Land Does a Man Need?
The story ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need’ is centered around materialistic ambitions of man. It shows how selfishness and greed affects a man and the correlation between loss and gain. The story is a great example of how materialistic possessions do not affect the inevitable fate of man. It depicts the indulgent and unsatisfied nature of the human mind, and how we keep wanting more instead of appreciating what we already have.
How Much Land Does a Man Need? Lesson Explanation
Passage: How Much Land Does a Man Need? illustrates the emptiness that lies beneath the growing material ambition of man. The ironical and inevitable fate that awaits material pursuit is underscored with the concluding line, ‘Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.’
Word meanings:
underscore: to emphasise or put stress on something
inevitable: sure to happen
Explanation: The chapter teaches the reader about materialistic ambitions of man and how they can lead to an ironical and inevitable fate. A man who chases materialistic ambitions is empty and hollow from inside, because he cares only about the outward appearance and riches. So while he pursues a life of fame and riches, he remains hollow and empty inside because he does not give importance to human qualities and development of the personality. He forgets that no matter how wealthy and prosperous he ends up being, he is still human and the end is something that will happen, no matter how prosperous he may get. The ironic thing is that no matter how prosperous and successful a man is, they will always die in the end. The ironical and inevitable fate is shown with the story’s concluding line- ‘Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.’ This line means that for a grave, you don’t need riches, fame and other materialistic possessions. All that is needed is a hole which is six feet in length to bury the man.
Passage: An elder sister came to visit her younger sister in the country. The elder was married to a tradesman in town, the younger to a peasant in the village. As the sisters sat over their tea talking, the elder began to boast of the advantages of town life: saying how comfortably they lived there, how well they dressed, what fine clothes her children wore, and what good things they ate and drank. The younger sister was piqued.
“I would not change my way of life for yours,’ said she, “We may live roughly, but at least we are free from anxiety. You live in better style than we do, but though you often earn more than you need, you are very likely to lose all you have. You know the proverb, “Loss and gain are brothers twain.” It often happens that people who are wealthy one day, are begging for their bread the next. Our way is safer. Though a peasant’s life is not a fat one, it is a long one. We shall never grow rich, but we shall always have enough to eat.”
Pakhom, the master of the house, was listening to the women’s chatter.
Word meanings:
piqued: wounded in pride
twain: old term for ‘two’
chatter: to speak rapidly
Explanation: The story began with a man named Pakhom who was a peasant and his wife. The wife had an elder sister who was married to a tradesman in the town. The elder sister had come to the countryside to visit the younger sister. When the two sisters sat down to drink tea, the elder sister boasted about her life in the town. She listed the advantages of town life- the comfort, the clothes, the food, and how her children lived a happy life. The younger sister’s pride was wounded and she began to defend her country life. She said that despite the comfort and luxury of the town life, she would not change anything about her peasant life. She said that while their life was not as comfortable as theirs, their life was stress-free. She said that rich people tend to lose everything because they earned more than they needed. She then said a proverb- Loss and gain are brothers twain. The proverb means that loss and gain are two brothers, and that you cannot gain something without losing something in return. She then pointed out the irony of life, and how a rich man could suddenly become a beggar the next day. She then declared a peasant’s life to be safer. A peasant might not eat to their stomach’s content, but they eat enough to live longer. While the sisters conversed in rapid speech, Pakhom listened to each and every word.
Passage: “It is perfectly true,” thought he. “Busy as we are from childhood tilling mother earth, we peasants have no time to let any nonsense settle in our heads. Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil 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 Devil had been sitting behind the store, and had heard all that was said. He was pleased that the peasant’s wife had led her husband into boasting, and that he had said that if he had plenty of land, he would not fear the Devil himself.
“All right,” thought the Devil. “We will have a tussle. I’ll give you land enough; and by means of that land I will get you into my power.”
