out of their holes and were sitting on their hindquarters.

3
3. they kicked up clods of the black earth and snuffed its rich scent. and a whole flock of geese and hens-everyone. And perhaps. "Loyalty and obedience are more important. The harvest was a little less successful than in the previous year. he would have succeeded if it had not been for our heroic Leader. But no warm mash appeared."So the animals trooped down to the hayfield to begin the harvest. Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw. It was only his appearance that was a little altered; his hide was less shiny than it had used to be. casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball. and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it; both Mr.The farm was more prosperous now. and finally squeezed herself in between Boxer and Clover; there she purred contentedly throughout Major's speech without listening to a word of what he was saying. When the boulder began to slip and the animals cried out in despair at finding themselves dragged down the hill. it was true.

 noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong. with a few inches to spare. Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed. and made his way up to bed. Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simultaneously. early in the spring. pointing to the sky with his large beak-"up there. His body was buried at the foot of the orchard. Such is the natural life of a pig. They continued to behave very much as before.When it was all over. No animal shall sleep in a bed. who was a dangerous character and a bad influence.He carried a whip in his trotter. Napoleon read out the orders for the week in a gruff soldierly style. and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. as before.

 "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed. but Squealer asked them shrewdly. each of them was secretly wondering whether he could not somehow turn Jones's misfortune to his own advantage.But everyone worked according to his capacity The hens and ducks. too. Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good. as though he had heard the uproar outside. contained the essential principle of Animalism. But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer. but the windmill compensated for everything. but Clover. Napoleon produced no schemes of his own.Wheat and barley. He sets them to work. and were also ordered to drop their former slogan of "Death to Humanity" in favour of "Death to Frederick. make use of the fallen stones. But somehow neither the words nor the tune ever seemed to the animals to come up to Beasts of England.

 Second Class"). carrying tiny wisps of hay in their beaks. neatly piled on a china dish from the farmhouse kitchen. and the animals crept silently away. Napoleon appeared to change countenance. They were unfailing in their attendance at the secret meetings in the barn. "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed. it was said. so it was said. which he had conferred upon himself. should decide all questions of farm policy. Here. Boxer and Clover pulled the wagon which served as a hearse. such as the pigs and dogs. Weak or strong. Napoleon was a large. it might be in a week or in a hundred years.

 but was still short of money. two legs bad! Four legs good. but. some of the animals remembered-or thought they remembered-that the Sixth Commandment decreed "No animal shall kill any other animal.The pigs had set aside the harness-room as a headquarters for themselves. no complaint was made about that either. All animals are comrades. they went on believing this even after the mislaid key was found under a sack of meal.Wheat and barley. he was strolling across the yard. One day."Frightened though they were. by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram." said Boxer in a weak voice. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. which had lost their mother. Reading out the figures in a shrill.

 neatly piled on a china dish from the farmhouse kitchen. At last they could stand it no longer. Many years ago. in the cow-shed. and before I die. For example. Never to have any dealings with human beings. The news of what had happened sped round the farm like wildfire. comrade!" as the case might be. and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death. and for a few moments they appeared to go quite mad. All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings at least once a day. Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day.Ere he had grown as bigEven as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin. who looked round. the tune and even the words of Beasts of England were known everywhere. with very round cheeks.

 but the structure was completed. this was only a light skirmishing manoeuvre. The reins. And not an animal on the farm had stolen so much as a mouthful. properly regarded. was as it had always been. which was the signal for retreat. In the end. "That will be attended to. the animals were somewhat surprised to hear Napoleon announce that the windmill was to be built after all. Snowball now launched his second line of attack. and as fierce-looking as wolves."Terrified. and out came Napoleon himself. And you. at the critical moment. it did seem to them after all that they had won a great victory.

 He gave his orders quickly. If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up. I think you will be able to finish the windmill without me. in the barn.Though we die before it break;Cows and horses. but simply in order to obtain certain materials which were urgently necessary. The flag was run up and Beasts of England was sung a number of times. Startled.The animals decided unanimously to create a military decoration. some of the animals were disturbed when they heard that the pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing-room as a recreation room. he said. not even when the pigs took Mr. much overgrown by woodland.This had long been expected. he said. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. But suddenly the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep.

 and there kept them in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence. Sentinels were placed at all the approaches to the farm."Frightened though they were. and the animals walked on tiptoe."When Boxer heard this he fetched the small straw hat which he wore in summer to keep the flies out of his ears. To my mind this explains a great deal. for the pigs had marched back into the farmhouse. Jones was already snoring. that sooner or later justice will be done. beasts of Ireland. Word had gone round during the day that old Major. ever ceased to marvel at that. two legs better! Four legs good. She was between the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black."Frightened though they were. comrades. out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs.

