点击下载App，搜索"TWENTY-THREE TALES",免费读到尾

　　Onepeasant，hesaid，hadbroughtnothingwithhimbuthisbarehands，andnowhehadsixhorsesandtwocowsofhisown。

　　Pah&oacute；m’sheartkindledwithdesire。Hethought:

　　’WhyshouldIsufferinthisnarrowhole，ifonecanlivesowellelsewhere？

　　Iwillsellmylandandmyhomesteadhere，andwiththemoneyIwillstartafreshoverthereandgeteverythingnew。Inthiscrowdedplaceoneisalwayshavingtrouble。ButImustfirstgoandfindoutallaboutitmyself。

　　Towardssummerhegotreadyandstarted。HewentdowntheVolgaonasteamertoSam&aacute；ra，thenwalkedanotherthreehundredmilesonfoot，andatlastreachedtheplace。Itwasjustasthestrangerhadsaid。Thepeasantshadplentyofland:everymanhadtwenty-fiveacresofCommunallandgivenhimforhisuse，andanyonewhohadmoneycouldbuy，besides，attwoshillingsanacre[20]asmuchgoodfreeholdlandashewanted。

　　Havingfoundoutallhewishedtoknow，Pah&oacute；mreturnedhomeasautumncameon，andbegansellingoffhisbelongings。Hesoldhislandataprofit，soldhishomesteadandallhiscattle，andwithdrewfrommembershipoftheCommune。Heonlywaitedtillthespring，andthenstartedwithhisfamilyforthenewsettlement。

　　AssoonasPah&oacute；mandhisfamilyarrivedattheirnewabode，heappliedforadmissionintotheCommuneofalargevillage。HestoodtreattotheElders，andobtainedthenecessarydocuments。FivesharesofCommunallandweregivenhimforhisownandhissons’use:thatistosay——125acresnotalltogetherbutindifferentfieldsbesidestheuseoftheCommunalpasture。Pah&oacute；mputupthebuildingsheneeded，andboughtcattle。OftheCommunallandalonehehadthreetimesasmuchasathisformerhome，andthelandwasgoodcorn-land。Hewastentimesbetteroffthanhehadbeen。Hehadplentyofarablelandandpasturage，andcouldkeepasmanyheadofcattleasheliked。

　　Atfirst，inthebustleofbuildingandsettlingdown，Pah&oacute；mwaspleasedwithitall，butwhenhegotusedtoithebegantothinkthatevenherehehadnotenoughland。Thefirstyear，hesowedwheatonhisshareoftheCommunalland，andhadagoodcrop。Hewantedtogoonsowingwheat，buthadnotenoughCommunallandforthepurpose，andwhathehadalreadyusedwasnotavailable；forinthosepartswheatisonlysownonvirginsoiloronfallowland。Itissownforoneortwoyears，andthenthelandliesfallowtillitisagainovergrownwithprairiegrass。Thereweremanywhowantedsuchland，andtherewasnotenoughforall；

　　sothatpeoplequarrelledaboutit。Thosewhowerebetteroff，wanteditforgrowingwheat，andthosewhowerepoor，wantedittolettodealers，sothattheymightraisemoneytopaytheirtaxes。

　　Pah&oacute；mwantedtosowmorewheat；soherentedlandfromadealerforayear。Hesowedmuchwheatandhadafinecrop，butthelandwastoofarfromthevillage——thewheathadtobecartedmorethantenmiles。AfteratimePah&oacute；mnoticedthatsomepeasant-dealerswerelivingonseparatefarms，andweregrowingwealthy；andhethought:

　　’IfIweretobuysomefreeholdland，andhaveahomesteadonit，itwouldbeadifferentthingaltogether。Thenitwouldallbeniceandcompact。’