Word meanings:
boasting: self praising
tussle: a strong struggle to obtain or achieve something
Explanation: After listening to the sisters’ chatter, Pakhom thought to himself that his wife was right. Peasants like himself were so busy tilling and cultivating land, they didn’t have time to think about nonsense like becoming unnecessarily rich. The only thing peasants asked for was more land. He thought to himself that if he had more land, he would be so powerful that he would not fear even the Devil. This shows the materialistic mindset of a human. Man believes that if they get just a bit more, they will be the most powerful beings in the entire universe. The women finished their tea, talked a bit more about dresses and then got up and cleared away the things in which they had their tea. They went to sleep. However the Devil had listened to everything. He was pleased by the wife’s words, because her words had led to the husband praising himself and becoming less humble. Not only that, Pakhom had also declared that he would be fearless of the Devil if he had some more land. The Devil took that as a challenge and said that he would gain the peasant in his power even after helping him with plenty of land. With the land, he would give way to his materialistic ambition, which would lead to his downfall. And when the peasant would finally fall, he would land right in the hands of the Devil himself and the Devil would have won the tussle.
Passage: Close to the village there lived a lady, a small landowner who had an estate of about three hundred acres. In the winter the news got about that the lady was going to sell her land. Pakhom heard that a neighbour 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. Pakhom felt envious.
“Look at that,” thought he “the land is all being sold, and I shall get none of it.” So he spoke to his wife. “Other people are buying.” said he, “and we must also buy twenty acres, or so. Life is becoming impossible.”
So 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 labourer and took his wages in advance; borrowed the rest from a brother-in-law, and so scraped together half the purchase money.
Word meanings:
estate: an extensive area of land in the country, usually with a large house, owned by one person, family, or organization.
consented: gave permission for something to happen
envious: jealous
colt: a young male horse
scraped: to barely manage achieving something
Explanation: One day in the season of winter, a landowner decided to sell her land. The landowner was a lady who lived close to the village and owned a large area of land which measured up to three hundred acres. Pakhom heard that one of his neighbors was going to buy fifty acres, and that the lady had given him permission to pay only half the money in advance for now and the other half a year later. This was a very good deal and Pakhom felt jealous of his neighbor. He thought to himself that all this land was being sold and he would get none of it because he didn’t have enough money. He then talked to his wife and proposed that they had to buy at least twenty acres or else life would become hard to live for them. So, the husband and wife thought about a solution together. They sold a young male horse, half of their bees, and also put one of their sons out for work as a labourer, taking his wages in advance. They also borrowed some money from one of their relatives, a brother-in-law. With this, they were able to barely manage to add up half of the money they needed for the purchase of the land.
Passage: Having done this. Pakhom 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 shook hands with her upon it and paid her a deposit in advance. Then they went to town and signed the deeds; he paying half the price down, and undertaking to pay the remainder within two years.
So now Pakhom had land of his own. He borrowed seeds, and sowed them on the land he had bought. The harvest 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. So he became a landowner, ploughing and sowing his own land, making hay on his own land, cutting his own trees, and feeding his cattle on his own pasture.
Word meanings:
wooded: covered with trees
undertaking: a formal pledge or promise to do something
pasture: land covered with grass suitable for grazing animals
Explanation: Now they had half the money, Pakhom went and chose a farm of about forty acres. Some of the farm was covered with trees. Important detail to notice here is that Pakhom first wanted just twenty acres and said that he would be satisfied with just twenty acres. However, he was then looking for a land that was forty acres. This shows the greed of human nature, and how humans just keep wanting more. Pakhom went to the lady to bargain for it. They came to an agreement and they shook hands to show mutual agreement on their deal. He paid her half the amount in advance, signed the deeds and a formal documented promise to pay the rest of the money, the remaining half within two years. And that’s how Pakhom finally got land of his own. He borrowed seeds and began to work. He sowed the seeds and worked on his land himself- ploughing, sowing, harvesting, cutting down trees and feeding cattle on the grass, he did it all himself. The harvest was good, and within a year, he was able to pay off all his debts- including the ones to his brother-in-law and the lady landowner. He was to pay for the remaining money within two years but he did it in one year only. This shows how profitable the land and his efforts were.
Passage: One day Pakhom was sitting at home when a peasant, passing through the village, happened to call in. He was allowed to stay during the night, and supper was given to him. Pakhom had a talk with this peasant and asked him where he came from. The stranger answered that he came from beyond the Volga, where he had been working. One word led to another, and the man went on to say that many people were settling in those parts. The land was so good, he said, that the rye sown on it grew as high as a horse, and so thick that five cuts of a sickle made a sheaf. One peasant, he said, had brought nothing with him but his bare hands, and now he had six horses and two cows of his own.
