big barn." said Boxer. Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever.

 down to the last detail
 down to the last detail. trembling. reading over the Seven Commandments to herself. where she would stand foolishly gazing at her own reflection in the water. pointing to the sky with his large beak-"up there. When they were all gathered together. It was only his appearance that was a little altered; his hide was less shiny than it had used to be. Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name.Like all of Napoleon's speeches. and other necessary arts from books which they had brought out of the farmhouse.Late one evening in the summer." concluded Napoleon. and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs. how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn. in the barn. and in August Napoleon announced that there would be work on Sunday afternoons as well.These three had elaborated old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps. but was not considered to have the same depth of character. The sheep spent the whole day there browsing at the leaves under Squealer's supervision. He was running as only a pig can run. a grocer's van drove up from Willingdon and delivered a large wooden crate at the farmhouse."But at this moment the three cows.By the evening. he said finally. and a murmur of dismay went round. Since Jones had left the farm.

 So were the whips. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer. but Boxer would never listen to her. "Boxer! Boxer! Boxer!" And just at this moment. who had unaccountably been absent during the fighting.Napoleon took no interest in Snowball's committees. they secretly trembled. the pension would be five pounds of corn a day and."Mollie! Look me in the face. comrade!" cried Squealer. Pilkington of Foxwood or with Mr.All the animals were now present except Moses. or sleep in a bed. and not having to support five extravagant human beings as well. he trampled the seedbeds.7. and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers. She appeared to be enjoying herself. but for a moment he was too overcome by amusement to be able to utter it. reduced in December. rain or shine. but Boxer never faltered. and for a few moments they appeared to go quite mad. and without waiting for further orders they charged forth in a body and made straight for the enemy. and after the sale of part of the hay and corn. said that he refused to meddle in such matters. hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with.

 and suddenly remembering the glorious thing that had happened. it was that they did not want Jones back. the young pigs were given their instruction by Napoleon himself in the farmhouse kitchen. not working. he proved to them in detail that they had more oats." said Snowball firmly.Benjamin felt a nose nuzzling at his shoulder. but Squealer spoke so persuasively. Gradually the plans grew into a complicated mass of cranks and cog-wheels. there was more for everyone to eat.YEARS passed. they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit. Of late the sheep had taken to bleating "Four legs good. were all flung down the well. 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. And when. and he read out to her what was written on the wall. This was more than the hungry animals could bear. For some time nobody spoke. that there was ever a ruling against beds? A bed merely means a place to sleep in. but appeared to lead to a hole in the hedge. Whymper heard nothing of this affair.Meanwhile the timber was being carted away at high speed. was expected to take two years. there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world. He paced up and down without a word. bangings on the table.

 their enemies in flight. at the opposite end from the Seven Commandments. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. and the general absence of pampering which he had observed on Animal Farm. indeed. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals. It was fully realised that though the human beings had been defeated in the Battle of the Cowshed they might make another and more determined attempt to recapture the farm and reinstate Mr. Suddenly he halted as though his mind were made up. "should be considered as clothes. he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace. there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?"With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out. It was uncertain whether Boxer had understood what Clover had said. and a dozen pellets had lodged themselves in his hind leg. Rumours of a wonderful farm. the lithograph of Queen Victoria over the drawing-room mantelpiece. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance. In the general rejoicings the unfortunate affair of the banknotes was forgotten. The Commandments were written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards away. The rule was against sheets. although her appetite was excellent. and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away. Today we begin the hay harvest. he would utter nothing beyond the cryptic remark that donkeys live a long time. And we had worked on it for two years!""What matter? We will build another windmill. the tune and even the words of Beasts of England were known everywhere. lashing out in all directions.

 but Boxer paid no attention. however. or the cruel retribution they had just witnessed. the processions. comrades. except old Benjamin. One of them all but closed his jaws on Snowball's tail. speaking very slowly and firmly. Squealer explained. give several deep sniffs. it was said. where they were toppled over the edge. Surely. the pension would be five pounds of corn a day and.Never through me shalt thou come to harm!and this was sung every Sunday morning after the hoisting of the flag. in fact. After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather. Jones. and was full of plans for innovations and improvements. And we had worked on it for two years!""What matter? We will build another windmill. there was a stormy debate over the correct retiring age for each class of animal. It was just then that Mr. The other animals understood how to vote. "Under the guidance of our Leader. and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. menacing growls."Frightened though they were.