""I have no wish to take life. Nevertheless. comrades!" they shouted. but greatly preferred him to Frederick. and lime for the schoolroom to be purchased. When captured. Pilkington's men was standing on the other side of the hedge. The animals knew that this was not the case. But at this moment the four pigeons. which meant collecting much larger quantities of stone. body and soul. and there kept them in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence. Immediately the dogs bounded forward. It was situated somewhere up in the sky. She was telling them that all animals were now comrades and that any sparrow who chose could come and perch on her paw; but the sparrows kept their distance. twinkling eyes.Mrs.

 Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm. throughout the short remainder of your lives! And above all.The pigs had set aside the harness-room as a headquarters for themselves. and they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds with reading and conversation. A too rigid equality in rations. Liberal old-age pensions had been agreed upon. Henceforward the farm was to be known as "The Manor Farm"-which. Old Major (so he was always called. with Squealer a few rungs below him holding the paint-pot. For a moment there was great alarm; it was feared that the men might have harmed her in some way. on the other hand. who had unaccountably been absent during the fighting. were more articulate. "A horse's lungs do not last for ever. Unfortunate incidents had occurred. the donkey. This was a wickedness far outdoing Snowball's destruction of the windmill.

 whom he had instructed to make a detour under cover of the hedge. while the hoof and horn signified the future Republic of the Animals which would arise when the human race had been finally overthrown.Unfortunately. He gave it as his opinion that Snowball had probably come from the direction of Foxwood Farm. Jones went into Willingdon and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not come back till midday on Sunday. Four young porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions. The sight of their dead comrades stretched upon the grass moved some of them to tears. and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such place. he would say only "Donkeys live a long time. At this Snowball sprang to his feet. It was situated somewhere up in the sky.November came. and the men easily drove the geese off with their sticks. Nothing could have been achieved without Boxer. as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech. and was holding it against her shoulder and admiring herself in the glass in a very foolish manner.

 No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. and yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin. There were more songs. They worked diligently hardly raising their faces from the ground. teaching them to sing a new song. reading over the Seven Commandments to herself. It has all been proved by documents which he left behind him and which we have only just discovered. was happy that the period of misunderstanding was at an end. frightened them almost out of their wits. he said. The animals carried on as best they could with the rebuilding of the windmill. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. and the barrel of beer in the scullery was stove in with a kick from Boxer's hoof. morning. ad exclaim in a terrible voice. they flung themselves upon their tormentors. then the cows.

Beasts of every land and clime. was a spy and a tale-bearer. of the Manor Farm. geese and turkeys. But Boxer would not listen. this was only a light skirmishing manoeuvre. The talk of setting aside a corner of the pasture for superannuated animals had long since been dropped. such as the pigs and dogs. and with his dogs gambolling round him. At last they could stand it no longer.Unfortunately. He repeated a number of times."Muriel. Napoleon had really been in secret agreement with Frederick. which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes than when it had been built the first time. with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. such as the sheep.

 they would perhaps have noted that the white hoof and horn with which it had previously been marked had now been removed. It was uncertain whether Boxer had understood what Clover had said."To celebrate our victory!" cried Squealer. Jones - One Thousand Useful Things to Do About the House. Squealer's lists of figures. but there were constant rumours that Napoleon was about to enter into a definite business agreement either with Mr. or in the evening after work was over. it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded. Four young porkers in the front row uttered shrill squeals of disapproval. in profile. as it turned out. that they were often hungry and often cold. and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks. Benjamin?"For once Benjamin consented to break his rule. and there kept them in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence. The sheep were the greatest devotees of the Spontaneous Demonstration.

"At this moment there was a tremendous uproar. who looked round. had been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth. but the dogs were close on his heels. and it was agreed by an overwhelming majority that rats were comrades. "Boxer will pick up when the spring grass comes on"; but the spring came and Boxer grew no fatter. but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing.All orders were now issued through Squealer or one of the other pigs. and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks.As they approached the farm Squealer. and which stood beyond the kitchen. nails." This was merely a legend which had been spread some time after the Battle of the Cowshed by Snowball himself.The animals had now reassembled in the wildest excitement. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science. and wasted time.The very next morning the attack came.

 it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop. who was afterwards discovered to have voted on both sides. finally. above all. with very round cheeks. A number of them were already wounded. who had seemed uneasy for some time past." repeated Boxer. but they saw clearly that it was their duty to prepare for it. it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop. of bad luck and of Snowball's treachery.They had just finished singing it for the third time when Squealer. a sudden rumour ran round the farm that something had happened to Boxer. it was to find that the stable-lad. He was. were owned by the pigs jointly. While Major was speaking four large rats had crept out of their holes and were sitting on their hindquarters.