Pakhom’s heart kindled with desire. He thought: “Why should I suffer in this narrow hole, if one can live so well elsewhere? I will sell my land and my homestead here, and with the money I will start afresh over there and get everything new. In this crowded place one is always having trouble. But I must first go and find out all about it myself.”
Word meanings:
supper: light evening meal served before dinner
sheaf: a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthways and tied together after reaping.
kindled: to burn fiercely
desire: the feeling of wanting something intensely
Explanation: One day, when Pakhom was sitting at home, an unfamiliar peasant who was passing through the village called in, seeking a place to rest for a while. Pakhom allowed him to stay and even gave him a light evening meal. Pakhom began to talk casually to the peasant and asked where he was from. The stranger answered that he was from beyond Volga, where he worked as a peasant. The stranger said that the land there was better, especially for cultivating rye, which would grow to be as high as a horse in the soil there. The harvest was so high and thick that even just five hits from sickle could produce one thick bundle of stalks. The stranger then narrated briefly about a peasant who had nothing with him when he had come to the place, just his bare hands. But with his bare hands and the rich land, the peasant now owned six horses and two cows. After listening to the story, Pakhom’s heart burnt with the desire to have the same thing. He thought to himself that he should not stay here in Volga to suffer in this narrow and crowded hole, which always gets him in trouble and unnecessary stress through one way or another. He decided to go check the place on his own. If it was truly as nice as the stranger said, then he would sell his land and home here and with all the money, he would start fresh in the new place.
Passage: Towards summer he got ready and started. He went down the Volga on a steamer to Samara, then walked another three hundred miles on foot, and at last reached the place. It was just as the stranger had said. The peasants had plenty of land. Anyone who had money could buy land at two shillings an acre as much good freehold land as he wanted.
Having found out all he wished to know, Pakhom returned home. As autumn came on, he began selling off his belongings. He sold his land at a profit, sold his homestead and all his cattle. He only waited till the spring, and then started with his family for the new settlement.
Word meanings:
shillings: a type of currency
freehold: permanent or strong ownership of something which allowed the owner to dispose of it at will
Explanation: It was the summer season. He got ready and went out to Volga, down to Samara by crossing the river on a steamer, and then walked another three hundred miles on foot. When he finally reached the place, he explored it to verify the stranger’s words. It was exactly as the stranger had said- peasants had plenty of land, and the land was not only best for cultivation but also extremely cheap. When he was satisfied with the exploration, he returned back to Volga. In autumn, he began to sell his belongings at as much profit as possible. He then started his new life with the money, his family and the new settlement in spring, a season that signifies new beginnings.
Passage: As soon as Pakhom and his family reached their new abode, he put up the buildings he needed, and bought cattle. He now had three times as much as at his former home, and the land was good cornland. He was ten times better off than he had been. He had plenty of land, and could keep as many heads of cattle as he liked.
Pakhom was pleased with it all, but when he got used to it he began to think that even here he had not enough land. The first year, he sowed wheat on his land and had a good crop. After a time Pakhom noticed that some peasant-dealers were living on separate farms and were growing wealthy: and he thought: “If I were to buy some more land it would be different thing altogether.” The question of buying more land recurred to him again and again.
