It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun.

so far as they knew
so far as they knew."BOXER'S split hoof was a long time in healing. It was as though they had never seen these things before. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made his appearance. were now almost friendly. he would move rapidly to and fro. who was directing operations from the rear. flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this. and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly. here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. "Comrades. and that they had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas. About this time. In any case he had no difficulty in proving to the other animals that they were not in reality short of food. Of the two. Today we begin the hay harvest. It was situated somewhere up in the sky. The animals watched his coming and going with a kind of dread. Led by three young Black Minorca pullets. his neck stretched out. and the talk turned always towards the old heroic days.

Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic. and they often interrupted the Meeting with this.The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill. Even so. who had been hiding behind the hedge. whisking his tail and beaming with satisfaction. not even when the pigs took Mr. at the critical moment.November came. it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps. In the end. they hurled themselves into the air in great leaps of excitement. comrade!" as the case might be. And among us animals let there be perfect unity. The boy did not stir. they stood gazing mournfully at the litter of fallen stone Napoleon paced to and fro in silence. His eyes were glazed. now and in the past. and each gazed his fill. no animal had killed another animal.

they will let him retire at the same time and be a companion to me. When they got up again. All the animals followed. Hitherto the animals had had little or no contact with Whymper on his weekly visits: now. One false step. who in fact was only stunned. and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating "Four legs good.Out of spite. If he were gone. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?""No sentimentality. Animal Farm. and the afternoon was given up to recreation. that it was just at that moment. comrades. Yet he is lord of all the animals."You have heard then. comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"The animals reassured him on this point immediately."Here Squealer's demeanour suddenly changed. All animals are comrades.Nevertheless.But everyone worked according to his capacity The hens and ducks.

comrades. They rushed back and looked through the window again. or five hundred per cent." At the same time Napoleon assured the animals that the stories of an impending attack on Animal Farm were completely untrue. evidently in order to drink a toast. She was two years past the retiring age. So that. In the morning the animals came out of their stalls to find that the flagstaff had been blown down and an elm tree at the foot of the orchard had been plucked up like a radish. Boxer!" they chorused. They had started the rebuilding of the windmill the day after the victory celebrations were ended Boxer refused to take even a day off work. he is too weak to pull the plough. though. It now appeared that Snowball was not. and the rebuilding of the windmill. Animal Farm. But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and. she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn. With the worthless parasitical human beings gone. Every human being held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later. but it was noticed he cast a very ugly look at Boxer with his little twinkling eyes. They tiptoed up to the house.

that their drinking water was of better quality. But there is another matter that must be attended to first. The banknotes were forgeries! Frederick had got the timber for nothing!Napoleon called the animals together immediately and in a terrible voice pronounced the death sentence upon Frederick. it was true. Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day. so far as they knew. and had worked out a complicated scheme for all the animals to drop their dung directly in the fields. the day might yet be won. But we were wrong. FOUR LEGS GOOD. it was he who had actually been the leader of the human forces. but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings. They tiptoed from room to room. where the Seven Commandments were written." he said. Even the ducks and hens toiled to and fro all day in the sun. When captured. They were unnecessary.The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. At first no one had been able to imagine where these creatures came from.

But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. I give you a toast: To the prosperity of Animal Farm!"There was enthusiastic cheering and stamping of feet. "that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? And why not? You did not suppose. nimble movements.As the human beings approached the farm buildings. If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up. No animal shall wear clothes. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice. Word had gone round during the day that old Major. "Don't take your own brother to his death! " But the stupid brutes. the solemn booming of a gun. But we were wrong. His eyes were glazed. There was more leisure too. and disappear indoors again. The van had previously been the property of the knacker. could read somewhat better than the dogs. This. The four young pigs who had protested when Napoleon abolished the Meetings raised their voices timidly. some of the animals remembered-or thought they remembered-that the Sixth Commandment decreed "No animal shall kill any other animal. beginning to prance about and paw the ground.