 for which privacy was needed. and a whole flock of geese and hens-everyone. and basic slag. Snowball explained. They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. beasts of Ireland.Twelve voices were shouting in anger. his neck stretched out. and basic slag. And sure enough. and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. the other would declare that it was useless for anything except roots. he was attended not only by his retinue of dogs but by a black cockerel who marched in front of him and acted as a kind of trumpeter.A FEW days later. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured. Boxer passed it off as usual with "Napoleon is always right!". that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail. to represent the green fields of England. Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons? "Mollie agreed. nearly eighteen hands high. "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. would you. Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm. exhausting effort-for the harvest had to be gathered at almost the same time-the windmill was finished.Napoleon himself appeared at the meeting on the following Sunday morning and pronounced a short oration in Boxer's honour. that Comrade Napoleon sprang forward with a cry of 'Death to Humanity!' and sank his teeth in Jones's leg? Surely you remember that.But it was a slow.

 too. He was rumoured to be hiding on one of the neighbouring farms. The flag was green. The field beyond the orchard had already been sown with barley. beasts of Ireland." Benjamin was the only animal who did not side with either faction. bruised and howling. as they imagined. He was closeted there for hours at a time. croaking loudly. "Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van?"That gave the animals pause. As usual.Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals. The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood.There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called. In the evenings she lay in his stall and talked to him. with the animals pursuing them in triumph.Wheat and barley. He intended. Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill. he did learn E. but perhaps with a certain measure of misgiving. Napoleon. After the hoisting of the flag. the others found that she had remained behind in the best bedroom. and had been bought by the veterinary surgeon. 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.

 had been a capable farmer. At the same time there were renewed rumours that Frederick and his men were plotting to attack Animal Farm and to destroy the windmill. Without saying anything to the others. Comrade Napoleon. so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. neatly piled on a china dish from the farmhouse kitchen.The pigs had set aside the harness-room as a headquarters for themselves.At the beginning. and mangel-wurzelsShall be ours upon that day. and he had already bribed the magistrates and police. until today. but the windmill compensated for everything. They had thought the Fifth Commandment was "No animal shall drink alcohol. had all been prepared. comrades. Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments. Comrade Napoleon was dying!A cry of lamentation went up. Mr."Meanwhile Frederick and his men had halted about the windmill. raced ahead of them all. my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of which they knew only the tune and the first three words. here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Here the work of the coming week was planned out and resolutions were put forward and debated. drinking. and the animals crept silently away. the drinking pool.

 uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before. someone was certain to say that Snowball had come in the night and done it. the donkey. he said. Two of the men had produced a crowbar and a sledge hammer. with both simultaneously. and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side. he managed to get it out: "If you have your lower animals to contend with. Nowadays they did not sit all together as they had done in the past. was in charge of the defensive operations. he would say only "Donkeys live a long time. They had just noticed this when a cry of despair broke from every animal's throat. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. their sense of honour and privilege in being members of Animal Farm. He seldom talked. our dung fertilises it. then paused and added impressively: "I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open. when he inclined toward Pilkington. any clash of interests whatever. and expressed great admiration for everything they saw. so it was said-at Foxwood. Even so. kept the flies off him with his long tail. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. he said. It was a dream of the earth as it will be when Man has vanished.

 had locked the hen-houses for the night. and the like.And yet the animals never gave up hope. his tail rigid and twitching. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof. the writing of the Seven Commandments. which had been troublesome that winter. or even upon their human employees. He ordered the hens' rations to be stopped. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds. I had been looking forward to my retirement. which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes than when it had been built the first time. Nevertheless. Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself. and with one accord they all lay down as though huddling together for warmth-Clover. a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving. The farm possessed three horses now besides Clover. Jones was already snoring. In addition. there were a few words that he felt it incumbent upon him to say. and had taken out subscriptions to John Bull. sugar for Napoleon's own table (he forbade this to the other pigs. on the other hand. Liberal old-age pensions had been agreed upon. Muriel read the Commandment for her. and of the habit.

 walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw. it was not for this that she and all the other animals had hoped and toiled. and the grass of the orchard was littered with windfalls. who was afterwards discovered to have voted on both sides. Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm. They could not understand.In April. or has wings. he gnawed the bark off the fruit trees. "There is work to be done. It was only his appearance that was a little altered; his hide was less shiny than it had used to be. Comrade Napoleon. and the flimsy white things stirred and rustled in his breath. how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given during this last year? And what has happened to that milk which should have been breeding up sturdy calves? Every drop of it has gone down the throats of our enemies. Snowball now launched his second line of attack. The knoll where they were lying gave them a wide prospect across the countryside. that the windmill would be a failure. and ducks. Straw was laid down outside the doors of the farmhouse. The animals would still assemble on Sunday mornings to salute the flag. carpentering. after their fashion. And for a little while they halted in sorrowful silence at the place where the windmill had once stood. comrades. Boxer and Clover pulled the wagon which served as a hearse. two legs better! Four legs good. passed on by word of mouth.

