托爾斯泰Leo Tolstoy（1828－1910）是十九世紀蘇聯的大文豪。他這篇短篇故事〈一個人需要多少土地〉屬寓言體，人物情節主題都簡單明確。

Pahom的大姨子住在城市，她覺得鄉村生活落後粗鄙；Pahom的太太說農人生活單純，不受魔鬼誘惑而為非作歹。Pahom很贊同太太，他心想：「我們自幼忙於耕作，腦中從無雜念，只煩惱沒有足夠的土地。如果有一大片土地，我才不怕魔鬼呢！」魔鬼聽見Pahom的心聲，決定給他很多土地，好好掌控他。

“It is perfectly true,” thought Pahom.

“Busy as we are from childhood tilling mother earth, we peasants have no time to let any nonsense settle in our heads. Our only trouble is that we haven't land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn't fear the Devil himself!”

“All right,” thought the Devil. “We'll have a tussle. I'll give you land enough; and by means of the land I'll get you into my power.”

魔鬼首先化身為陌生人，慫恿Pahom搬到一個叫Volga的地方，取得一百二十五畝地種麥；Pahom有錢了，但也惹來許多土地糾紛。他想買更多土地，魔鬼再化身為商人，帶他到土地遼闊的Bashkirs游牧區。Pahom對Bashkirs族長表達他要買地的心意。族長說土地價格是以一天一千盧布計算：“Our price is always the same: one thousand rubles a day.” Pahom只要攜帶一把鏟子從一個地點出發，走到想轉彎的點就用鏟子挖個洞，最後用四個洞圍成的土地就屬於Pahom；而唯一的條件是：日落之前一定要回到原出發點。

“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 afterward we will go around with a plow 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.”

當晚睡夢中Pahom滿腦子都是地，恍惚間他夢到族長、商人、陌生人，最後是頭上長蹄角的魔鬼，露出猙獰的笑容。地上有個人趴著，已經死了，仔細一瞧竟然是自己。他嚇得醒來，天也亮了。Pahom趕緊出發，從日出到日正當中，Pahom脫掉靴子外套，汗不擦，飯不吃，一心只想要圍更多地。忽然他驚覺自己走得太遠了，卻又捨不得一片種亞麻的好地。太陽快下山了，他口乾舌燥，胸膛像鐵匠的風箱，心跳急促如鐵槌，緊張害怕得要死。Pahom kept on running; his trousers stuck to him, and his mouth was parched. His breast was working like a blacksmith's bellows, his heart was beating like a hammer, and his legs were giving way as if they did not belong to him. Pahom was seized with terror lest he should die of the strain.

他終於跑回原點，卻倒地不起。僕人就地挖了一個墓地埋葬他，從頭到腳長六呎，這就是他需要的地了。His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his toes was all he needed.

一個人需要多少地才夠？這篇故事告訴我們要拒絕貪念只須擁有自己該得的部分。