So Pakhom began looking out for land which he could buy; and he came across a peasant who had bought thirteen hundred acres, but having got into difficulties was willing to sell again cheap. Pakhom bargained and haggled with him, and at last they settled the price at 1,500 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 Pakhom’s one day to get a feed for his horses. He drank tea with Pakhom and they had a talk. The dealer said that he was just returning from the land of the Bakshirs, far away, where he had bought thirteen thousand acres of land, all for 1,000 roubles. Pakhom questioned him further, and the tradesman said:
Word meanings:
abode: home
recur: to happen or occur repeatedly
haggled: to dispute repeatedly over the price of something
clinched: to confirm or settle a bargain
Bakshirs: a Turkish ethnic group in areas like Russia
Explanation: As soon as Pakhom and his family reached their new home, Pakhom got to work. He built buildings, crops and cattle, and was now earning thrice as much as he did in his old home. When he found out that the land he had bought was good for growing corn, he started earning ten times more money than before. He now had a lot of land and he could keep as many cattle as he liked. Pakhom was satisfied, but as all men with materialistic ambitions, that satisfaction lasted for a short duration. When he got used to the new prosperity, he started thinking of having more land, even though he had more than enough and he didn’t even need that much money. After some time, Pakhom noticed that there were some peasant-dealers like himself who were living on separate farms and were becoming more rich. He realized that it was because they had more land than him. And so, his obsession with having more land became a repeating thought in his head. So Pakhom began to look for more land. He then came across a peasant who had bought thirteen hundred acres. The peasant was struggling with the land because he wanted to sell it but he didn’t want to sell it cheap. At the same time, the other peasants were unwilling to buy the land at high rates. Pakhom did not back down and began to bargain with the peasant. After a lot of dispute, they settled at 1,500 roubles, half to be paid immediately and half to be paid later. They were about to officially settle the matter when Pakhom met someone. One day, a dealer who was simply passing by, stopped at Pakhom’s home to get feed for his horses. While they were drinking tea, they talked for a while. The dealer told Pakhom that he was returning after making a deal with the Bakshirs where he had bought thirteen thousand acres of land for just 1,000 roubles. Pakhom was obviously interested because from the peasant, he was getting thirteen hundred acres for 1,500 roubles. He gained more information from the dealer.
Passage: “All one needs to do is to make friends with the chiefs. I gave away about one hundred roubles worth of silk robes and carpets, besides a case of tea, and I gave wine to those who would drink it; and I got the land for less than a penny an acre.” And he showed Pakhom the title-deeds. saying:
“The land lies near a river, and the whole prairie is virgin soil.”
Pakhom plied him with questions, and the tradesman said:
“There is more land there than you could cover if you walked a year, and it all belongs to the Bakshirs. They are as simple as sheep, and land can be got almost for nothing.”
“There is more land,” thought Pakhom, “with my one thousand roubles, why should I get only thirteen hundred acres, and saddle myself with a debt besides? If I take it out there, I can get more than ten times as much for the money.”
Word meanings:
Robes: gowns
Virgin soil: unused soil which is highly fertile
prairie: level land overgrown with grass
plied: to continuously supply insistently
saddle: to burden oneself with a huge responsibility
Explanation: The dealer answered his queries by telling him that he got thirteen thousand acres of land for just 1,000 roubles because he became friends with the chief. The dealer gave away about 100 roubles worth of silk robes and carpets, a case of tea, and wine to people who drank wine. Pakhom was in such disbelief that someone got so much land at such low prices that the dealer had to show the peasant the title-deeds that said he officially owned the land. The deeds said that the land was near a river and the level land was virgin soil, which meant that it was the best for cultivation and agriculture. Pakhom quickly asked more questions and the dealer said that there was so much land that you could cover it only if you walked across it continuously for at least a year. It all belonged to the Bakshirs, who were simple like sheep, meaning that they could be easily negotiated and persuaded. Pakhom thought to himself that he shouldn’t spend 1,500 roubles to get just 1,300 acres of land when he could spend 1,000 roubles to get 13,000 acres of land. Moreover, if he made the deal with the peasant-dealer, he would be in debt which was a huge responsibility. But that wouldn’t happen with the Bakshirs, the Turkish ethnic group.
Passage: Pakhom left his wife to look after the homestead, and started on his journey taking the tradesman with him. On and on they went, until they had gone more than three hundred miles, and on the seventh day they came to a place where the Bakshirs had pitched their tents. It was all just as the tradesman had said.
As soon as they saw Pakhom, they came out of their tents and gathered round their visitor. An interpreter was found and Pakhom told them that he had come about to have some land. The Bakshirs seemed very glad; they took Pakhom 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 around him. They gave him some tea and kumiss and had a sheep killed, and gave him mutton to eat. Pakhom took presents out of his cart and distributed them among the Bakshirs, and divided the tea amongst them. The Bakshirs were delighted. They talked a great deal among themselves, and then told the interpreter to translate.
“They wish to tell you”, said the interpreter, “that they like you, and that it is our custom to do all we can to please a guest and to repay him for his gifts. You have given us presents, now tell us which of the things we possess please you best, that we may present them to you”.
“What pleases me best, here,” answered Pakhom, ‘is your land. Our land is crowded and the soil is exhausted; but you have plenty of land and it is good land. I never saw the like of it.”
