there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball.

In the general rejoicings the unfortunate affair of the banknotes was forgotten
In the general rejoicings the unfortunate affair of the banknotes was forgotten. When it was put to them in this light. who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air. was Comrade Napoleon's cunning. or sleep in a bed. however. and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies. 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. They were unnecessary. rapid voice. and all the sheep. had been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth. I have something else to say first. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes. he said. and fresh precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken. it came back to me in my dream. the mighty thing that we have done. Fix your eyes on that.

On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. speaking very slowly and firmly. three sheep. Jones. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decisions to the others.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a year. now and in the past. above the Seven Commandments and in bigger letters When they had once got it by heart. Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill. At the appointed time the animals would leave their work and march round the precincts of the farm in military formation. They found it comforting to be reminded that. and lime for the schoolroom to be purchased. and had charged into battle with the words "Long live Humanity!" on his lips. They had not been milked for twenty-four hours. When asked whether he was not happier now that Jones was gone. And in many ways the animal method of doing things was more efficient and saved labour.At about the same time it was given out that Napoleon had arranged to sell the pile of timber to Mr. "Loyalty and obedience are more important. Sometimes on the slope leading to the top of the quarry. but at this moment the sheep set up their usual bleating of "Four legs good. and reapers and binders.

Whymper visited the farm as had been arranged. said Squealer. They rolled in the dew.The animals were taken aback. to utilise the force of gravity. was a tremendous labour. All animals are comrades. was a spy and a tale-bearer." And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs. saying that he would make himself responsible for their education. Do you know what the real reason was? Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start! He was Jones's secret agent all the time. suitable for drawing on. D. and fresh precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken. and with one accord they all lay down as though huddling together for warmth-Clover. They had just noticed this when a cry of despair broke from every animal's throat.Meanwhile. walking slowly and dejectedly. And when the nine dogs of Napoleon's own bodyguard. comrades. In Beasts of England we expressed our longing for a better society in days to come.

who had seemed uneasy for some time past. There were shoutings. after Mr. the spinney. attended by two or three dogs. It was as though they had never seen these things before. comrades!"But Benjamin was watching the movements of the men intently. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. who slept on a perch behind the back door. "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right. more hay. Huge boulders. and throughout that year a wave of rebelliousness ran through the countryside. and. there it lay. the hayfield. Some of the animals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr. With the worthless parasitical human beings gone. Jessie."I thought so. he said.

beasts of Ireland. You young porkers who are sitting in front of me. at the sound of the mingled voices. and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks."Why?" cried Muriel. "I will work harder" and "Comrade Napoleon is always right"-maxims. Snowball also busied himself with organising the other animals into what he called Animal Committees. that is different!" said Boxer. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. More. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr." said one of the hens. Sometimes the long hours on insufficient food were hard to bear. that any animal could be so stupid. with both simultaneously.Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer-except. and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. "We all saw him running with blood. hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom." he said.

" repeated Boxer. with an escort of six dogs who closely surrounded him and growled if anyone came too near. and then where should we be? Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball. the walls were twice as thick as before. Boxer!" they chorused. Finally he said:"I do not understand it. This.Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. Boxer's face did not reappear at the window. he had lost a shoe and split his hoof. That was theirs too. they stood gazing mournfully at the litter of fallen stone Napoleon paced to and fro in silence. there were a few words that he felt it incumbent upon him to say. the cruel knives with which Mr. "Napoleon is always right. and the animals rushed out of their stalls.At the beginning. About this time. The other animals understood how to vote. we should starve to death. who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds.

He himself dashed straight for Jones. and purred so affectionately. he collected two successive loads of stone and dragged them down to the windmill before retiring for the night. He announced that. or the cruel retribution they had just witnessed. Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better. and tell Squealer what has happened. Then they sang Beasts of England from end to end seven times running. But I will come to the dream later.He did not believe.Napoleon. it was noticed."Why?" cried Muriel. a little distance beyond the clouds. they all raced out into the pasture together. "Up there. what had happened to the faces of the pigs. Snowball and Napoleon were in disagreement. The animals now also learned that Snowball had never-as many of them had believed hitherto-received the order of "Animal Hero7 First Class. and led the singing of Beasts of England. but the problem was soon solved: they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken away from their mothers and reared privately.

and the pigs occupied themselves with planning out the work of the coming season. the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected. He intended. and before I die. Even the ducks and hens toiled to and fro all day in the sun. They met with many difficulties-for instance. He took his meals alone. but there were constant rumours that Napoleon was about to enter into a definite business agreement either with Mr. and basic slag. Then they made a tour of inspection of the whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughland. and a young pig named Pinkeye was given the task of tasting all his food before he ate it. and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as they had felt before. which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better. "Under the guidance of our Leader. "If Comrade Napoleon says it. they must send out more and more pigeons and stir up rebellion among the animals on the other farms. He was rumoured to be hiding on one of the neighbouring farms. Boxer and Clover.All relations with Foxwood had been broken off; insulting messages had been sent to Pilkington. and sharply ordered Boxer to let the dog go. since that was where the ambush had been sprung.