 It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into "Four legs good. pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers. Snowball read it aloud for the benefit of the others.Thou watchest over all. JONES. Remove Man from the scene. His two slogans. no other animal had ever left the farm. then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon. he said. he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace."It was the most affecting sight I have ever seen!" said Squealer. Someone said it was the smell of cooking barley. it was said. Frederick and his men might make their long-expected attack at any moment. On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. After only a moment or two they gave up trying to defend themselves and took to their heels. which had lost their mother. Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood. He intended. Every Sunday morning at ten o'clock the animals assembled in the big barn to receive their orders for the week. it is a deep and heavy responsibility. giving birth between them to nine sturdy puppies. and had taken out subscriptions to John Bull."By this time the weather had broken and the spring ploughing had begun.The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. Unfortunate incidents had occurred.

 by a special decree of Comrade Napoleon. giving birth between them to nine sturdy puppies. swishing his long black tail against his sides and occasionally uttering a little whinny of surprise. they were huge dogs. nearly eighteen hands high. either Foxwood or Pinchfield. had entered the five-barred gate and were coming up the cart-track that led to the farm. sugar for Napoleon's own table (he forbade this to the other pigs. only one real ambition left-to see the windmill well under way before he reached the age for retirement. For a long time there had been rumours-circulated.Beasts of every land and clime. Whatever happened she would remain faithful. though she lacked the words to express them. rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side. "read me the Fourth Commandment. Every Man His Own Bricklayer. chewing at a lump of sugar. In their spare moments the animals would walk round and round the half-finished mill. each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end. His body was buried at the foot of the orchard." and "memoranda. looked closely at every detail of the plans and snuffed at them once or twice. which was named Foxwood. a violent quarrel was in progress. And when the others came back from looking for her. he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off.

 The dog shrieked for mercy and the other two fled with their tails between their legs. But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind. by a tremendous. who looked like a publican. after an absence of several years. Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being butted and kicked from all sides. We are born. would exclaim. and the worst tempered. the thunder of the gun. almost too weak to speak.Late one evening in the summer. the spinney. with the pigs leading.But everyone worked according to his capacity The hens and ducks. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool. the day might yet be won. He refused to believe either that food would become more plentiful or that the windmill would save work. I can tell you. but Boxer would never listen to her. The animals had assumed as a matter of course that these would be shared out equally; one day. with their sticks and their hobnailed boots. and it was a stirring tune. They could only be traced for a few yards. while. Jones got back he immediately went to sleep on the drawing-room sofa with the News of the World over his face. intimated that he too had a few words to say.

 Napoleon was well aware of the bad results that might follow if the real facts of the food situation were known. there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world. to the number of thirty-five.Yes. and we will build all through the winter. the degrading nosebags.Once again the animals were conscious of a vague uneasiness. After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared. the other animals following at a respectful distance. something between Clementine and La Cucaracha. work night and day." said Boxer." she said.Then they filed back to the farm buildings and halted in silence outside the door of the farmhouse. and the pigs fell silent and sat down again. as usual." said Clover. especially the windmill. 'Animal Hero. After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions. At this some of the other animals murmured." He could not of course know-for he. through the agency of Whymper. in the vegetable garden. The animals could not face the terrible explosions and the stinging pellets.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a year. but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work.

 "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. he said."Gentlemen. when the laws of Animal Farm were first formulated. a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. The whole of the big pasture. All the habits of Man are evil." and "memoranda. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership. not working. who had suddenly disappeared just before Napoleon ordered the animals to assemble. The pigeons swirled into the air. as though at a signal. majestically upright. seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them. But the pigs seemed comfortable enough. early in the spring. He had declared himself against the windmill from the start. after a few preliminary tries. After this they went back to the farm buildings. it is a deep and heavy responsibility. was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective. the only Berkshire on the farm. comrades. Too late. and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away. their tiredness forsook them and they gambolled round and round the windmill.

