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？’
Pahó；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。HowevercarefulPahó；mtriedtobe，ithappenedagainandagainthatnowahorseofhisgotamongthelady’soats，nowacowstrayedintohergarden，nowhiscalvesfoundtheirwayintohermeadows——andhealwayshadtopayafine。
Pahó；mpaidup，butgrumbled，and，goinghomeinatemper，wasroughwithhisfamily。Allthroughthatsummer，Pahó；mhadmuchtroublebecauseofthissteward；andhewasevengladwhenwintercameandthecattlehadtobestabled。Thoughhegrudgedthefodderwhentheycouldnolongergrazeonthepasture-land，atleasthewasfreefromanxietyaboutthem。
Inthewinterthenewsgotaboutthattheladywasgoingtosellherland，andthatthekeeperoftheinnonthehighroadwasbargainingforit。Whenthepeasantsheardthistheywereverymuchalarmed。
’Well’，thoughtthey，’iftheinnkeepergetstheland，hewillworryuswithfinesworsethanthelady’ssteward。Wealldependonthatestate。’
SothepeasantswentonbehalfoftheirCommuneandaskedtheladynottosellthelandtotheinnkeeperofferingherabetterpriceforitthemselves。Theladyagreedtoletthemhaveit。ThenthepeasantstriedtoarrangefortheCommunetobuythewholeestatesothatitmightbeheldbythemallincommon。Theymettwicetodiscussit，butcouldnotsettlethematter；theEvilOnesoweddiscordamongthem，andtheycouldnotagree。Sotheydecidedtobuythelandindividually，eachaccordingtohismeans；
andtheladyagreedtothisplanasshehadtotheother。
PresentlyPahó；mheardthataneighbourofhiswasbuyingfiftyacres，andthattheladyhadconsentedtoacceptonehalfincashandtowaitayearfortheotherhalf。Pahó；mfeltenvious’Lookatthat，’thoughthe，’thelandisallbeingsold，andIshallgetnoneofit。’Sohespoketohiswife。
’Otherpeoplearebuying，’saidhe，’andwemustalsobuytwentyacresorso。Lifeisbecomingimpossible。Thatstewardissimplycrushinguswithhisfines。’
Sotheyputtheirheadstogetherandconsideredhowtheycouldmanagetobuyit。Theyhadonehundredroubleslaidby。Theysoldacolt，andonehalfoftheirbees；hiredoutoneoftheirsonsasalabourer，andtookhiswagesinadvance；borrowedtherestfromabrother-in-law，andsoscrapedtogetherhalfthepurchasemoney。
Havingdonethis，Pahó；mchoseoutafarmoffortyacres，someofitwooded，andwenttotheladytobargainforit。Theycametoanagreement，andheshookhandswithheruponit，andpaidheradepositinadvance。Thentheywenttotownandsignedthedeeds；hepayinghalfthepricedown，andundertakingtopaytheremainderwithintwoyears。
SonowPahó；mhadlandofhisown。Heborrowedseed，andsoweditonthelandhehadbought。Theharvestwasagoodone，andwithinayearhehadmanagedtopayoffhisdebtsbothtotheladyandtohisbrother-in-law。Sohebecamealandowner，ploughingandsowinghisownland，makinghayonhisownland，cuttinghisowntrees，andfeedinghiscattleonhisownpasture。Whenhewentouttoploughhisfields，ortolookathisgrowingcorn，orathisgrass-meadows，hisheartwouldfillwithjoy。Thegrassthatgrewandtheflowersthatbloomedthere，seemedtohimunlikeanythatgrewelsewhere。Formerly，whenhehadpassedbythatlandithadappearedthesameasanyotherland，butnowitseemedquitedifferent。
SoPahó；mwaswell-contented，andeverythingwouldhavebeenrightiftheneighbouringpeasantswouldonlynothavetrespassedonhiscorn-fieldsandmeadows。Heappealedtothemmostcivilly，buttheystillwenton:nowtheCommunalherdsmenwouldletthevillagecowsstrayintohismeadows；thenhorsesfromthenightpasturewouldgetamonghiscorn。Pahó；mturnedthemoutagainandagain，andforgavetheirowners，andforalongtimeheforborefromprosecutinganyone。ButatlasthelostpatienceandcomplainedtotheDistrictCourt。Heknewitwasthepeasants’
wantofland，andnoevilintentontheirpart，thatcausedthetrouble；buthethought:
’Icannotgoonoverlookingit，ortheywilldestroyallIhave。Theymustbetaughtalesson。’
Sohehadthemup，gavethemonelesson，andthenanother，andtwoorthreeofthepeasantswerefined。AfteratimePahó；m’sneighboursbegantobearhimagrudgeforthis，andwouldnowandthenlettheircattleontohislandonpurpose。OnepeasantevengotintoPahó；m’swoodatnightandcutdownfiveyounglimetreesfortheirbark。Pahó；mpassingthroughthewoodonedaynoticedsomethingwhite。Hecamenearer，andsawthestrippedtrunkslyingontheground，andclosebystoodthestumps，wherethetreeshadbeen。Pahó；mwasfurious。
’Ifhehadonlycutonehereandthereitwouldhavebeenbadenough，’
thoughtPahó；m，’buttherascalhasactuallycutdownawholeclump。IfIcouldonlyfindoutwhodidthis，Iwouldpayhimout。’
Herackedhisbrainsastowhoitcouldbe。Finallyhedecided:’ItmustbeSimon——nooneelsecouldhavedoneit。’SohewenttoSimon’shomesteadtohavealookround，buthefoundnothing，andonlyhadanangryscene。However，henowfeltmorecertainthaneverthatSimonhaddoneit，andhelodgedacomplaint。Simonwassummoned。Thecasewastried，andre-tried，andattheendofitallSimonwasacquitted，therebeingnoevidenceagainsthim。Pahó；mfeltstillmoreaggrieved，andlethisangerlooseupontheElderandtheJudges。
’Youletthievesgreaseyourpalms，’saidhe。’Ifyouwerehonestfolkyourselves，youwouldnotletathiefgofree。’
SoPahó；mquarrelledwiththeJudgesandwithhisneighbours。
Threatstoburnhisbuildingbegantobeuttered。SothoughPahó；mhadmoreland，hisplaceintheCommunewasmuchworsethanbefore。
Aboutthistimearumourgotaboutthatmanypeopleweremovingtonewparts。
’There’snoneedformetoleavemyland，’thoughtPahó；m。’Butsomeoftheothersmightleaveourvillageandthentherewouldbemoreroomforus。Iwouldtakeovertheirlandmyself，andmakemyestateabitbigger。Icouldthenlivemoreatease。Asitis，I
amstilltoocrampedtobecomfortable。
OnedayPahó；mwassittingathome，whenapeasant，passingthroughthevillage，happenedtocallin。Hewasallowedtostaythenight，andsupperwasgivenhim。Pahó；mhadatalkwiththispeasantandaskedhimwherehecamefrom。ThestrangeransweredthathecamefrombeyondtheVolga，wherehehadbeenworking。Onewordledtoanother，andthemanwentontosaythatmanypeopleweresettlinginthoseparts。Hetoldhowsomepeoplefromhisvillagehadsettledthere。TheyhadjoinedtheCommune，andhadhadtwenty-fiveacrespermangrantedthem。Thelandwassogood，hesaid，thattheryesownonitgrewashighasahorse，andsothickthatfivecutsofasicklemadeasheaf。