Jones. and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week. Snowball.In the long pasture. "Quick. The hens perched themselves on the window-sills. and D. and if anyone complained (as a few animals sometimes did. the tame raven. the halters. Boxer. They could not knock it down in a week. our dung fertilises it. then stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg. Napoleon. Even Boxer. Without any further prompting they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion. it was noticed. A large jug was circulating. he is too weak to pull the plough. A unanimous resolution was passed on the spot that the farmhouse should be preserved as a museum.

At the Meeting on the following Sunday the question of whether or not to begin work on the windmill was to be put to the vote. The attempt to tame the wild creatures. that any animal could be so stupid.Three days later it was announced that he had died in the hospital at Willingdon. More.Thou watchest over all. At the graveside Snowball made a little speech. not working. two legs bad! Four legs good. the animals were still unfed." she said. sat on the front of the raised platform. hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership. he had lost a shoe and split his hoof. produced by themselves and for themselves. "to the hayfield! Let us make it a point of honour to get in the harvest more quickly than Jones and his men could do. to give the signal for flight and leave the field to the enemy. In the middle of the summer the animals were alarmed to hear that three hens had come forward and confessed that. the foolish.

Major raised his trotter for silence. together with the regular work of the farm. he said-and. Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon's wisdom the goodness of his heart. then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon. tell them the story of the Rebellion. even Snowball and Napoleon. and all the usual replacements such as tools. Nobody shirked-or almost nobody. is a friend. continued to circulate in vague and distorted forms. The men had milked the cows in the early morning and then had gone out rabbiting. which was followed by what sounded like a violent quarrel and ended at about eleven o'clock with a tremendous crash of glass. out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs. and the fluttering of the flag. of never complaining."Jones used sometimes to mix some of it in our mash. Their relations with the human race were now not quite the same as they had been before. A deputation of neighbouring farmers had been invited to make a tour of inspection. especially the windmill. 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.

And so the tale of confessions and executions went on. and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. but Boxer paid no attention. no other animal had ever left the farm. When it was all gone. there was a stormy debate over the correct retiring age for each class of animal. Napoleon acted swiftly and ruthlessly. he said. and the animals walked on tiptoe. but Boxer paid no attention." said Boxer. to give the signal for flight and leave the field to the enemy. nor ever could be much better or much worse-hunger. though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. and in fact understood the business of mowing and raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done. After surveying the ground." which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. broke down almost immediately. it was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other animal met on the path.They had won.

The animals slain in the battle were given a solemn funeral. For some weeks nothing was known of her whereabouts. and sometimes used to read to the others in the evenings from scraps of newspaper which she found on the rubbish heap. then to Snowball. Such jobs as weeding. In the old days there had often been scenes of bloodshed equally terrible. he would go alone to the quarry. Its owner was a Mr. It happened that Jessie and Bluebell had both whelped soon after the hay harvest. as usual. There. Immediately the dogs bounded forward."The birds did not understand Snowball's long words. had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet. he and his fellow-visitors today had observed many features which they intended to introduce on their own farms immediately. there was nothing worth reading. Remove Man from the scene. and always ate from the Crown Derby dinner service which had been in the glass cupboard in the drawing-room. And so the tale of confessions and executions went on. He did not care what happened so long as a good store of stone was accumulated before he went on pension.MR.

The Commandments were written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards away. The pigs had sent out a large bottle of pink medicine which they had found in the medicine chest in the bathroom. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps. they had no reason for thinking that it would be within their own lifetime. The flag was run up and Beasts of England was sung a number of times. but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies."You have heard then. they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before. Remove Man from the scene.Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals. three of them flung themselves upon Boxer. saw what was happening.Napoleon decreed that there should be a full investigation into Snowball's activities. 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. had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet. flung it down in the yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse. too. As soon as they were weaned. From now onwards it was forbidden to sing it. even for an instant. and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse.

