登陆注册
19662400000065

第65章 HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED?(4)

As soon as they saw Pahóm, they came out of their tents and gathered round their visitor. An interpreter was found, and Pahóm told them he had come about some land. The Bashkírs seemed very glad they took Pahóm 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 gave him tea and kumiss, and had a sheep killed, and gave him mutton to eat. Pahóm took presents out of his cart and distributed them among the Bashkírs, and divided amongst them the tea. The Bashkírs 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 Pahóm '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.'

The interpreter translated. The Bashkírs talked among themselves for a while. Pahóm 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 looked at Pahóm while the interpreter said:

'They wish me to tell you that in return for your presents they will gladly give you as much land as you want. You have only to point it out with your hand and it is yours.'

The Bashkírs talked again for a while and began to dispute. Pahóm asked what they were disputing about, and the interpreter told him that some of them thought they ought to ask their Chief about the land and not act in his absence, while others thought there was no need to wait for his return.

VI

While the Bashkírs were disputing, a man in a large fox-fur cap appeared on the scene. They all became silent and rose to their feet. The interpreter said, 'This is our Chief himself.'

Pahóm 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 Bashkírs 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 Pahóm, said in Russian:

'Well, let it be so. Choose whatever piece of land you like; we have plenty of it.'

'How can I take as much as I like?' thought Pahóm. 'I must get a deed to make it secure, or else they may say, "It is yours," and afterwards may take it away again.'

'Thank you for your kind words,' he said aloud. 'You have much land, and I only want a little. But I should like to be sure which bit is mine. Could it not be measured and made over to me? Life and death are in God's hands. You good people give it to me, but your children might wish to take it away again.'

'You are quite right,' said the Chief. 'We will make it over to you.'

'I heard that a dealer had been here,' continued Pahóm, 'and that you gave him a little land, too, and signed title-deeds to that effect. I should like to have it done in the same way.'

The Chief understood.

'Yes,' replied he, 'that can be done quite easily. We have a scribe, and we will go to town with you and have the deed properly sealed.'

'And what will be the price?' asked Pahóm.

'Our price is always the same: one thousand roubles a day.'

Pahóm 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.'

Pahóm 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.'

'But how am I to mark the way that I have gone?'

'Why, we shall go to any spot you like, and stay there. You must start from that spot and make your round, taking a spade with you. Wherever you think necessary, make a mark. At every turning, dig a hole and pile up the turf; then afterwards we will go round with a plough from hole to hole. You may make as large a circuit as you please, but before the sun sets you must return to the place you started from. All the land you cover will be yours.'

Pahóm was delighted. It was decided to start early next morning.

They talked a while, and after drinking some more kumiss and eating some more mutton, they had tea again, and then the night came on. They gave Pahóm a feather-bed to sleep on, and the Bashkírs dispersed for the night, promising to assemble the next morning at daybreak and ride out before sunrise to the appointed spot.

VII

Pahóm 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. The days are long now, and within a circuit of thirty-five miles what a lot of land there will be! I will sell the poorer land, or let it to peasants, but I'll pick out the best and farm it. I will buy two ox-teams, and hire two more labourers.

About a hundred and fifty acres shall be plough-land, and I will pasture cattle on the rest.'

Pahóm lay awake all night, and dozed off only just before dawn.

Hardly were his eyes closed when he had a dream. He thought he was lying in that same tent, and heard somebody chuckling outside.

同类推荐
  • 七元真人说神真灵符经

    七元真人说神真灵符经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Tom Brown's Schooldays

    Tom Brown's Schooldays

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Yates Pride

    The Yates Pride

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 惜春

    惜春

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 旧京琐记

    旧京琐记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 亲情与金钱

    亲情与金钱

    这就是,我生活中,真是发生的事情,我想用文字的方式,表达出来,大家一看便知,请大家多多支持!谢谢大家!!!
  • 萧史记

    萧史记

    一段虚幻的历史一部精彩的传奇身负奇才的少年为了家恨情仇踏上了属于他的征程
  • 东请西来

    东请西来

    四岁时,你家遭遇奸人之害,家破人亡。十四岁时,你我重逢,共同破解迷案,可实力太弱,真相再次被掩盖。二十四岁时,你我相遇在人海,却如此陌生又如此熟悉······
  • 给你我的爱

    给你我的爱

    他是她的上司,她被无意中做了他的贴身秘书她看到他认真工作,做事细心,和与生俱来的男性魅力当她发现自己和上司发生了关系;她才发现喜欢上了未婚夫以外的男人他有妻子,一个已婚的男人,让她不知所错,她没有想充当第三者,也不认为自己会破坏别人的家庭当一切都摆在了她的眼前,她想逃,想离开这里的一切“你......为什么,没有告诉我你有妻子。”菜来的语气很平缓,她尽量不让自己失控的内心表现出来。纳兰雄斯不知道该说什么,只是意味深长的看着她,虽然和自己太太的感情很平淡,可他从来没有想过会和她分开,自己心里也也很矛盾,他只是低语道:“对不起。”“你从来都没有给过什么承诺,我也没有问过你什么,你没有错,是我自己太笨,做了你的情人,我现在得到惩罚了,一切都是自找的,和任何人没有关系。”话从平淡嘴里说出来,可眼泪却怎么也止不住留了下来,她的心好痛哦,痛的快要不能跳动,不能呼吸,炎热的夏天,让她忽然感觉好冷,冷的她颤抖的机会都没有就被冰封了。纳兰雄斯好像感觉到了什么,可他真的没有资格上前抱住她,对她说:别怕,有我在,我会为你承担一切。他攥紧了双拳,不知道该如何是好,他知道这一天迟早会到来,也有了足够的心里准备,如果菜来答应做他的情人,他会给她自己的爱,可是偏偏菜来是个很自强,自尊心很强的女人,他爱她已经胜过爱自己的妻子,可他也不可能和太太离婚,她也爱自己的太太,尤其是她的善良和善解人意,让他不忍心和她离婚,工作上从不引许出错的他,在感情上真的无助,可是两者不能兼得吗?《万千宠爱《老婆,真的对不起》虐》http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/285178/《爱你没商量》http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/265811/《给你我的爱》http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/264090/
  • TFBOYS永爱一生

    TFBOYS永爱一生

    他,是tfboys的队长。她,是一位活泼开朗的女生。他,是tfboys的主唱,她,是一位萌萌的小吃货。他,是tfboys的舞蹈担当。她,是一位文静的女生。这六位看似毫不相干的人,却来了一次命运的邂逅。。。。。。
  • 报告老婆,申请回房

    报告老婆,申请回房

    许颖被赌徒父亲卖给地下组织,在拍卖当晚逃离魔爪,意外遇到执行任务受伤的赵启杰,无奈之下,他救下她,却意外陷入爱的纠缠之中。“喂,谁要跟你结婚啊,你是个军人,军嫂要忍受的了寂寞,我可办不到。”“女人,你敢出轨,我手里的枪不是吃素的。”他甩出结婚证,恶狠狠地说道。一场闹剧的婚姻,让两个陌生人走到了一起,就在他们想要向对方交出真心的时候,却发现,当初的相遇却是一场骗局。“呵,当年我们的相遇,全在你的算计当中,对吗?”他满身血渍,嘴角带着嘲讽,手里的枪却坚定地指向她。“对,从头到尾,我都在骗你。”她闭上双眼,扳动手枪,听到耳边传来的闷哼声,泪流满面。这一生,我辜负了你,请下辈子让我补偿你,好吗?
  • 瞭望之路:中国广播电视新闻改革研究课题报告

    瞭望之路:中国广播电视新闻改革研究课题报告

    《瞭望之路:中国广播电视新闻改革研究课题报告》课题组于2005年8月出版了《中国电视新闻从业人员心态录》调查报告之后,又经过了一年多的学习、研究,课题终于完稿,有了一个初步的成果,我们怀着忐忑不安的心情,将这一成果呈献出来,它肯定会有一些不当之处,甚至错误,但却是我们对理论和实践作了认真思考的成果,是我们真实的见解,可以说课题组的师生,是以一颗对中国广播电视事业无限热爱和赤诚的心来对待这一课题研究的,希望中国广播电视新闻事业能对中国的政治改革起应有的作用。
  • 炎黄威风之南明帝国

    炎黄威风之南明帝国

    一个冷酷,自私的杀手。来到不属于他的时代,拥有一个不属于他的身份,到处都是他的敌人。他该做什么?他又该何去何从?在他的意识中,只有自己,只爱自己,真真一个祸害也。东印度公司称他为祸害,因为他赚取了本该属于东印度公司的利益;满清人称他为祸害,因为他是大明皇室余孽却成功颠覆了大清王朝;西班牙人称他为祸害,因为他取代了西班牙在海上的霸权地位;英国人称他为祸害,因为他将不列颠治下的殖民地全部收入他囊中;虽然他做了一辈子祸害,但是他却被阳光之下的所有的华人铭记,这位祸害大人,再一次塑造了华夏人那永不分割的魂灵,也铸造了炎黄人那无限伟大的民族之魂。讨论群:50927240。欢迎大家加入。
  • 狗狗玩转世界

    狗狗玩转世界

    管希晨作为人类生存了二十二年。他一直以为自己是人类,实际上却是一条狗。他没有悲观,没有气馁,靠着自己倔强的意志走上了狗生巅峰。管希晨说:“统治人类什么的,真的一点都不好玩!”
  • 赢尽天下·终结篇

    赢尽天下·终结篇

    她是暗黑世界第一女皇,一手绝技赢遍天下无敌手。他是人人可欺的傻帝,背后隐藏的却是足以操控各国、翻天覆地的强大力量。他在她的面前卖萌装可怜,骨子里的聪明机智却无人能敌。而她的心,也只为他一人敞开;她的眼,只容得下他的身影。红烛帐暖,夜色撩人,他炙热的目光,煨红了她雪嫩的肌肤。他说道:“女人,今晚你是我的!”她迎上他似笑非笑的深眸,挑了挑秀眉,纤纤玉指捏着他的下巴,一字一句清晰入耳。“美人,你这一辈子都是我的!”沾一抹烟雪,染两缕心魂,蘸三分黛色,点四滴朱砂,绘五丈如画江山,描一生伊人多娇。他此生只愿为她画峨眉、点绛唇、绾青丝,含笑看她素手娇颜,罗裙遮天,赌尽美男,赢尽天下!