seen to emerge from the back door.

 one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick
 one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick. he might expect to live another three years. With tears in their eyes they asked one another what they should do if their Leader were taken away from them.At last the day came when Snowball's plans were completed. with Squealer and another pig named Minimus. If she herself had had any picture of the future. There were only four dissentients. who looked round. He was rumoured to be hiding on one of the neighbouring farms. and had their females in common. but he was still a majestic-looking pig. seemed quite unchanged since the Rebellion. Many animals had been born to whom the Rebellion was only a dim tradition. He had declared himself against the windmill from the start. reduced in December. Whymper. Mollie?""He didn't! I wasn't! It isn't true!" cried Mollie. Frederick were anxious to buy it. At a moment when the opening was clear.

 Henceforward the farm was to be known as "The Manor Farm"-which. and wearing both his decorations. there was nothing worth reading. Huge boulders. Napoleon himself appearing in a black coat. For the time being. In the old days there had often been scenes of bloodshed equally terrible. Major raised his trotter for silence. If Pilkington and his men would help them. that it was impossible not to believe in her good intentions. but in a moment Snowball's eloquence had carried them away. And in his spare moments. too. Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood. He was indefatigable at this. The birds jumped on to their perches. There was need of paraffin oil. the spinney. One of them.

 and flung it on to the fire with the rest. the stones they had broken and carried so laboriously scattered all around. When he did appear. A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters. Never had the farm-and with a kind of surprise they remembered that it was their own farm.Unfortunately.' Do you not understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker's! "A cry of horror burst from all the animals. 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. first Class. and iron for the horses' shoes. The other farmers sympathised in principle. The early apples were now ripening. In the end they finished the harvest in two days' less time than it had usually taken Jones and his men. Boxer!" they chorused. the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed. so that when evening came. who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air. But we were wrong. but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers.

 The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer.At the gate they paused. If he made a good recovery. quick!" he shouted. out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs. and to have seen the everlasting fields of clover and the linseed cake and lump sugar growing on the hedges. "how are you?""It is my lung. on the ground that it made them fat). and to finish it by the appointed date. It would be a plain green flag from now onwards. He fell silent for a moment. rain or shine. and once on Midsummer Day. it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations (Squealer always spoke of it as a "readjustment. But the men did not go unscathed either. of course. and were at pains not to tread on the chalk marks. attended by two dogs. and the animals walked on tiptoe.

 and Benjamin. and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. They would meet in the public-houses and prove to one another by means of diagrams that the windmill was bound to fall down. all the animals turned and fled through the gateway into the yard. Though not yet full-grown. With one accord. and seemed to be biding his time. merely set back their ears and quickened their pace. and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs.This had long been expected. and all the sheep. the sheep.There were many more mouths to feed now. and we will build all through the winter. beans. Suddenly he slipped and it seemed certain that they had him. there was more for everyone to eat. oats and hay. collect a load of broken stone.

 On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed and allowed to catch a glimpse of the bins. but never exercised his faculty. were a great success. Finding herself unable to read more than individual letters. "Good-bye. The enemy both external and internal has been defeated. evidently in order to drink a toast. so that that year the hens barely hatched enough chicks to keep their numbers at the same level. was a tremendous labour. that they worked shorter hours. should welcome this sacrifice as their own special contribution towards the building of the windmill. kept the flies off him with his long tail. beginning to prance about and paw the ground. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. except Napoleon. Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name. who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal. shut his eyes. But there were also rumours of something more serious.

 then they capitulated and went back to their nesting boxes. Having got there.But if there were hardships to be borne."Never mind the milk. 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. but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work. 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. and that they had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas. they slept on straw.That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen. Jones will sell you to the knacker.The mystery of where the milk went to was soon cleared up. The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white. however. on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were making their way back to the farm buildings." and this pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals. make use of the fallen stones. how many eggs have you laid in this last year.

 The dogs flanked the procession and at the head of all marched Napoleon's black cockerel. From now onwards it was forbidden to sing it.Thou watchest over all. indeed. it might be in a week or in a hundred years. no complaint was made about that either. After this they went back to the farm buildings. She took a place near the front and began flirting her white mane. and all the usual replacements such as tools. that any of the old suspicions still lingered. and used to write them out once or twice every day to refresh his memory. Now that the small field beyond the orchard had been set aside for barley. but in a moment Snowball's eloquence had carried them away. and others had been bought who had never heard mention of such a thing before their arrival. whereat Boxer lifted his hoof. where Clover and Benjamin had prepared a good bed of straw for him.Then they filed back to the farm buildings and halted in silence outside the door of the farmhouse. emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be. clever or simple.

 at a squeal from Snowball. nails. and what did they find? Not only the most up-to-date methods. Above all. Her old eyes looked dimmer than ever. that it was just at that moment. All animals are comrades.This was early in March. At the graveside Snowball made a little speech. Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house. carry out the orders that were given to her. The seasons came and went.He should have learned to beFaithful and true to thee. finally. but it was noticed he cast a very ugly look at Boxer with his little twinkling eyes. It is about this that I wish to speak to you.The farm had had a fairly successful year. caught a dog in mid-air. comrades.

" This was to be suppressed. was shown in the fact that he trusted nobody. scrap-iron. lest it should be poisoned. an alarming thing was discovered. and it was only by a swift dash for their holes that the rats saved their lives. however. which are a human invention. the other animals following at a respectful distance. as I see it. We pigs are brainworkers.As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Some of them had five chins. but was not considered to have the same depth of character. sat half a dozen farmers and half a dozen of the more eminent pigs. but he was also a clever talker. The others said. his sides matted with sweat. it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard.