　　Thequestionofbuyingfreeholdlandrecurredtohimagainandagain。

　　Hewentoninthesamewayforthreeyears:rentinglandandsowingwheat。Theseasonsturnedoutwellandthecropsweregood，sothathebegantolaymoneyby。Hemighthavegoneonlivingcontentedly，buthegrewtiredofhavingtorentotherpeople’slandeveryyear，andhavingtoscrambleforit。Wherevertherewasgoodlandtobehad，thepeasantswouldrushforitanditwastakenupatonce，sothatunlessyouweresharpaboutityougotnone。Ithappenedinthethirdyearthatheandadealertogetherrentedapieceofpasturelandfromsomepeasants；andtheyhadalreadyplougheditup，whentherewassomedispute，andthepeasantswenttolawaboutit，andthingsfelloutsothatthelabourwasalllost。

　　’Ifitweremyownland，’thoughtPah&oacute；m，’Ishouldbeindependent，andtherewouldnotbeallthisunpleasantness。’

　　SoPah&oacute；mbeganlookingoutforlandwhichhecouldbuy；andhecameacrossapeasantwhohadboughtthirteenhundredacres，buthavinggotintodifficultieswaswillingtosellagaincheap。Pah&oacute；mbargainedandhaggledwithhim，andatlasttheysettledthepriceat1，500roubles，partincashandparttobepaidlater。Theyhadallbutclinchedthematter，whenapassingdealerhappenedtostopatPah&oacute；m’sonedaytogetafeedforhishorses。HedrankteawithPah&oacute；m，andtheyhadatalk。ThedealersaidthathewasjustreturningfromthelandoftheBashk&iacute；rs，faraway，wherehehadboughtthirteenthousandacresofland，allfor1，000

　　roubles。Pah&oacute；mquestionedhimfurther，andthetradesmansaid:

　　’Alloneneeddoistomakefriendswiththechiefs。Igaveawayaboutonehundredroubles，worthofdressing-gownsandcarpets，besidesacaseoftea，andIgavewinetothosewhowoulddrinkit；

　　andIgotthelandforlessthantwopenceanacre[21]。AndheshowedPah&oacute；mthetitle-deeds，saying:

　　’Thelandliesnearariver，andthewholeprairieisvirginsoil。’

　　Pah&oacute；mpliedhimwithquestions，andthetradesmansaid:

　　’Thereismorelandtherethanyoucouldcoverifyouwalkedayear，anditallbelongstotheBashk&iacute；rs。Theyareassimpleassheep，andlandcanbegotalmostfornothing。’

　　’Therenow，’thoughtPah&oacute；m，’withmyonethousandroubles，whyshouldIgetonlythirteenhundredacres，andsaddlemyselfwithadebtbesides。IfItakeitoutthere，Icangetmorethantentimesasmuchforthemoney。’

　　Pah&oacute；minquiredhowtogettotheplace，andassoonasthetradesmanhadlefthim，hepreparedtogotherehimself。Helefthiswifetolookafterthehomestead，andstartedonhisjourneytakinghismanwithhim。Theystoppedatatownontheirway，andboughtacaseoftea，somewine，andotherpresents，asthetradesmanhadadvised。Onandontheywentuntiltheyhadgonemorethanthreehundredmiles，andontheseventhdaytheycametoaplacewheretheBashk&iacute；rshadpitchedtheirtents。Itwasalljustasthetradesmanhadsaid。Thepeoplelivedonthesteppes，byariver，infelt-coveredtents[22]。Theyneithertilledtheground，noratebread。Theircattleandhorsesgrazedinherdsonthesteppe。Thecoltsweretetheredbehindthetents，andthemaresweredriventothemtwiceaday。Themaresweremilked，andfromthemilkkumisswasmade。Itwasthewomenwhopreparedkumiss，andtheyalsomadecheese。Asfarasthemenwereconcerned，drinkingkumissandtea，eatingmutton，andplayingontheirpipes，wasalltheycaredabout。Theywereallstoutandmerry，andallthesummerlongtheyneverthoughtofdoinganywork。Theywerequiteignorant，andknewnoRussian，butweregood-naturedenough。

　　AssoonastheysawPah&oacute；m，theycameoutoftheirtentsandgatheredroundtheirvisitor。Aninterpreterwasfound，andPah&oacute；mtoldthemhehadcomeaboutsomeland。TheBashk&iacute；rsseemedverygladtheytookPah&oacute；mandledhimintooneofthebesttents，wheretheymadehimsitonsomedowncushionsplacedonacarpet，whiletheysatroundhim。Theygavehimteaandkumiss，andhadasheepkilled，andgavehimmuttontoeat。Pah&oacute；mtookpresentsoutofhiscartanddistributedthemamongtheBashk&iacute；rs，anddividedamongstthemthetea。TheBashk&iacute；rsweredelighted。Theytalkedagreatdealamongthemselves，andthentoldtheinterpretertotranslate。

　　’Theywishtotellyou，’saidtheinterpreter，’thattheylikeyou，andthatitisourcustomtodoallwecantopleaseaguestandtorepayhimforhisgifts。Youhavegivenuspresents，nowtelluswhichofthethingswepossesspleaseyoubest，thatwemaypresentthemtoyou。’

　　’Whatpleasesmebesthere，’answeredPah&oacute；m’isyourland。Ourlandiscrowded，andthesoilisexhausted；butyouhaveplentyoflandanditisgoodland。Ineversawthelikeofit。’

　　Theinterpretertranslated。TheBashk&iacute；rstalkedamongthemselvesforawhile。Pah&oacute；mcouldnotunderstandwhattheyweresaying，butsawthattheyweremuchamused，andthattheyshoutedandlaughed。ThentheyweresilentandlookedatPah&oacute；mwhiletheinterpretersaid:

　　’Theywishmetotellyouthatinreturnforyourpresentstheywillgladlygiveyouasmuchlandasyouwant。Youhaveonlytopointitoutwithyourhandanditisyours。’

　　TheBashk&iacute；rstalkedagainforawhileandbegantodispute。Pah&oacute；maskedwhattheyweredisputingabout，andtheinterpretertoldhimthatsomeofthemthoughttheyoughttoasktheirChiefaboutthelandandnotactinhisabsence，whileothersthoughttherewasnoneedtowaitforhisreturn。

　　WhiletheBashk&iacute；rsweredisputing，amaninalargefox-furcapappearedonthescene。Theyallbecamesilentandrosetotheirfeet。Theinterpretersaid，’ThisisourChiefhimself。’

　　Pah&oacute；mimmediatelyfetchedthebestdressing-gownandfivepoundsoftea，andofferedthesetotheChief。TheChiefacceptedthem，andseatedhimselfintheplaceofhonour。TheBashk&iacute；rsatoncebegantellinghimsomething。TheChieflistenedforawhile，thenmadeasignwithhisheadforthemtobesilent，andaddressinghimselftoPah&oacute；m，saidinRussian:

　　’Well，letitbeso。Choosewhateverpieceoflandyoulike；wehaveplentyofit。’

　　’HowcanItakeasmuchasIlike？’thoughtPah&oacute；m。’Imustgetadeedtomakeitsecure，orelsetheymaysay，“Itisyours，“andafterwardsmaytakeitawayagain。’

　　’Thankyouforyourkindwords，’hesaidaloud。’Youhavemuchland，andIonlywantalittle。ButIshouldliketobesurewhichbitismine。Coulditnotbemeasuredandmadeovertome？LifeanddeathareinGod’shands。Yougoodpeoplegiveittome，butyourchildrenmightwishtotakeitawayagain。’

　　’Youarequiteright，’saidtheChief。’Wewillmakeitovertoyou。’

　　’Iheardthatadealerhadbeenhere，’continuedPah&oacute；m，’andthatyougavehimalittleland，too，andsignedtitle-deedstothateffect。Ishouldliketohaveitdoneinthesameway。’

　　TheChiefunderstood。