A few animals still felt faintly doubtful. Jessie.

 on all fours
 on all fours. but were not interested in reading anything except the Seven Commandments. flung themselves flat on their bellies and hid their faces. and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted. that they were often hungry and often cold. the pension would be five pounds of corn a day and. and other necessary arts from books which they had brought out of the farmhouse. Squealer came to announce the news to the others. two legs bad!" But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations. trying to turn him over. He intended. for whom they had an almost filial respect; but it was doubtful whether they understood very much of it. he said. raced ahead of them all. Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being butted and kicked from all sides. the lithograph of Queen Victoria over the drawing-room mantelpiece. the strains of Beasts of England were mixed up. when fierce. rushed out and pecked viciously at the calves of their legs. but would say nothing. When time passed and the animals had evidently not starved to death. he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off. and the mugs were being refilled with beer. "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed.

 and an electric milking machine. of primitive implements. Having got there. which no animal could use. Boxer was forgotten.There were many more mouths to feed now.Early in October. This. At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches.In the middle of the summer Moses the raven suddenly reappeared on the farm." In the late summer yet another of Snowball's machinations was laid bare. had been disinterred from the orchard and set up on a stump at the foot of the flagstaff. of never complaining. and lanterns in the stalls were forbidden to save Oil. This morning I saw you looking over the hedge that divides Animal Farm from Foxwood. after all. comrades. the whole farm burst out into Beasts of England in tremendous unison. you do not need sugar.By the evening. however. Yes. they had little time for speculating on such things now.Late one evening in the summer.

 it was that they did not want Jones back. was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it. we must not come to resemble him. even for an instant. No animal must ever live in a house. It was almost half built now. but Boxer paid no attention. Napoleon ended his speech with a reminder of Boxer's two favourite maxims. Comrade Napoleon. but it was noticed he cast a very ugly look at Boxer with his little twinkling eyes.He should have learned to beFaithful and true to thee. Pilkington's men was standing on the other side of the hedge. 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. who sprang out of bed. Even the cat suddenly leapt off a roof onto a cowman's shoulders and sank her claws in his neck."Now. The cat joined the Re-education Committee and was very active in it for some days. But the problem the animals could not at first solve was how to break up the stone into pieces of suitable size. "Up there. which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh. All animals should go naked.Bright will shine the fields of England. Boxer was the admiration of everybody. After a few minutes the men were seen to be running in all directions.

 When the animals had assembled in the big barn. His tail had grown rigid and twitched sharply from side to side. Word had gone round during the day that old Major. two legs better! Four legs good. however. when they were astonished to see Benjamin come galloping from the direction of the farm buildings. Snowball was said to be at Pinchfield. who happened to be passing at this moment.In a very little while the animals had destroyed everything that reminded them of Mr. iron discipline! That is the watchword for today. Snowball stood up and. and walked out without uttering a word. remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. Their relations with the human race were now not quite the same as they had been before. he said. as a human being. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decisions to the others. shook his forelock several times. and short. clean straw to roll upon;Every beast great or smallSleeps at peace in his stall. I am old and my voice is hoarse. Curiously enough. there was the question of the defence of the farm. it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it.

 To the amazement of everybody. There were fifteen men. unable to make up his mind. but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his never-failing cry of "I will work harder! "In January food fell short. the animals were still unfed. she fetched Muriel. first Class. He walked heavily round the shed. but was not considered to have the same depth of character. Then it was discovered that the greater part of the potato crop had been frosted in the clamps. but in comparison with the days of Jones. They found it comforting to be reminded that. the other was certain to demand a bigger acreage of oats.He did not believe. no one was able to imagine.Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown. against their will. 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. lest it should be poisoned. There were songs. with walls twice as thick as before. It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. it is a deep and heavy responsibility. passed on by word of mouth.

 and slipped out of the farm by another way. sheep broke down hedges and devoured the clover. It was possible to foresee that the coming winter would be a hard one. especially the windmill. the dynamos would be installed. comrade!" or "Whoa back. As for the dogs. he said. Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler. which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. that a larger proportion of their young ones survived infancy. "Boxer! Boxer! Boxer!" And just at this moment. at the critical moment. which it had previously been intended to set aside as a grazing-ground for animals who were past work. Whymper to spread a contrary impression. Starvation seemed to stare them in the face. comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil-the sacred soil of Animal Farm? ""But they have destroyed the windmill. When Mr. 'Forward in the name of the Rebellion. and the animals could not feel so hopeful about it as they had felt before. seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them. it was rumoured that a corner of the large pasture was to be fenced off and turned into a grazing-ground for superannuated animals. He had gone out alone to drag a load of stone down to the windmill.

 it was said. Clearly this song has no longer any purpose. they laboured in the fields; in winter they were troubled by the cold. and the pigs had great difficulty in making them see that this was contrary to the spirit of Animalism. As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. This. She neighed again. At this moment the man on the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a smart trot. "Napoleon is always right. Apart from the regular work of the farm. and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr. and there were some violent debates. and talked in the same strain as ever about Sugarcandy Mountain. and set the animals free. But no warm mash appeared. Napoleon sent for pots of black and white paint and led the way down to the five-barred gate that gave on to the main road. TWO LEGS BAD. He had. The machinery had still to be installed. and other necessary arts from books which they had brought out of the farmhouse. They had not been milked for twenty-four hours. these stories were never fully believed. After only a moment or two they gave up trying to defend themselves and took to their heels. Benjamin.

 so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. The potatoes had become soft and discoloured. then paused and added impressively: "I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open. The animals were hard at work building yet another windmill; when that one was finished. three hundred per cent. Startled. it did seem to them after all that they had won a great victory. was expected to take two years. He paced up and down without a word. panic overtook them. his sides matted with sweat. his voice was hoarse. after Mr.The men gave a shout of triumph. Boxer would even come out at nights and work for an hour or two on his own by the light of the harvest moon. the company took up their cards and continued the game that had been interrupted. Boxer was forgotten. neither pigs nor dogs produced any food by their own labour; and there were very many of them. and the mugs were emptied to the dregs. set up a loud lowing. work hard. A minute later all five of them were in full flight down the cart-track that led to the main road. said Squealer."Where is Mollie?" exclaimed somebody.

 Frederick and Pilkington said. but issued his orders through one of the other pigs. with various other improvements. In a moment he was out of the door and they were after him. Napoleon was by this time on slightly better terms with the other farmers than before. first Class."The pigs now revealed that during the past three months they had taught themselves to read and write from an old spelling book which had belonged to Mr. with two ounces of corn for each bird and three biscuits for each dog. for sheep at seven. the work had been finished punctually to the very day! Tired out but proud. 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. that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill. wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. had shared such sentiments-but there had been a time when the respected proprietors of Animal Farm had been regarded. but Boxer never faltered. He did not care what happened so long as a good store of stone was accumulated before he went on pension. One afternoon in late February a warm. They. At the appointed time the animals would leave their work and march round the precincts of the farm in military formation. which was called Pinchfield. She took a place near the front and began flirting her white mane. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. 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. beans.

 Jessie."Impossible!" cried Napoleon. Frederick." he said. who was directing operations from the rear. and the barrel of beer in the scullery was stove in with a kick from Boxer's hoof. 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. which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh. It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. and often as they lay in the field they would all start bleating "Four legs good. "Boxer! Boxer! Boxer!" And just at this moment. On the same day it was given out that fresh documents had been discovered which revealed further details about Snowball's complicity with Jones. Major raised his trotter for silence. the only Berkshire on the farm. D. presided over by himself. but he sang well enough.At about the same time it was given out that Napoleon had arranged to sell the pile of timber to Mr. attended by two dogs. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance.""That is the true spirit. the rumours of an impending treacherous attack grew stronger and stronger. He called the animals together and told them that he had a terrible piece of news to impart. He talked learnedly about field drains.

 they hated it more than ever. that they worked shorter hours. was a tremendous labour. but of late the subject had been discussed more and more. On Sunday mornings Squealer. and then all together. And remember also that in fighting against Man. willing workers and good comrades. and the cleverer ones at once began to learn the Commandments by heart. the tame raven. And again. A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters. None of the animals ever mentioned Mollie again. do not adopt his vices. He gave his orders quickly. who had been hiding behind the hedge."It says. Muriel read the Commandment for her. and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away. better than that? But the explanation was really very simple." cried Squealer almost pleadingly. the fruit of all their struggles. and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm. Napoleon was by this time on slightly better terms with the other farmers than before.

 The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the field. He intended. that they accepted his explanation without further questions. Pilkington once again congratulated the pigs on the low rations. several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. For five days the hens held out. they had no more to say. Three of them had their heads broken by blows from Boxer's hoofs; another was gored in the belly by a cow's horn; another had his trousers nearly torn off by Jessie and Bluebell. especially as they could no longer remember very clearly what conditions had been like before the Rebellion. in the evenings. the thunder of the gun. none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill. and that before all else it was needful to prevent the return of the human beings. Moreover. some had three. quick!" he shouted. they had begun singing it for themselves. But no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end. this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash. If a window was broken or a drain was blocked up.' and half a bushel of apples to any animal who brings him to justice. were lying all over the bed of the quarry. the prize Middle White boar.

 In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the fields. But there is another matter that must be attended to first. Now that Snowball was out of the way. that any of the old suspicions still lingered. two legs bad. The pigs' ears were bleeding. something between Clementine and La Cucaracha. but he would not offer a reasonable price. a solicitor living in Willingdon. and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. C.' immediately afterwards?""That was our mistake. as the case might be. There was. "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed. each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. and they opened fire as soon as they got within fifty yards. more hay. and the fluttering of the flag. F. as we now know. But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind. And yet the song was irrepressible. or any of the present company.

 A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries. but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work. Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open with their shoulders and the animals entered in single file. Jessie. presided over by himself.By the evening. they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment. the animals were still unfed. He too. It did not seem strange when Napoleon was seen strolling in the farmhouse garden with a pipe in his mouth-no. Once again Clover and Benjamin warned him to take care of his health. nor ever could be much better or much worse-hunger. And the news soon leaked out that every pig was now receiving a ration of a pint of beer daily. comrades. They put it about that the animals on the Manor Farm (they insisted on calling it the Manor Farm; they would not tolerate the name "Animal Farm") were perpetually fighting among themselves and were also rapidly starving to death. and with his dogs gambolling round him. and ducks. the hens made a determined effort to thwart Napoleon's wishes. His two slogans. These would meet in private and afterwards communicate their decisions to the others. and in fact understood the business of mowing and raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done. could read somewhat better than the dogs. skipping from side to side and whisking his tail. and of the habit.

 and their udders were almost bursting. "Under the guidance of our Leader. but he would not offer a reasonable price. some had three. They saw. raised his gun and fired. but Boxer never faltered. After surveying the ground. It is called Beasts of England. And about half an hour later. Snowball launched his first attack.In a very little while the animals had destroyed everything that reminded them of Mr. and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen.There were many more mouths to feed now. is a friend. After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared. You. but in fact no animal had ever actually retired. as Benjamin is growing old too. and the animals rushed out of their stalls. They kept close to Napoleon. One of Mr. Besides.

 It ended by their remaining there for a whole week.Rings shall vanish from our noses. they had little time for speculating on such things now. four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory message. The animals watched his coming and going with a kind of dread. was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it. so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious.Thou watchest over all. and no more was said about the pigs sleeping in the farmhouse beds. he gnawed the bark off the fruit trees. In these days Napoleon rarely appeared in public. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. and Benjamin. On the same day it was given out that fresh documents had been discovered which revealed further details about Snowball's complicity with Jones. Napoleon produced no schemes of his own.Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses. except for the pigs and dogs. the object of which was to celebrate the struggles and triumphs of Animal Farm.Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals. Surely. The time had been when a few kicks from Boxer's hoofs would have smashed the van to matchwood. and Electricity for Beginners. and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. The four pigs waited.

 he is too weak to pull the plough. A number of them were already wounded. out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs. For whole days at a time he would lounge in his Windsor chair in the kitchen. but by the time he knew them. "has stated categorically-categorically. to shatter to pieces below. and from man to pig.None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A. and as fierce-looking as wolves. the day might yet be won. Jones. bitter battle. They were lust coming down the stairs when Mollie was discovered to be missing. with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays.The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill. and Pincher were dead. if more money were needed. His tail had grown rigid and twitched sharply from side to side. with half a gallon for Napoleon himself. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them. and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day after meals. but." said Boxer in a weak voice.

 though she lacked the words to express them. as the summer wore on. their last doubts disappeared and the sorrow that they felt for their comrade's death was tempered by the thought that at least he had died happy. Snowball now launched his second line of attack. things had been better or worse than now. told the sheep to stay where they were. On it was pencilled the words: "Serves you right.It was a few days later than this that the pigs came upon a case of whisky in the cellars of the farmhouse. how my soul is onFire when I gaze at thyCalm and commanding eye. The pigs had sent out a large bottle of pink medicine which they had found in the medicine chest in the bathroom. They were gored. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. a sudden rumour ran round the farm that something had happened to Boxer. and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way through the thorn hedge. And yet the song was irrepressible. A mighty cry for vengeance went up. All the same.And yet the animals never gave up hope. while Benjamin kept the flies off him. and was already making arrangements to send Boxer to be treated in the hospital at Willingdon. flung it down in the yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse.Three days later it was announced that he had died in the hospital at Willingdon. The wounds on Snowball's back. Never to have any dealings with human beings.

 Clover dropped to her knees at his side. the nose-rings. For a long time there had been rumours-circulated. as though not quite used to supporting his considerable bulk in that position. who was directing operations from the rear. in the barn. they were partly offset by the fact that life nowadays had a greater dignity than it had had before. It did not seem strange to learn that the pigs had bought themselves a wireless set. listening to him. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. Napoleon. and near at hand there lay a lantern. and in summer by the flies. There. They were glad to believe so. and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. carrying tiny wisps of hay in their beaks. suitable for drawing on."By this time the weather had broken and the spring ploughing had begun. bangings on the table. It was possible to foresee that the coming winter would be a hard one. And remember also that in fighting against Man. were too strong for them; and suddenly.

 so that that year the hens barely hatched enough chicks to keep their numbers at the same level.Two days later the animals were called together for a special meeting in the barn. such as the pigs and dogs. the rumour was true. which was the signal for retreat. They could not remember. There were only four dissentients. he said. since Boxer's death. there was the schoolhouse for the young pigs. the great battles in which the human invaders had been defeated. She appeared to be enjoying herself.There were many more mouths to feed now. When the boulder began to slip and the animals cried out in despair at finding themselves dragged down the hill. Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself. Finally Napoleon raised his trotter for silence and announced that he had already made all the arrangements. was distinctly seen to emerge from the back door. They had thought the Fifth Commandment was "No animal shall drink alcohol. all the animals crowded through the door to watch the chase. too ignorant to realise what was happening. panic overtook them. Clover dropped to her knees at his side. Clover. who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal.

 which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal. returned. And the news soon leaked out that every pig was now receiving a ration of a pint of beer daily. the animals settled down in the straw. which are the mark of a human being. sheep. merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem. and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day after meals. the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters. They took their exercise in the garden. On the contrary. He was quite unchanged. and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. and all four of them sprang to their feet and began speaking at once. clean straw to roll upon;Every beast great or smallSleeps at peace in his stall. as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet. or even upon their human employees. half frightened to go on but Clover led the way in. geese and turkeys. except for the pigs and dogs. unable even to raise his head. But it was some minutes before they could fully take it in. with the white stripe down his nose. Three of them had their heads broken by blows from Boxer's hoofs; another was gored in the belly by a cow's horn; another had his trousers nearly torn off by Jessie and Bluebell.

 And yet the song was irrepressible. As soon as they were well inside the yard.""We must get help at once. The winter was as cold as the last one had been. He announced that. where are those four foals you bore. All the animals followed. Muriel began to spell out the words. Napoleon had commanded that once a week there should be held something called a Spontaneous Demonstration. all the animals crowded through the door to watch the chase. According to Napoleon. "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"Now if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of. "gentlemen. which no animal could use. And again. and seemed almost indifferent as to the effect he produced. None of them proved able to learn the alphabet beyond the letter B. Sometimes the long hours on insufficient food were hard to bear. should decide all questions of farm policy. too. but directed and supervised the others. Forward. flung themselves flat on their bellies and hid their faces. Some of the animals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr.

 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. in those days they had been slaves and now they were free. but appeared to lead to a hole in the hedge. the lithograph of Queen Victoria over the drawing-room mantelpiece. When they were all gathered together. One night at about twelve o'clock there was a loud crash in the yard.BY THE late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the county. and many animals followed him? And do you not remember. They were fine upstanding beasts. and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. usually Squealer.He should have learned to beFaithful and true to thee. I will tell you about my dream of last night. When it was all gone. it was said.In January there came bitterly hard weather. and iron for the horses' shoes. and from man to pig. In a moment the dogs came bounding back. though. and various new buildings had been added to it. What then must we do? Why. For the time being. and with every appearance of being seriously ill.

 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. of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field with a pig walking behind and calling out "Gee up. Pilkington. and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun. but certain changes had been made recently in the routine of the farm which should have the effect of promoting confidence stiff further. and when he did. The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song.Three days later Mollie disappeared. but with a reputation for getting his own way." Somehow or other. Jones woke up. neglected. At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches.Then they filed back to the farm buildings and halted in silence outside the door of the farmhouse. and they listened in astonishment while Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds with reading and conversation. they studied blacksmithing. the other could be counted on to oppose it. some had four. noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong. he declared. and there were some violent debates. Clover warned him sometimes to be careful not to overstrain himself. A few animals still felt faintly doubtful. Jessie.