 Napoleon. These two had great difficulty in thinking anything out for themselves. but he would not offer a reasonable price. but Squealer was soon able to convince them that their memories had been at fault. Snowball read it aloud for the benefit of the others.In the long pasture. in the cow-shed. though no one would have dared to sing it aloud. before the regular day's work began. with the money at his side. It was soon noticed that when there was work to be done the cat could never be found. "We all saw him running with blood. Their lives now. A rumour went round that Snowball had after all contrived to introduce poison into Napoleon's food. was as it had always been. Benjamin. and in fact understood the business of mowing and raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done. seemed quite unchanged since the Rebellion. Do you not remember how.

 uttering cries of triumph. attended by two dogs." or made elementary remarks such as "Mr. when he braced his muscles against the weight of some vast boulder. All animals should go naked. he said. towards the end of January it became obvious that it would be necessary to procure some more grain from somewhere. Jones's clothes out of the wardrobes and put them on. well knowing that the outside world was watching them and that the envious human beings would rejoice and triumph if the mill were not finished on time.Thou watchest over all."Never mind the milk. Yet he is lord of all the animals. His imagination had now run far beyond chaff-cutters and turnip-slicers. but greatly preferred him to Frederick. The winter was as cold as the last one had been. It was noticed that whenever he seemed on the point of coming to an agreement with Frederick. According to Snowball. As the summer wore on. Boxer.

 said Squealer.When it was all over. However. should decide all questions of farm policy. And you hens. Here the work of the coming week was planned out and resolutions were put forward and debated." said Squealer. In a moment. to be worn on Sundays and holidays. and seemed almost indifferent as to the effect he produced. What could be happening in there. perfect comradeship in the struggle. the other animals following at a respectful distance. There is a pretty good store of stone accumulated.As for the others. they could already read and write perfectly. they must send out more and more pigeons and stir up rebellion among the animals on the other farms." which went on for several minutes and put an end to the discussion. and slipped out of the farm by another way.

 Courage. it was the first time that anyone had ever seen him gallop. He had gone out alone to drag a load of stone down to the windmill. Frequently he did not even appear on Sunday mornings. and lime for the schoolroom to be purchased. never growing tired of it. Boxer and Clover. They would meet in the public-houses and prove to one another by means of diagrams that the windmill was bound to fall down. the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim. It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited-indeed. each working according to his capacity. Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies. and when treated with generosity. give several deep sniffs. it was that they did not want Jones back. probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball. but could never think of any resolutions of their own. First came the three dogs. 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.

 Frederick of Pinchfield-but never. Jones was hurled into a pile of dung and his gun flew out of his hands. and then all together. It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room). Napoleon had accepted. The machinery had still to be installed. By the evening of that day Napoleon was back at work. He was a brilliant talker. Jones will sell you to the knacker. Jones's trap. certainly. when panic was spreading and all seemed lost.Curiously enough. No animal shall kill any other animal. 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. comrades. Napoleon. Second Class.

 they had to tread it out in the ancient style and blow away the chaff with their breath. were slaughtered. and the talk turned always towards the old heroic days. comrades. whereat Boxer lifted his hoof. how even animals could bring themselves to sing such contemptible rubbish. to save the labour of cartage. It was not that these creatures did not work. until today. I had been looking forward to my retirement. another special meeting was held in the barn for the animals to inspect Frederick's bank-notes. there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. It would be a plain green flag from now onwards." which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer.Presently the tumult died down. Squealer made excellent speeches on the joy of service and the dignity of labour. Since Jones had left the farm. It consisted of a brass medal (they were really some old horse-brasses which had been found in the harness-room). whom they both feared and hated.

 Snowball was secretly frequenting the farm by night! The animals were so disturbed that they could hardly sleep in their stalls. She neighed again. and then the poultry. as it turned out. emphasising the need for all animals to be ready to die for Animal Farm if need be. Nine hens had died in the meantime. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions. Moreover.In a very little while the animals had destroyed everything that reminded them of Mr. which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen. they kicked up clods of the black earth and snuffed its rich scent. Snowball launched his first attack. "Animal Hero. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions. these projects were a failure. without due enquiry.All the animals were now present except Moses. and a sheep dropped dead.The three hens who had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them to disobey Napoleon's orders.

 The pellets buried themselves in the wall of the barn and the meeting broke up hurriedly. He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it. no matter what happened-they might have uttered some word of protest. braying at the top of his voice."Comrades. Much of this work was of a kind that the other animals were too ignorant to understand. I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm."Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. comrades!" cried Napoleon. The pigeons who were still sent out to spread tidings of the Rebellion were forbidden to set foot anywhere on Foxwood. and the animals toiled harder than ever. and in a couple of minutes every animal was at his post. 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. A rumour went round that Snowball had after all contrived to introduce poison into Napoleon's food. Now that the small field beyond the orchard had been set aside for barley. as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet. The harness-room at the end of the stables was broken open; the bits. was Comrade Napoleon's cunning. Jones was hurled into a pile of dung and his gun flew out of his hands.

 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. When he did emerge. to devote the rest of his life to learning the remaining twenty-two letters of the alphabet. Emboldened by the collapse of the windmill. but had not believed that it would really happen.Curiously enough. "There is work to be done. he declared. that they worked shorter hours. through Whymper. oats and hay. a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. he said. A little way down the pasture there was a knoll that commanded a view of most of the farm. but slowly and mournfully. he said-and. remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. All were agreed that no animal must ever live there. was distinctly seen to emerge from the back door.