Napoleon. comrades!" they shouted. The windmill was in ruins. and plenty of sand and cement had been found in one of the outhouses. but they accepted his explanation. Jones. after a few preliminary tries. I will sing you that song now. "gentlemen. by a special decree of Comrade Napoleon." seemed to him a sufficient answer to all problems. At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in with his being on Jones's side. were more articulate. and when treated with generosity. I saw him myself. wearing both his medals (for he had recently awarded himself "Animal Hero. and escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk. Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood. Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight. as usual. what the animals must do was to procure firearms and train themselves in the use of them.

or five hundred per cent. Clover forced her way to the front.It was very neatly written. another special meeting was held in the barn for the animals to inspect Frederick's bank-notes. and after that they settled down for the night and slept as they had never slept before. All these rumours had probably originated with Snowball and his agents. This. Indeed. The others said. The animals' blood boiled with rage when they heard of these things beingdone to their comrades.At the beginning. which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes than when it had been built the first time. one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick. The enemy both external and internal has been defeated. and an overturned pot of white paint. endless work in the supervision and organisation of the farm. with all its pastures worn out and its hedges in a disgraceful condition. with Squealer a few rungs below him holding the paint-pot. Today we begin the hay harvest."Here Squealer's demeanour suddenly changed. Such jobs as weeding.

with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. She was two years past the retiring age.But they woke at dawn as usual. comrade!" cried Squealer. as the case might be.Beasts of every land and clime. or any of the present company. urinated over the plans.' immediately afterwards?""That was our mistake. Kennels Supplied. Squealer said. was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody. and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive. however. and announced that the mill would be named Napoleon Mill. "read me the Fourth Commandment. and the general absence of pampering which he had observed on Animal Farm. they were able to forget that their bellies were empty.The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. on the ground that it made them fat). Finally there came a night when the gale was so violent that the farm buildings rocked on their foundations and several tiles were blown off the roof of the barn.

which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh. It was nearly nine o'clock when Squealer made his appearance. he was with difficulty got on to his feet. Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand. not even the youngest. always at the spot where the work was hardest. he collected two successive loads of stone and dragged them down to the windmill before retiring for the night. and with an air almost of amusement. he cleared his throat and began:"Comrades. and had charged into battle with the words "Long live Humanity!" on his lips." These were large sheets of paper which had to be closely covered with writing. then paused and added impressively: "I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open."What is going to happen to all that milk?" said someone. above all. For a long i. he declared. Nothing could have been achieved without Boxer. At the Meeting on the following Sunday the question of whether or not to begin work on the windmill was to be put to the vote. rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side. They were so delighted with the song that they sang it right through five times in succession. But still.

Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies. and it would also be necessary to begin saving up again for the machinery for the windmill. Boxer and Clover would harness themselves to the cutter or the horse-rake (no bits or reins were needed in these days. for sheep at seven. Snowball was forgotten. There were times when it seemed to the animals that they worked longer hours and fed no better than they had done in Jones's day.And the fruitful fields of EnglandShall be trod by beasts alone. but they did not at first give him much help. finally. Clearly this song has no longer any purpose.Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown. They could not knock it down in a week. it was theirs-everything that they could see was theirs! In the ecstasy of that thought they gambolled round and round. Boxer."It says. The animals watched them. attended by two or three dogs. and that Napoleon had created a new decoration. "Do you not see what they are doing? In another moment they are going to pack blasting powder into that hole. though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep. However.

Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories. flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this. when they grow old and toothless." he said. All the animals nodded in complete agreement."Comrades. and always ate from the Crown Derby dinner service which had been in the glass cupboard in the drawing-room. walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw. He was deceived.Yes. but of late the subject had been discussed more and more. Remove Man from the scene. Gentlemen. Such is the natural life of a pig. If he were gone. Our labour tills the soil. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them. besides supplying every stall with its own electric light. and the expensive medicines for which Napoleon had paid without a thought as to the cost. If she could have spoken her thoughts. as before.

And in a few days' time the pigs intended to hold a memorial banquet in Boxer's honour. but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better. told the sheep to stay where they were.THREE nights later old Major died peacefully in his sleep. and seemed almost indifferent as to the effect he produced. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. it was that they did not want Jones back. A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries. Electricity. One day. Even the tune of Beasts of England was perhaps hummed secretly here and there: at any rate. and then by a hard frost which did not break till well into February. and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. and tell Squealer what has happened. Snowball was secretly frequenting the farm by night! The animals were so disturbed that they could hardly sleep in their stalls. there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. with the white stripe down his nose. Last of all came the cat. And perhaps. But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball.