How Much Land Does a Man Need? Chapter Notes | English Class 4 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

This chapter tells the story of a farmer named Pakhom who wants to own more land. He hears about a special deal in a faraway place where he can claim land by walking around it in one day. Excited, he travels to meet the village elder and takes on the challenge. The story follows his journey, the difficulties he faces, and ends with a surprising lesson about wanting too much.

Key Points

This story is about Pakhom, a farmer who dreams of owning more land.

• He hears about a deal to buy land by walking around it in one day.
• Pakhom travels to a distant village and meets the elder who offers the deal.
• He begins walking at dawn, marking the land with holes using a spade.
• Driven by greed, he keeps going further to claim more land, even when tired.
• The heat and exhaustion make walking difficult, but he refuses to stop.
• As the sun sets, he runs back to the starting point to secure the deal.
• Pakhom reaches the starting point but collapses and dies from exhaustion.
• His servant buries him in a small six-foot grave, showing how little land he truly needed.

Explanation

Pakhom, a farmer with big dreams, hears about a chance to get land in a far-off place. He goes there and meets the village elder who explains that he can have all the land he can walk around in one day for a fixed price. The rule is clear: he must return to the starting point by sunset, or he loses his money. 

On the chosen day, Pakhom begins at dawn, using a spade to mark the land as he goes. At first, the walking is easy, and he enjoys the beautiful land, deciding to cover more ground by adding extra miles. By noon, he looks back and realizes the hill where he started is far away, causing him to worry he might have gone too far. 

He shortens his steps to save energy. As the afternoon grows hotter, his bare feet get cut and bruised, and his legs start to weaken. Despite wanting to rest, he knows he cannot stop. The heat becomes unbearable, and his body struggles as he pushes forward. In the late afternoon, he sees the sun getting low and panics, realizing he must hurry back. 

He starts running, his clothes soaked with sweat and his throat dry. His heart pounds like a hammer, and his lungs work hard like a blacksmith’s bellows. Fearing death and the shame of failure, he keeps going. When he hears the Bashkirs cheering, he gathers his last bit of strength and runs faster. As he nears the hill, the sun sets, and everything turns dark. 

He groans in pain but hears the cheering and takes a deep breath, rushing up the hill. At the top, he sees the elder laughing loudly by the hat. Pakhom’s legs give out, and he falls forward, grabbing the cap. The elder praises him for earning a lot of land, but Pakhom’s servant finds him dead. The servant digs a small grave, just six feet long, proving that all Pakhom truly needed was a tiny piece of land to rest forever.

Message

The story teaches us that being too greedy can lead to trouble. Pakhom wanted more and more land, but his wish caused his death. It shows that we should be happy with what we have and not try to take more than we can handle.

New Words with Meanings

• Ambitious: Wanting to be successful or rich.
• Peasant: A farmer who works on the land.
• Ruble: The money used in Russia.
• Stride: A long step you take while walking.
• Wore on: When time passes slowly.
• Bruised: Having marks on the skin from an injury.
• Parched: Very dry, like a throat needing water.
• Bellows: A tool that blows air into a fire.
• Summoned: Gathered or called up strength.
• Groaned: Made a sound because of great pain.
• Laughing his head off: Laughing very loudly for a long time.