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　　howmuchlanddoesamanneedHOWMUCHLANDDOESAMANNEED？

　　ANeldersistercametovisitheryoungersisterinthecountry。Theelderwasmarriedtoatradesmanintown，theyoungertoapeasantinthevillage。Asthesisterssatovertheirteatalking，theelderbegantoboastoftheadvantagesoftownlife:sayinghowcomfortablytheylivedthere，howwelltheydressed，whatfineclothesherchildrenworewhatgoodthingstheyateanddrank，andhowshewenttothetheatre，promenades，andentertainments。

　　Theyoungersisterwaspiqued，andinturndisparagethelifeofatradesman，andstoodupforthatofapeasant。

　　’Iwouldnotchangemywayoflifeforyours，’saidshe。Wemayliveroughly，butatleastwearefreefromanxiety。Youliveinbetterstylethanwedobutthoughyouoftenearnmorethanyouneed，youareverylikelytoloseallyouhave。Youknowtheproverb，“Lossandgainarebrotherstwain。“Itoftenhappensthatpeoplewhoarewealthyonedayarebeggingtheirbreadthenext。Ourwayissafer。Thoughapeasant’slifeisnotafatone，itisalongone。Weshallnevergrowrich，butweshallalwayshaveenoughtoeat。’

　　Theeldersistersaidsneeringly:

　　’Enough？Yes，ifyouliketosharewiththepigsandthecalves！Whatdoyouknowofeleganceormanners！Howevermuchyourgoodmanmayslave，youwilldieasyouareliving——onadungheap——andyourchildrenthesame。’

　　’Well，whatofthat？’repliedtheyounger。’Ofcourseourworkisroughandcoarse。But，ontheotherhand，itissure；andweneednotbowtoanyone。Butyou，inyourtowns，aresurroundedbytemptations；

　　to-dayallmayberight，butto-morrowtheEvilOnemaytemptyourhusbandwithcards，wine，orwomen，andallwillgotoruin。Don’tsuchthingshappenoftenenough？’

　　Pah&oacute；m，themasterofthehouse，waslyingonthetopoftheoven，andhelistenedtothewomen’schatter。

　　’Itisperfectlytrue，’thoughthe。’Busyaswearefromchildhoodtillingmotherearth，wepeasantshavenotimetoletanynonsensesettleinourheads。Ouronlytroubleisthatwehaven’tlandenough。

　　IfIhadplentyofland，Ishouldn’tfeartheDevilhimself！’

　　Thewomenfinishedtheirtea，chattedawhileaboutdress，andthenclearedawaythetea-thingsandlaydowntosleep。

　　ButtheDevilhadbeensittingbehindtheoven，andhadheardallthatwassaid。Hewaspleasedthatthepeasant’swifehadledherhusbandintoboasting，andthathehadsaidthatifhehadplentyoflandhewouldnotfeartheDevilhimself。

　　’Allright，’thoughttheDevil。’Wewillhaveatussle。I’llgiveyoulandenough；andbymeansofthatlandIwillgetyouintomypower。’

　　Closetothevillagetherelivedalady，asmalllandowner，whohadanestateofaboutthreehundredacres[19]。Shehadalwayslivedongoodtermswiththepeasants，untilsheengagedasherstewardanoldsoldier，whotooktoburdeningthepeoplewithfines。HowevercarefulPah&oacute；mtriedtobe，ithappenedagainandagainthatnowahorseofhisgotamongthelady’soats，nowacowstrayedintohergarden，nowhiscalvesfoundtheirwayintohermeadows——andhealwayshadtopayafine。

　　Pah&oacute；mpaidup，butgrumbled，and，goinghomeinatemper，wasroughwithhisfamily。Allthroughthatsummer，Pah&oacute；mhadmuchtroublebecauseofthissteward；andhewasevengladwhenwintercameandthecattlehadtobestabled。Thoughhegrudgedthefodderwhentheycouldnolongergrazeonthepasture-land，atleasthewasfreefromanxietyaboutthem。

　　Inthewinterthenewsgotaboutthattheladywasgoingtosellherland，andthatthekeeperoftheinnonthehighroadwasbargainingforit。Whenthepeasantsheardthistheywereverymuchalarmed。

　　’Well’，thoughtthey，’iftheinnkeepergetstheland，hewillworryuswithfinesworsethanthelady’ssteward。Wealldependonthatestate。’

　　SothepeasantswentonbehalfoftheirCommuneandaskedtheladynottosellthelandtotheinnkeeperofferingherabetterpriceforitthemselves。Theladyagreedtoletthemhaveit。ThenthepeasantstriedtoarrangefortheCommunetobuythewholeestatesothatitmightbeheldbythemallincommon。Theymettwicetodiscussit，butcouldnotsettlethematter；theEvilOnesoweddiscordamongthem，andtheycouldnotagree。Sotheydecidedtobuythelandindividually，eachaccordingtohismeans；

　　andtheladyagreedtothisplanasshehadtotheother。

　　PresentlyPah&oacute；mheardthataneighbourofhiswasbuyingfiftyacres，andthattheladyhadconsentedtoacceptonehalfincashandtowaitayearfortheotherhalf。Pah&oacute；mfeltenvious’Lookatthat，’thoughthe，’thelandisallbeingsold，andIshallgetnoneofit。’Sohespoketohiswife。

　　’Otherpeoplearebuying，’saidhe，’andwemustalsobuytwentyacresorso。Lifeisbecomingimpossible。Thatstewardissimplycrushinguswithhisfines。’

