Red Baron Case
The Red-Bearded Baron
Once upon a time many, many years ago, a feudal landlord lived in a small province of Central Europe. The landlord, called the Red Bearded Baron, lived in a castle high on a hill. This benevolent fellow took responsibility for the well-being of many peasants who occupied the lands surrounding his castle. Each spring, as the snow began to melt, the Baron would decide how to provide for all his serf dependents during the coming year.
One spring, the Baron was thinking about the wheat crop of the coming growing season. “I believe that 30 acres of my land, being worth five bushels of wheat per acre, will produce enough wheat for next winter,” he mused, “but who should do the farming? I believe I’ll give Ivan the Indefatigable and Igor the Immutable the task of growing the wheat.” Whereupon he summoned Ivan and Igor, two gentry noted for their hard work and not overly active minds, for an audience.
“Ivan, you will farm on the 20-acre plot of ground, and Igor will farm the 10-acre plot,” the Baron began. “I will give Ivan 20 bushels of wheat for seed and 20 pounds of fertilizer. (Twenty pounds of fertilizer are worth two bushels of wheat.) Igor will get 10 bushels of wheat for seed and 10 pound of fertilizer. I will give each of you an ox to pull a plow, but you will have to make arrangements with Feyador, the Plowmaker, for a plow. The oxen, incidentally, are only three years old and have never been used for farming, so they should have a good 10 years of farming ahead of them. Take good care of them, because an ox is worth 40 bushels of wheat. Come back next fall and return the oxen and the plows along with your harvest.”
Ivan an Igor bowed and withdrew from the Great Hall, taking with them the things provided by the Baron.
The summer came and went. After the harvest Ivan and Igor returned to the Great Hall to account to their master for the things given them in the spring. Ivan, pouring 223 bushels of wheat onto the floor, said,
Once upon a time many, many years ago, a feudal landlord lived in a small province of Central Europe. The landlord, called the Red Bearded Baron, lived in a castle high on a hill. This benevolent fellow took responsibility for the well-being of many peasants who occupied the lands surrounding his castle. Each spring, as the snow began to melt, the Baron would decide how to provide for all his serf dependents during the coming year.
One spring, the Baron was thinking about the wheat crop of the coming growing season. “I believe that 30 acres of my land, being worth five bushels of wheat per acre, will produce enough wheat for next winter,” he mused, “but who should do the farming? I believe I’ll give Ivan the Indefatigable and Igor the Immutable the task of growing the wheat.” Whereupon he summoned Ivan and Igor, two gentry noted for their hard work and not overly active minds, for an audience.
“Ivan, you will farm on the 20-acre plot of ground, and Igor will farm the 10-acre plot,” the Baron began. “I will give Ivan 20 bushels of wheat for seed and 20 pounds of fertilizer. (Twenty pounds of fertilizer are worth two bushels of wheat.) Igor will get 10 bushels of wheat for seed and 10 pound of fertilizer. I will give each of you an ox to pull a plow, but you will have to make arrangements with Feyador, the Plowmaker, for a plow. The oxen, incidentally, are only three years old and have never been used for farming, so they should have a good 10 years of farming ahead of them. Take good care of them, because an ox is worth 40 bushels of wheat. Come back next fall and return the oxen and the plows along with your harvest.”
Ivan an Igor bowed and withdrew from the Great Hall, taking with them the things provided by the Baron.
The summer came and went. After the harvest Ivan and Igor returned to the Great Hall to account to their master for the things given them in the spring. Ivan, pouring 223 bushels of wheat onto the floor, said,