Word meanings:
interpreter: someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
kumiss: a fermented liquor prepared from mare’s milk
Explanation: Pakhom went to the place where the Bakshirs had set up their tents. He was accompanied by the tradesman who had informed him about the Bakshirs’ generosity. Important thing to note that now he had left his family behind and he had put his wife in charge of looking after the house and farm. We know that until now, he had always been with his family. Leaving him behind to connect with the Bakshirs shows that in his pursuit of materialistic ambitions, he had left behind the things that truly mattered the most- family, love, affection. He and the tradesman had travelled for more than three hundred miles for a week. When they arrived, Pakhom saw that the tradesman was right about the Bakshirs. When the Bakshirs saw Pakhom, they got out of their tents and surrounded him, the new visitor. A person who could interpret their words for each other came out and told the Bakshirs that the new visitor was here for some land. The Bakshirs invited him to the best tent and made his stay comfortable by letting him sit on the cushions and presented him with tea, kumiss and mutton. Pakhom didn’t want their hospitality to be underappreciated so he took out presents and tea for each person. The Bakshirs were very happy with the gifts. Through the interpreter, they told Pakhom that it was their custom to please the guests in gratitude for the gifts. He was asked to choose which of their possessions he wanted to have, and they would give them to him.
Passage: Pakhom immediately fetched the best dressing-gown and five pounds of tea, and offered these to the chief. The chief accepted them, and seated himself in the place of honour. The Bakshirs at once began telling him something. The chief listened for a while, then made a sign with his head for them to be silent, and addressing himself to Pakhom, said in Russian: “Well, let it be so. Choose whatever piece of land you like; we have plenty of it.”
“And what will be the price?” asked Pakhom.
‘Our price is always the same: one thousand roubles a day.’
Pakhom did not understand.
“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 one thousand roubles a day.”
Pakhom was surprised.
“But in a day you can get round a large tract of land,” he said.
The chief laughed.
“It will all be yours!” said he, “But there is one condition; if you don’t return on the same day to the spot whence you started, your money is lost.”
Pakhom was delighted. It was decided to start early next morning. They gave Pakhom a feather- bed to sleep on, and the Bakshirs dispersed for the night.
Word meanings:
reckon: to calculate
dispersed: move away from each other
Explanation: In order to please the Bakshirs even more, Pakhom got the chief of the Bakshirs the best dressing-gown and five pounds of tea. The chief, who was satisfied by the gifts, sat on his throne and his men told him what Pakhom wanted. He then asked them to be silent and said in Russian, the language Pakhom spoke, telling him that Pakhom was allowed to have any piece of land he wished. When Pakhom asked for the price, the chief said one thousand roubles, for just one day. It seemed like the tradesman had forgotten to mention this very important detail to Pakhom. When Pakhom asked how many acres of land he could have, the chief said he could have as many acres as he covered on foot in a day. Pakhom was very surprised, the Chief laughed at his surprise and said that all the land that he covered would be all his, but there was a condition. The condition was that if the peasant didn’t return to the spot from where he started, on the same day, before Sunset, he would lose all the land. Pakhom did not mind this condition and instead, he was very happy by the agreement. He decided to start early the next morning so he could cover as much land as possible. Pakhom was given a feather-light bed to sleep on and the Bakshirs who were previously gathered around him dispersed and went to sleep as well.
Passage: Pakhom lay on the feather-bed, but could not sleep. He kept thinking about the land. “What a large tract I will mark off!” thought he. “I can easily do thirty-five miles in a day.”
In the morning, he got up, roused his man (who was sleeping in his cart), bade him harness; and went to call the Bakshirs.
“It’s time to go to the steppe to measure the land,” he said.
The Bakshirs rose and assembled, and the chief came too. They ascended a hillock (called by the Bakshirs a shikhan) and dismounting from their carts and their horses, gathered in one spot. The chief came up to Pakhom and stretching out his arm towards the plain.
“See,” said he, “all this, as far as your eye can reach, is ours. You may have any part of it you like.”
Pakhom’s eyes glistened; it was all virgin soil.