　　Sotheyputtheirheadstogetherandconsideredhowtheycouldmanagetobuyit。Theyhadonehundredroubleslaidby。Theysoldacolt，andonehalfoftheirbees；hiredoutoneoftheirsonsasalabourer，andtookhiswagesinadvance；borrowedtherestfromabrother-in-law，andsoscrapedtogetherhalfthepurchasemoney。

　　Havingdonethis，Pah&oacute；mchoseoutafarmoffortyacres，someofitwooded，andwenttotheladytobargainforit。Theycametoanagreement，andheshookhandswithheruponit，andpaidheradepositinadvance。Thentheywenttotownandsignedthedeeds；hepayinghalfthepricedown，andundertakingtopaytheremainderwithintwoyears。

　　SonowPah&oacute；mhadlandofhisown。Heborrowedseed，andsoweditonthelandhehadbought。Theharvestwasagoodone，andwithinayearhehadmanagedtopayoffhisdebtsbothtotheladyandtohisbrother-in-law。Sohebecamealandowner，ploughingandsowinghisownland，makinghayonhisownland，cuttinghisowntrees，andfeedinghiscattleonhisownpasture。Whenhewentouttoploughhisfields，ortolookathisgrowingcorn，orathisgrass-meadows，hisheartwouldfillwithjoy。Thegrassthatgrewandtheflowersthatbloomedthere，seemedtohimunlikeanythatgrewelsewhere。Formerly，whenhehadpassedbythatlandithadappearedthesameasanyotherland，butnowitseemedquitedifferent。

　　SoPah&oacute；mwaswell-contented，andeverythingwouldhavebeenrightiftheneighbouringpeasantswouldonlynothavetrespassedonhiscorn-fieldsandmeadows。Heappealedtothemmostcivilly，buttheystillwenton:nowtheCommunalherdsmenwouldletthevillagecowsstrayintohismeadows；thenhorsesfromthenightpasturewouldgetamonghiscorn。Pah&oacute；mturnedthemoutagainandagain，andforgavetheirowners，andforalongtimeheforborefromprosecutinganyone。ButatlasthelostpatienceandcomplainedtotheDistrictCourt。Heknewitwasthepeasants’

　　wantofland，andnoevilintentontheirpart，thatcausedthetrouble；buthethought:

　　’Icannotgoonoverlookingit，ortheywilldestroyallIhave。Theymustbetaughtalesson。’

　　Sohehadthemup，gavethemonelesson，andthenanother，andtwoorthreeofthepeasantswerefined。AfteratimePah&oacute；m’sneighboursbegantobearhimagrudgeforthis，andwouldnowandthenlettheircattleontohislandonpurpose。OnepeasantevengotintoPah&oacute；m’swoodatnightandcutdownfiveyounglimetreesfortheirbark。Pah&oacute；mpassingthroughthewoodonedaynoticedsomethingwhite。Hecamenearer，andsawthestrippedtrunkslyingontheground，andclosebystoodthestumps，wherethetreeshadbeen。Pah&oacute；mwasfurious。

　　’Ifhehadonlycutonehereandthereitwouldhavebeenbadenough，’

　　thoughtPah&oacute；m，’buttherascalhasactuallycutdownawholeclump。IfIcouldonlyfindoutwhodidthis，Iwouldpayhimout。’

　　Herackedhisbrainsastowhoitcouldbe。Finallyhedecided:’ItmustbeSimon——nooneelsecouldhavedoneit。’SohewenttoSimon’shomesteadtohavealookround，buthefoundnothing，andonlyhadanangryscene。However，henowfeltmorecertainthaneverthatSimonhaddoneit，andhelodgedacomplaint。Simonwassummoned。Thecasewastried，andre-tried，andattheendofitallSimonwasacquitted，therebeingnoevidenceagainsthim。Pah&oacute；mfeltstillmoreaggrieved，andlethisangerlooseupontheElderandtheJudges。

　　’Youletthievesgreaseyourpalms，’saidhe。’Ifyouwerehonestfolkyourselves，youwouldnotletathiefgofree。’

　　SoPah&oacute；mquarrelledwiththeJudgesandwithhisneighbours。

　　Threatstoburnhisbuildingbegantobeuttered。SothoughPah&oacute；mhadmoreland，hisplaceintheCommunewasmuchworsethanbefore。

　　Aboutthistimearumourgotaboutthatmanypeopleweremovingtonewparts。

　　’There’snoneedformetoleavemyland，’thoughtPah&oacute；m。’Butsomeoftheothersmightleaveourvillageandthentherewouldbemoreroomforus。Iwouldtakeovertheirlandmyself，andmakemyestateabitbigger。Icouldthenlivemoreatease。Asitis，I

　　amstilltoocrampedtobecomfortable。

　　OnedayPah&oacute；mwassittingathome，whenapeasant，passingthroughthevillage，happenedtocallin。Hewasallowedtostaythenight，andsupperwasgivenhim。Pah&oacute；mhadatalkwiththispeasantandaskedhimwherehecamefrom。ThestrangeransweredthathecamefrombeyondtheVolga，wherehehadbeenworking。Onewordledtoanother，andthemanwentontosaythatmanypeopleweresettlinginthoseparts。Hetoldhowsomepeoplefromhisvillagehadsettledthere。TheyhadjoinedtheCommune，andhadhadtwenty-fiveacrespermangrantedthem。Thelandwassogood，hesaid，thattheryesownonitgrewashighasahorse，andsothickthatfivecutsofasicklemadeasheaf。