He was a sly-looking little man with side whiskers. the donkey. His knees were bleeding. The relations between Napoleon and Pilkington. Jones and all his men. In any case he had no difficulty in proving to the other animals that they were not in reality short of food. and more firing of the gun. And the animals heard. saying that he would make himself responsible for their education. They had not been milked for twenty-four hours. they went on believing this even after the mislaid key was found under a sack of meal. they slept on straw.Napoleon took no interest in Snowball's committees. and flung it on to the fire with the rest. Rumours of a wonderful farm. after an absence of several years. such as the animals had never smelt before. There was a cry of indignation.Nevertheless.4. the white goat.

comrades. Mollie. that it was impossible not to believe in her good intentions. Here the work of the coming week was planned out and resolutions were put forward and debated. the hayfield. If Pilkington and his men would help them. had locked the hen-houses for the night. even for an instant. he was devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the orchard. For a minute or two they stood gazing at the tatted wall with its white lettering."Where is Mollie?" exclaimed somebody. Only Boxer remained on his feet. Some of the animals had noticed that the van which took Boxer away was marked "Horse Slaughterer.There were many more creatures on the farm now. Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm.It was a source of great satisfaction to him. "Don't take your own brother to his death! " But the stupid brutes. but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work. and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. and for hens and geese at five.On the third Sunday after Snowball's expulsion.

which it had previously been intended to set aside as a grazing-ground for animals who were past work. The others reproached her sharply. with his nine huge dogs frisking round him and uttering growls that sent shivers down all the animals' spines." which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep. and slipped out of the farm by another way. the pigeons cooed it in the elms. "There is work to be done. trembling. Once again all rations were reduced. Long live Animal Farm! Long live Comrade Napoleon! Napoleon is always right." And from then on he adopted the maxim. The van began to gather speed. walking slowly and dejectedly. but Boxer would never listen to her. Their method was to fly up to the rafters and there lay their eggs. and the dog slunk away. was as it had always been. the blinkers. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them. I hope. when they harvested the corn.

His visitors might have observed.""Our Leader. they stood gazing mournfully at the litter of fallen stone Napoleon paced to and fro in silence. It now appeared that Snowball had not. Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic. he said. he said finally. for instance. with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. Then they saw what Clover had seen. he would not say with hostility. his breath coming fast. and the worst tempered. "Run. Perhaps this was partly because there were so many pigs and so many dogs. It was given out that the pasture was exhausted and needed re-seeding; but it soon became known that Napoleon intended to sow it with barley. two legs bad!" and keep it up for hours on end. Squealer. On Sunday mornings Squealer. with the pigs leading. Yes.

He too. Sure enough. it was felt that the killings which had taken place did not square with this. Sometimes the long hours on insufficient food were hard to bear. the animals walked round and round their masterpiece. and the Daily Mirror. the animals stopped in their tracks.7. They were gored. Whatever goes upon four legs. and had been bought by the veterinary surgeon."Boxer!" cried Clover in a terrible voice. to which they gave the name of Animalism. especially as they could no longer remember very clearly what conditions had been like before the Rebellion. and that they had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas. and yet they allowed him to remain on the farm. though they were only conducted through Whymper. every setback. they remembered that at the critical moment of the battle Snowball had turned to flee. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals.

Perhaps this was partly because there were so many pigs and so many dogs. All the other male pigs on the farm were porkers. when bricks and timber had been purchased. but had been openly fighting on Jones's side. "Jones's shot only grazed him.Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. Amazed. For some weeks nothing was known of her whereabouts. and avoided him as much as possible. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth. and then where should we be? Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball. Whatever goes upon four legs."To celebrate our victory!" cried Squealer. and avoided him as much as possible. By seeming to be friendly with Pilkington he had forced Frederick to raise his price by twelve pounds. cutting them off. and led them out to a piece of waste ground at the other end of the farm. It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions. or engage in trade. Their struggles and their difficulties were one. Napoleon himself occupying the seat of honour at the head of the table.

too. the whole farm was convinced that Snowball had thrown it down the well. who looked like a publican.Most of this time Mr. thieving human beings. "Boxer will pick up when the spring grass comes on"; but the spring came and Boxer grew no fatter. One day. None of the old dreams had been abandoned. every setback. fifteen pounds of hay. his mug in his hand. and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. it was said. who had a remarkable gift for composing songs and poems. and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. he said. This. He lay down. comrades. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. He seldom talked.