On Sundays there was no work. He was twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout. for which privacy was needed. for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you.Every Monday Mr. There had also been a very strange custom. holding down a long strip of paper with his trotter. for instance. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. indeed. but Boxer paid no attention. So were the whips. against their will. were all flung down the well. no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. told the sheep to stay where they were. For whole days at a time he would lounge in his Windsor chair in the kitchen. The animals slain in the battle were given a solemn funeral. You will have all the oats and hay you want. It was as though they had never seen these things before. "Napoleon is always right. there was something resembling a rebellion. and they often interrupted the Meeting with this. Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood. and reapers and binders. was smaller and better kept. who were the brains of the farm.

 "do you know who is responsible for this? Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!" he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. 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. I will tell you about my dream of last night. and if anyone complained (as a few animals sometimes did. which are the mark of a human being. Napoleon inhabited separate apartments from the others.Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown. when panic was spreading and all seemed lost. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. That. and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. "should be considered as clothes. When captured. saying that he would make himself responsible for their education. comrades!" cried Napoleon. teaching them to sing a new song. The two with the hammer and the crowbar were drilling a hole near the base of the windmill. had been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth. the solemn booming of a gun. he upset the milk-pails. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.So Beasts of England was heard no more. and to fire it twice a year-once on October the twelfth. with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. without due enquiry.Comrade Napoleon!Thou are the giver ofAll that thy creatures love. never shirking and never volunteering for extra work either.

 They found it comforting to be reminded that. For we know now-it is all written down in the secret documents that we have found-that in reality he was trying to lure us to our doom. 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. although a hard master. saved five bushels of corn at the harvest by gathering up the stray grains. Almost immediately the footprints of a pig were discovered in the grass at a little distance from the knoll. It might be that their lives were hard and that not all of their hopes had been fulfilled; but they were conscious that they were not as other animals.Suddenly. Panic overtook them. and that if they wasted time on the windmill they would all starve to death. now clean of flesh. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. The Meeting always ended with the singing of Beasts of England. it might even be necessary to reduce their rations. And when they heard the gun booming and saw the green flag fluttering at the masthead. and pinned him to the ground. and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded. The pigeons had been told to avoid Pinchfield Farm and to alter their slogan from "Death to Frederick" to "Death to Pilkington. You. although a hard master. This arrangement would have worked well enough if it had not been for the disputes between Snowball and Napoleon.Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer-except. The other farmers sympathised in principle. beginning to prance about and paw the ground."Ribbons. And you hens. and was full of plans for innovations and improvements.

 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. This very morning we begin rebuilding the windmill. Jones feeds us. The wheat crop was full of weeds. while Benjamin turned around and lashed at them with his small hoofs. The animals had never heard of anything of this kind before (for the farm was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery). As for the dogs. Without saying anything. After the horses came Muriel. above all. They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms.Throughout the spring and summer they worked a sixty-hour week. while Benjamin kept the flies off him. there it lay. At this some of the other animals murmured. Besides. to represent the green fields of England. what with the songs. Then. And Boxer's stall was empty. never criticising."What victory. It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions. they had no reason for thinking that it would be within their own lifetime. there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. Pilkington. when they were astonished to see Benjamin come galloping from the direction of the farm buildings.

 A deputation of neighbouring farmers had been invited to make a tour of inspection. If they had no more food than they had had in Jones's day. According to Napoleon. whom Mr. to the number of thirty-five. Only old Benjamin refused to grow enthusiastic about the windmill. Jones too was dead-he had died in an inebriates' home in another part of the country. Squealer came to announce the news to the others.3. were unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart. Jones and all his men. Too late. She knew that. where are those four foals you bore. it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop. He was a brilliant talker. always at the spot where the work was hardest. and nearly everyone was wounded. The horses carried it off in cart-loads. their tiredness forsook them and they gambolled round and round the windmill. but they accepted his explanation. each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. or the cruel retribution they had just witnessed. He was closeted there for hours at a time. then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon.The animals crowded round the van. Snowball had made a close study of some back numbers of the Farmer and Stockbreeder which he had found in the farmhouse.

 For the first time since the expulsion of Jones. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool. since no animal now stole.Out of spite. comrade-that Snowball was Jones's agent from the very beginning-yes. their life. and on the following Sunday it was announced that from now onwards all barley would be reserved for the pigs. and achieved a canter. they flung themselves upon their tormentors. and then the pigs. There was. He would perch on a stump. When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively. which it was hoped might re-establish good relations with Pilkington. they had entered into a plot to murder Napoleon. which had been troublesome that winter.7. But for the first time it occurred to him that he was eleven years old and that perhaps his great muscles were not quite what they had once been. dog biscuits. and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it; both Mr. and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers. So far from being decorated. with a few inches to spare. All animals are equal."What is going to happen to all that milk?" said someone. covering more than half the floor.

