Support the old woman's perspective that the land needs rest just like people do.
The old woman's perspective that land needs rest is supported by several arguments.
She explains that the earth has been working for thousands of years, constantly being ploughed, sown, and harvested. Just as humans cannot work without rest and need breaks to recover their energy, the land also needs periods of rest to replenish its nutrients and regain its fertility.
Continuous cultivation depletes the soil of essential nutrients, making it less productive over time.
When the land lies fallow (uncultivated) during a drought, it can recover moisture and nutrients. This is why the old woman says that when rains return after a rest period, the land springs back 'fresh and ready for your crop.'
Modern agricultural science supports this through practices like crop rotation and fallowing.
Explanation
The old woman says: 'You have strength now. You can work without a break. But have you thought about the land? The earth works, too, when you plough, and sow, and plant. The earth has worked for years, centuries, in fact, thousands of years. The soil, the land, the earth... shouldn't someone let the land rest a bit?' The 'Let us explore' section also explains fallowing as a sustainable land management method.
Solution Steps
The earth has been working for thousands of years, constantly being ploughed, sown, and harvested
Just as humans need rest to recover energy, land needs rest to replenish nutrients and fertility
Continuous cultivation depletes the soil of essential nutrients, making it less productive
Fallow periods during drought allow land to recover moisture and nutrients
Modern agricultural science supports this through crop rotation and fallowing practices