Word-meanings:
Tract: piece of land
roused: to wake up
bade: to order
steppe: a large area of flat unforested grassland in south-eastern Europe or Siberia.
hillock: a small hill or mound
glistened : shone brightly; sparkled
Explanation: While the Bakshirs were sleeping, Pakhom was awake on his feather bed, imagining and planning how he could easily cover thirty-five miles in a day and earn a lot of money. When morning came, he got up and woke up the man he had brought for his assistance. The man was sleeping in his cart. Pakhom ordered him to prepare the horse and then he went to call the Bakshirs. They went to the large flat grassland and climbed up a small hill. The small hill was called shikhan by the Turkish ethnic folks. Everyone dismounted their horses and carts and gathered in one spot. The chief pointed out the vast land to the peasant. The chief said that the land was as vast as his eyes could reach and he could have any part of it. Pakhom was so excited that his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm because he was getting it all for one thousand roubles and it was all virgin, unused soil- the best for agriculture.
Passage: The chief took off his fox-fur cap, placed it on the ground and said: “This will be the mark. Start from here, and return here again. All the land you go round shall be yours.”
Pakhom took out his money and put it on the cap. Then he took off his outer coat, remaining in his sleeveless undercoat. He 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 flask of water to his girdle, he drew up the tops of his boots, took the spade from his man, and stood ready to start. He considered for some moments which way he had better go-it was tempting everywhere.
“No matter,” he concluded, “I will go towards the rising sun.”
Pakhom started walking neither slowly nor quickly. After having gone a thousand yards he stopped, dug a hole, and placed pieces of turf one on another to make it more visible. Then he went on; and now that he had walked off his stiffness he quickened his pace. After a while he dug another hole.
“I will go on for another three miles,” thought he, “and then turn to the left. This spot is so fine, that it would be a pity to lose it. The further one goes, the better the land seems.”
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, and he would just see something glistening there in the sun.
Word meanings:
undercoat: a light coat or jacket worn underneath the heavy coat
girdle: a belt
Turf: short thick grass and the layer of soil underneath it
scarcely: barely, very little
Explanation: The chief took off his cap, which was made up of fur from the animal fox, and he placed it on the ground. The fox fur cap marked the starting point for Pakhom, the point he was supposed to return to at the end of the day. Pakhom took out the one thousand roubles and placed it on the chief’s cap. This was the price he had to pay for all the land that he could cover that day. He then began to prepare for the task. He removed his outer coat and he was in his sleeveless undercoat so that he could walk faster, without the weight of the outer coat. He untied his belt and tied it below his waist. He couldn’t go without food and water, so he put bread in the chest pocket of his undercoat and tied a flask of water to his belt. He straightened his boots, took the spade and then he was ready to work. At first he couldn’t tell where to go because every direction was tempting and the land was so wide. He then decided to go towards the direction of the rising Sun. Pakhom started to walk and work. He kept his pace steady, neither fast nor slow, in order to conserve his energy and to work more efficiently. He went for about a thousand yards before stopping and digging a hole to mark his path and progress. He did this so he wouldn’t get lost in the vast landscape. He went on and he ignored his stiffness by walking a bit quicker. After a while, he dug another hole and marked it as a landmark by piling the turf around it. He then planned to go for three miles more and then turn left to explore the land on the left. He thought to himself that the more he went deep into the vast land, the better the land seemed to become. He went on with his plan, and then looked behind him. The small hill was barely visible and the Bakshirs on the hill looked as small as little black ants shining in the sunlight.
Passage: “Ah,” thought Pakhom. “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.
Pakhom began to grow tired: he looked at the sun and saw that it was noon.
“Well,” he thought. “I must have rest.”
It had become terribly hot and he felt sleepy, still he went on and on, thinking: “An hour to suffer, a lifetime to live.”
Late in the afternoon, Pakhom thought of turning back. So he hurriedly dug a hole, and turned straight towards the hillock.
Explanation: When Pakhom saw how small the hillock looked from the distance, he thought that he had gone quite far. He decided to have a drink and then resume his work by turning left. Here, we see that Pakhom didn’t realize he was going very far from the starting mark because of his materialistic ambitions. He then went left and went on and on. The grass was high and so, it was very hot. He was now not only sweaty but also tired. He looked up at the sun which was right overhead, meaning it was noon. Pakhom knew he should take some rest because of how hot the day had become and how sleepy and tired he felt. But his materialistic ambitions made him go on because he wanted to earn more. He thought that if he suffered for this one hour, he would spend his lifetime comfortably with the money he had earned by working hard. It was now late afternoon and that’s when Pakhom turned back towards the hillock, finally seeing that it was time to head back.