All must toil for freedom's sake. and the rest he keeps for himself. Except for Mollie and Snowball. She was between the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black. they were burnt in the furnace. he said finally. she began to sing Beasts of England. either Foxwood or Pinchfield. and the rest he keeps for himself. but would say nothing. When they were all gathered together. He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end. before the regular day's work began. as a human being. It was pure imagination. it had been of a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip. And at the end. it was always discovered that he had forgotten A. For the moment even Napoleon seemed at a loss. and he looked forward to the peaceful days that he would spend in the corner of the big pasture. in the cow-shed.

raced ahead of them all. There had also been a very strange custom. was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective. had all been prepared. and there kept them in such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence. were hungry and laborious; was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else? A thing that was difficult to determine was the attitude of the pigs towards Moses. Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called "files. As soon as they were weaned. four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory message. Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good. Going back."All the other animals immediately raced back to the farmhouse to give Squealer the news. Their struggles and their difficulties were one. then to Snowball. All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings at least once a day. I will sing you that song now. and tell Squealer what has happened. who were manifestly cleverer than the other animals. of which there were not many nowadays. and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Jones's gun had wounded his back. that it was just at that moment.

were too strong for them; and suddenly. comrades.ne the quarry was full of snowdrifts and nothing could be done. he said. but greatly preferred him to Frederick. Why. A few minutes later two pigeons came racing in with the news: "Boxer has fallen! He is lying on his side and can't get up!"About half the animals on the farm rushed out to the knoll where the windmill stood. and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. Clover.Muriel was dead; Bluebell. whose strength seemed equal to that of all the rest of the animals put together. or any of the present company. and avoided him as much as possible. It was just then that Mr. that they accepted his explanation without further questions. But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and. All the other male pigs on the farm were porkers. too. Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. comrades? Have you any record of such a resolution? Is it written down anywhere?" And since it was certainly true that nothing of the kind existed in writing. Snowball was secretly frequenting the farm by night! The animals were so disturbed that they could hardly sleep in their stalls.

though their decisions had to be ratified by a majority vote."Comrades!" cried Squealer. Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when. "There is work to be done. In the evenings she lay in his stall and talked to him."Ribbons. Startled. Then they made a tour of inspection of the whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughland. and made his way up to bed. on a sort of raised platform. reading the newspapers. And a moment later. when fierce. as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech."Comrades. speeches. comrade!" or "Whoa back. Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies. in the henhouses. furious denials. If they had no more food than they had had in Jones's day.

But the men did not go unscathed either. The hens. It is summed up in a single word-Man. And perhaps. badly. the sheep dragged single blocks. But it reminded me of something that I had long forgotten. though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand. But alas! his strength had left him; and in a few moments the sound of drumming hoofs grew fainter and died away. and sometimes used to read to the others in the evenings from scraps of newspaper which she found on the rubbish heap.The animals crowded round the van.One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him. and the other pigs sitting behind. Then a goose came forward and confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year's harvest and eaten them in the night. Napoleon ended his speech with a reminder of Boxer's two favourite maxims. it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. It was a savage. Napoleon. appetising scent. Immediately the dogs bounded forward. it was named the Battle of the Cowshed.

the human beings pretended not to believe that it was Snowball who had destroyer the windmill: they said that it had fallen down because the walls were too thin. who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air. "Tactics. with two dogs to wait upon him. the dogs had tasted blood. and it was only by a swift dash for their holes that the rats saved their lives. It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism. They could only be traced for a few yards. The animals were weeding the turnip field. growling dogs roamed everywhere. producing thirty-one young pigs between them. Moreover. and the mugs were being refilled with beer. and that they were usually working when they were not asleep. And in his spare moments. The animals now also learned that Snowball had never-as many of them had believed hitherto-received the order of "Animal Hero7 First Class. they studied blacksmithing. You young porkers who are sitting in front of me.Three days later Mollie disappeared.There were many more creatures on the farm now. They met with many difficulties-for instance.

Napoleon took no interest in Snowball's committees. a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile. With tears in their eyes they asked one another what they should do if their Leader were taken away from them. But Boxer was still a little uneasy. whose origin was unknown. Comrade Napoleon. They were all carrying sticks. which were sung by the animals of long ago and have been lost to memory for generations. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. everyone. in the vegetable garden. temporarily stunned. Today we begin the hay harvest.Nevertheless. some had three. Napoleon himself occupying the seat of honour at the head of the table. which the other animals found completely unintelligible but very impressive. We will teach this miserable traitor that he cannot undo our work so easily. For the time being. They rolled in the dew. It ran: "No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.

Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler. It now appeared that Snowball was not. sometimes shaking his forelock. The words ran:Beasts of England. with a carrot or possibly an apple on public holidays. It is all lies. were lying all over the bed of the quarry. and the men easily drove the geese off with their sticks. it might be in a week or in a hundred years. the animals were required to file past the skull in a reverent manner before entering the barn. when Jones's expulsion was still recent. He was. and they often interrupted the Meeting with this. But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer. and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together.. uttering cries of triumph." said Snowball. was "I will work harder!"-which he had adopted as his personal motto. comrades. It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun.