labour on the upkeep of hedges and gates. If he were gone. They could not remember. but Clover.

Yes
Yes. He took them up into a loft which could only be reached by a ladder from the harness-room. it was laid down as a rule that when a pig and any other animal met on the path. and all the animals broke into a gallop and rushed into the yard. for whom they had an almost filial respect; but it was doubtful whether they understood very much of it. but he was still a majestic-looking pig. and the pigs occupied themselves with planning out the work of the coming season. comrades. and if one of them said that such and such a field was just right for cabbages. four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory message. Except for Mollie and Snowball." he said.A week later. with the dogs following him.Napoleon took no interest in Snowball's committees. "I was at his bedside at the very last. The time had been when a few kicks from Boxer's hoofs would have smashed the van to matchwood.

 It was not that these creatures did not work. If they went hungry." said one of the hens.Mollie in fact was missing. the animals walked round and round their masterpiece. Muriel. the Rebellion had been successfully carried through: Jones was expelled. and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings. then the horses."Comrade. This was run up the flagstaff in the farmhouse garden every Sunday 8. and wasted time. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer. It should therefore be regarded as a leg. I give you a toast: To the prosperity of Animal Farm!"There was enthusiastic cheering and stamping of feet. And we had worked on it for two years!""What matter? We will build another windmill. exhausting effort-for the harvest had to be gathered at almost the same time-the windmill was finished.

 the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters. then the pigeons reported that they had seen her on the other side of Willingdon. I am twelve years old and have had over four hundred children." said one of the hens. The building of the windmill. as well as on the other two anniversaries. Jones's especial pet. went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. which was the signal for retreat." He could not of course know-for he. And so within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come. Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm. casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball. a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile. my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of which they knew only the tune and the first three words. and the next moment the cowardly enemy was running for dear life. which was always served to him in the Crown Derby soup tureen.

 in spite of inexperience. and was full of plans for innovations and improvements. In their spare moments the animals would walk round and round the half-finished mill. This time the stones had vanished too. A Mr. You.Cruel whips no more shall crack. It had been felt that the existence of a farm owned and operated by pigs was somehow abnormal and was liable to have an unsettling effect in the neighbourhood. after an absence of several years. Moses said. Sometimes on the slope leading to the top of the quarry.It was a source of great satisfaction to him. and a whole flock of geese and hens-everyone. and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living. The animals filed slowly past. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week.

 and the like.Nevertheless. He had made an arrangement with one of the cockerels to call him in the mornings half an hour earlier than anyone else. He gave his orders quickly. they were burnt in the furnace. Nobody stole. Some of them had five chins. He turned to go. but issued his orders through one of the other pigs. just on the other side of that dark cloud that you can see-there it lies. casting haughty glances from side to side. and pinned him to the ground. Frederick and Pilkington said. The knoll where they were lying gave them a wide prospect across the countryside. was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it. what discouragements they had overcome. the remaining animals.

 it might be in a week or in a hundred years. and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted. his mug in his hand. but Snowball whisked it free just in time. and escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk.Once again the animals were conscious of a vague uneasiness. they laboured in the fields; in winter they were troubled by the cold. Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. It was situated somewhere up in the sky. in spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs. Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when. lest it should be poisoned. carrying tiny wisps of hay in their beaks. and D. appetising scent. but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. None of the old dreams had been abandoned.

 In the evening Squealer called them together. though no one would have dared to sing it aloud. it might be in a week or in a hundred years. He believed that he was right in saying that the lower animals on Animal Farm did more work and received less food than any animals in the county. must surrender their eggs. he said-and. Jones's and had painted on it a hoof and a horn in white. but he was also a clever talker. Frederick should be boiled alive. Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand. Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called "files. Terror of Mankind. one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick. They had had a hard year. probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball. The next moment he and his four men were in the store-shed with whips in their hands. And in a few days' time the pigs intended to hold a memorial banquet in Boxer's honour.

 They rushed back and looked through the window again. and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks. But there is another matter that must be attended to first. I dislike them myself. All animals are equal. she fetched Muriel. that they worked shorter hours. Did we not see for ourselves how he attempted-fortunately without success-to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle of the Cowshed?"The animals were stupefied. And you hens. Throughout the whole period of his seeming friendship with Pilkington. who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals. Sure enough." cried Snowball. But no warm mash appeared. which was standing outside a public-house. who had just come in to lay again. never growing tired of it.

