The Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy...
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The Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy (born 1828), devoted the second half of his life to writing on moral and religious matters. One of his great stories is "How Much Land Does A Man Need?" It is the story of Pakhom, who complains that he has so little land. "If I only had as much land as I wanted, I shouldn't be afraid of any one -- even of the devil," he says. Soon after he came to this conclusion, he was able to purchase a sizeable piece of land and expand his holdings. But in time he became disheartened, sold his belongings and moved to a larger place with more land and more potential for wealth.
Within a few years he became dissatisfied with this and sought more. He heard of a place far away where he could get huge tracts of land for a steal. The arrangement was he could have all the land he could walk around in a day. He would only have to pay 1,000 rubles. Such a deal he had never heard of before. "What I can go around in a day is a good deal of land!" Pakhom said with glee.
The day came for him to claim the land. He started out and went on and on in one direction, then turned sharply to the left and continued on for as long as he could. He realized later that it was time to turn again for the third side of his parcel of land. This one would have to be a little shorter, because he had gone quite a distance on the other sides to claim as much land as he could -- and it was such good land! Finally, he turned for the fourth side and headed back to the starting place, to which he had to return before the end of the day or forfeit his 1,000 rubles and the land.
This was the hardest leg of his day and he thought, "Can I have made a blunder? Can I have taken too much? Why don't you hurry along faster?" he could not stop to rest, for the sun was low in the horizon and he needed to get back to the starting place before sunset. His legs ached, breathing was labored, sweat poured off him. Yet, he could not slow down. Rather, he needed to pick up the pace. Pakhom began to run and run and run to the increasing loud cheers of the crowd as he drew nearer his goal. Panting and groaning, he arrived at the starting point to hear the approval of those who would now give him all this land.
Pakhom's legs gave out and he fell forward and died on the spot. He was buried in a grave, seven feet long, just enough land.
--Molldrem
Within a few years he became dissatisfied with this and sought more. He heard of a place far away where he could get huge tracts of land for a steal. The arrangement was he could have all the land he could walk around in a day. He would only have to pay 1,000 rubles. Such a deal he had never heard of before. "What I can go around in a day is a good deal of land!" Pakhom said with glee.
The day came for him to claim the land. He started out and went on and on in one direction, then turned sharply to the left and continued on for as long as he could. He realized later that it was time to turn again for the third side of his parcel of land. This one would have to be a little shorter, because he had gone quite a distance on the other sides to claim as much land as he could -- and it was such good land! Finally, he turned for the fourth side and headed back to the starting place, to which he had to return before the end of the day or forfeit his 1,000 rubles and the land.
This was the hardest leg of his day and he thought, "Can I have made a blunder? Can I have taken too much? Why don't you hurry along faster?" he could not stop to rest, for the sun was low in the horizon and he needed to get back to the starting place before sunset. His legs ached, breathing was labored, sweat poured off him. Yet, he could not slow down. Rather, he needed to pick up the pace. Pakhom began to run and run and run to the increasing loud cheers of the crowd as he drew nearer his goal. Panting and groaning, he arrived at the starting point to hear the approval of those who would now give him all this land.
Pakhom's legs gave out and he fell forward and died on the spot. He was buried in a grave, seven feet long, just enough land.
--Molldrem