Passage: Pakhom went straight towards the hillock, but 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 if he meant to get back before sunset. The sun waits for no man, and it was sinking lower and lower.
He looked towards the hillock and at the sun. He was still far from his goal, and the sun was already near the rim.
Pakhom walked on and on; it was very hard walking but he went quicker and quicker. He pressed on, but was still far from the place. He began running, threw away his coat, his boots, his flask and his cap, and kept only the spade which he used as a support.
“What shall I do?” he thought again, “I have grasped too much and ruined the whole affair. I can’t get there before the sun sets.”
And this fear made him still more breathless. Pakhom went on running, his soaking shirt and trousers stuck to him and his mouth was parched. His breast was working like a blacksmith’s bellows, his heart was beating like hammer, and his legs were giving way as if they did not belong to him. Pakhom was seized with terror lest he should die of the strain.
Word-meanings:
Done up: had enough of something
Longed: wished
rim: horizon
Pressed on: hurried
grasped: grabbed by the hands tightly
ruined: cause failure
parched: made dry by heat
bellows: a deep roaring sound
Strain: excessive physical pressure
Explanation: Pakhom now walked straight to the hillock so he could reach the starting point on time. However, he was now walking with difficulty. He was feeling terribly hot, his bare feet were bruised and cut, and his legs were working with difficulty. He wanted to rest, but he had no time to do so or else he wouldn’t make it back on time and he would lose all that money he made just now. He knew that the sun would not wait for him or anyone else and that he needed to hurry up. He was far away from the mark and the sun had already connected to the horizon. He then removed all the items he didn’t- his undercoat, boots, flask and cap. He kept just the spade, which he used to support his body while he ran and walked to the goal. He then started to panic when he realized that his greed made him want to get as much as possible and made him ignorant of the danger to his life. He feared that he would die of the excessive pressure, his legs now not working, his heart beating like a hammer out of fear and exhaustion, and his breasts moving up and down and his breath roaring in and out to make bellowing sounds.
Passage: Though afraid of death, he could not stop. He gathered his last strength and ran on.
The sun was quite low, but he was also quite near his aim. Pakhom could already see the people on the hillock waving their arms to hurry him up.
Pakhom looked at the sun, which had reached the earth: one side of it had already disappeared. 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. He took a long breath and ran up the hillock. It was still light there. He reached the top and saw the cap. Before it sat the chief laughing and holding his sides. Again Pakhom uttered a cry: his legs gave way beneath him, he fell forward and reached the cap with his hands.
“Ah, that’s a fine fellow!” exclaimed the chief. “He has gained much land!”
Pakhom’s servant came running up and tried to raise him, but he saw that blood was flowing from his mouth. Pakhom was dead!
The Bakshirs clicked their tongues to show their pity.
His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pakhom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.
Explanation: Pakhom was afraid but he was determined to not let the fear stop him. He kept running and now, he was quite close to his goal. The sun was close to the horizon, but he was also so close that he could see the people on the hill, waving their arms, shouting at him to hurry up. The sun had gone down to such an extent that half of it had disappeared. He used his remaining strength and pushed himself forward. He bent his body forward so he wouldn’t fall forward. He was now metres away from the cap as he climbed the hillock. He saw the chief laughing behind the cap. Then, Pakhom screamed in pain and collapsed, his hands on the Chief’s cap. The chief exclaimed in delight that the man had made it back right on time and had gained so much land. The man Pakhom had brought along came up and tried to raise his master but he saw blood flowing out of Pakhom’s mouth. Everyone then realized that Pakhom was dead. The Bakshirs’ delight turned into pity. The servant picked the spade and dug a six foot long hole to serve as Pakhom’s grave. Throughout his life, Pakhom wanted more land and money to live. But to die, all that was needed was a six-foot patch of land. This shows that throughout his life, Pakhom gave more importance to materialistic possessions and none of it helped him in the end.
Conclusion
This post provides the summary, word meanings and lesson notes of How Much Land does a man need? by Leo Tolstoy for students of PSEB Class 10 from the supplementary reader so students can get a quick recap of the story with the help of this post.