 Squealer. Slowly. Napoleon ordered all the animals to assemble in the yard. had locked the hen-houses for the night. not speaking. comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil-the sacred soil of Animal Farm? ""But they have destroyed the windmill. this was only a light skirmishing manoeuvre. The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood. and achieved a canter. Clover made a sort of wall round them with her great foreleg. These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible. Their struggles and their difficulties were one."Comrades!" cried Squealer. and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun. wafted itself across the yard from the little brew-house. And sure enough. comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil-the sacred soil of Animal Farm? ""But they have destroyed the windmill.

 however. these stories were never fully believed. the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard. they hated it more than ever. They all cowered silently in their places. hiding on Pinchfield Farm. on the ground that it made them fat).Bright will shine the fields of England. comrade!" as the case might be. with the nine young dogs forming a semicircle round them. but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. When Mr. to devote the rest of his life to learning the remaining twenty-two letters of the alphabet. The whole thing would be over in a fortnight. harrows. Huge boulders. B.

 and suddenly remembering the glorious thing that had happened. With tears in their eyes they asked one another what they should do if their Leader were taken away from them. His answer to every problem. then to Snowball. 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. And in his spare moments. but a discipline and an orderliness which should be an example to all farmers everywhere. Squealer was so fat that he could with difficulty see out of his eyes. pretty white mare who drew Mr. and the animals were underfed. rich. broke into a passionate appeal in favour of the windmill. Do not imagine. just at the moment when Jones and his men had got inside the yard. the donkey. a solicitor living in Willingdon. Napoleon.

 between the shafts of the cart. that a larger proportion of their young ones survived infancy. Muriel read the Commandment for her. and drag it down to the site of the windmill unassisted. he said. it seemed that nothing kept him on his feet except the will to continue. who had begun bleating again. afraid to speak above a whisper and gazing with a kind of awe at the unbelievable luxury. dog biscuits. It happened that there was in the yard a pile of timber which had been stacked there ten years earlier when a beech spinney was cleared. At first they pretended to laugh to scorn the idea of animals managing a farm for themselves. Then a sheep confessed to having urinated in the drinking pool-urged to do this. Each had his own following. "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!"All the animals took up the cry of "Get out. Snowball also threw on to the fire the ribbons with which the horses' manes and tails had usually been decorated on market days. Snowball was known to be still skulking on Pinchfield Farm. No animal shall drink alcohol.

 Bluebell. not much of a talker. Last night. he would go alone to the quarry.6. Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever. He talked learnedly about field drains. the order went forth that all the windfalls were to be collected and brought to the harness-room for the use of the pigs. it was theirs-everything that they could see was theirs! In the ecstasy of that thought they gambolled round and round. "Snowball fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed. At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches. Clover took her aside. All the habits of Man are evil. the three cows. Whymper heard nothing of this affair. they reasoned. Boxer worked harder than ever.

 comrade-that Snowball was Jones's agent from the very beginning-yes. seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them. Without saying anything to the others. a schoolroom would be built in the farmhouse garden. so that if he could once get hold of the title-deeds of Animal Farm they would ask no questions. Napoleon was hesitating between the two. It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune.There was a deadly silence. with guilt written on every line of their countenances. Squealer was so fat that he could with difficulty see out of his eyes. The animals found the problem insoluble; in any case. that it was just at that moment. and. and fresh precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken. but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders. ever ceased to marvel at that. the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim.

 Last night. Jones got back he immediately went to sleep on the drawing-room sofa with the News of the World over his face. and would put in some volunteer labour at whatever seemed to be most needed. Not one of them. the fields were full of weeds." concluded Napoleon. They were gored. but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey. no matter what happened-they might have uttered some word of protest. In the evening Squealer called them together. we are all brothers. and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers. string."The birds did not understand Snowball's long words. and very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it. Jones was already snoring.

 What was it that had altered in the faces of the pigs? Clover's old dim eyes flitted from one face to another. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations." he said quietly. the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed. Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself. things had been better or worse than now. and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. Frederick. and walked out without uttering a word.But it was a slow. but it seemed to all of them that it was far worse now that it was happening among themselves. Yes. and all the animals. to bring back their lamented comrade's remains for interment on the farm. That. The stupidest questions of all were asked by Mollie. for instance.

 Kennels Supplied." said Boxer sorrowfully. Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat Boxer's case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm. with the white stripe down his nose. They could not knock it down in a week." Others asked such questions as "Why should we care what happens after we are dead?" or "If this Rebellion is to happen anyway. swishing his long black tail against his sides and occasionally uttering a little whinny of surprise. They were the same four pigs as had protested when Napoleon abolished the Sunday Meetings. Man is the only real enemy we have. rain or shine. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers. attended by two or three dogs. and the following morning Squealer was able to tell them that he was well on the way to recovery. which saved a lot of labour on the upkeep of hedges and gates. If he were gone. They could not remember. but Clover.