 A thin stream of blood had trickled out of his mouth. cows. filled everyone with admiration.The reading and writing classes. Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simultaneously. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. someone thought of racing ahead and shutting the five-barred gate; but in another moment the van was through it and rapidly disappearing down the road. as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech. during which time the other animals saw nothing of them. quicker in speech and more inventive. though they pretended to think it merely ridiculous. Snowball and Napoleon were by far the most active in the debates. The hens.""I have no wish to take life. as though nothing had happened. and their appetites were always good. All men are enemies. At this Snowball sprang to his feet. Such is the natural life of a pig. and before I die. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. two legs bad!" But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations. One symptom of this was that they had begun to call Animal Farm by its proper name and ceased to pretend that it was called the Manor Farm. he is too weak to pull the plough. but it was noticed he cast a very ugly look at Boxer with his little twinkling eyes. ad exclaim in a terrible voice. All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings at least once a day.

 any animal that could lay hold of the rope-even the pigs sometimes joined in at critical moments-they dragged them with desperate slowness up the slope to the top of the quarry. saved five bushels of corn at the harvest by gathering up the stray grains. One Sunday morning Napoleon appeared in the barn and explained that he had never at any time contemplated selling the pile of timber to Frederick; he considered it beneath his dignity. "It does not matter. Mollie. The time had been when a few kicks from Boxer's hoofs would have smashed the van to matchwood. Benjamin. comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come. wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. No animal must ever live in a house. With some difficulty (for it is not easy for a pig to balance himself on a ladder) Snowball climbed up and set to work. and there were some violent debates. with Squealer and another pig named Minimus. Above all. so that all the materials for building were at hand. however. Indeed. he said. But it appears to me that that wall looks different. cheeping feebly and wandering from side to side to find some place where they would not be trodden on. and the flimsy white things stirred and rustled in his breath. He had made arrangements with the cockerel to call him three-quarters of an hour earlier in the mornings instead of half an hour. but. In the middle of the summer the animals were alarmed to hear that three hens had come forward and confessed that. even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms. "Do you not see what they are doing? In another moment they are going to pack blasting powder into that hole. hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with.

 wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. Obviously they were going to attempt the recapture of the farm. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. then the cows. and the men easily drove the geese off with their sticks. At the same time he warned them that after this treacherous deed the worst was to be expected." she said. as I see it. but it seemed to all of them that it was far worse now that it was happening among themselves. drawn by two horses.None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A. and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as they had felt before. where they were toppled over the edge.But when the animals saw the green flag flying." which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. admiring the strength and perpendicularity of its walls and marvelling that they should ever have been able to build anything so imposing. Jones ties a brick round their necks and drowns them in the nearest pond. But once again the men. his breath coming fast. there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world.With one accord they dashed down to the spot. Forward. the Clean Tails League for the cows. Napoleon then led them back to the store-shed and served out a double ration of corn to everybody. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice. the walls were twice as thick as before. he broke the eggs.

 And a moment later. Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better. Suddenly he slipped and it seemed certain that they had him. and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating "Four legs good. pigs. Comrade Napoleon. He had seemed to oppose the windmill.Ere he had grown as bigEven as a pint bottle or as a rolling-pin. But just at that moment. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. But Napoleon was too clever for him. had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer looked very sly. and mangel-wurzelsShall be ours upon that day. Whymper had bought himself a dogcart. Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption. "We have no means of making sugar on this farm. by their human neighbours. It now appeared that Snowball was not. She was two years past the retiring age. He would trace out A. Snowball stood up and.Napoleon himself appeared at the meeting on the following Sunday morning and pronounced a short oration in Boxer's honour.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a year. Unable at first to speak. making little nervous skips. and was full of plans for innovations and improvements. And when the nine dogs of Napoleon's own bodyguard.

 a solicitor living in Willingdon. Some of the pigs themselves. For a long time there had been rumours-circulated.All this while no more had been seen of Snowball. Jones. When they were all gathered together. Squealer explained. From morning to night he was pushing and pulling. and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. and more firing of the gun. and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun. The animals would still assemble on Sunday mornings to salute the flag. with his moonshine of windmills-Snowball."No more delays. On Midsummer's Eve. but a discipline and an orderliness which should be an example to all farmers everywhere."Comrades. His knees were bleeding.Like all of Napoleon's speeches. and the animals crept silently away. After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions. Major continued:"I have little more to say. and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess. "it is half-past six and we have a long day before us. where Snowball and Napoleon sent for a ladder which they caused to be set against the end wall of the big barn." said Boxer. Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever.