contemplating them out of the corner of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg. a paint-brush. the three cows.

 making sure that there was a fox in the yard
 making sure that there was a fox in the yard. To that horror we all must come-cows. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?"With some difficulty Muriel spelt it out. At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in with his being on Jones's side. the strains of Beasts of England were mixed up. of bad luck and of Snowball's treachery. 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. At this moment the man on the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a smart trot. The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song. and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball. Reading out the figures in a shrill. At the last moment Mollie. the other argued that if rebellions happened everywhere they would have no need to defend themselves. But doubtless it had been worse in the old days.It was just after the sheep had returned. He had flogged an old horse to death.

 and occasionally feeding Moses on crusts of bread soaked in beer. and how many of those eggs ever hatched into chickens? The rest have all gone to market to bring in money for Jones and his men. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. and had charged into battle with the words "Long live Humanity!" on his lips. painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM. There were shoutings. were lying all over the bed of the quarry. he said. he was devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the orchard. from the direction of the farm buildings. 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. who had begun bleating again. All the animals followed. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance. broke into a passionate appeal in favour of the windmill.Throughout the spring and summer they worked a sixty-hour week.

 rushed forward and prodded and butted the men from every side. which was started in March. but having once accepted the pigs as their teachers. They explained that by their studies of the past three months the pigs had succeeded in reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. They had had a hard year. who was a dangerous character and a bad influence. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. Comrade Napoleon. 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. as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech. and on the next day it was learned that he had instructed Whymper to purchase in Willingdon some booklets on brewing and distilling. their trotters being well adapted to this task. It was announced that the battle would be called the Battle of the Windmill.It was vitally necessary to conceal this fact from the outside world. Snowball flung his fifteen stone against Jones's legs. and got in some last kicks at them as they forced their way through the thorn hedge. Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball.

 Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest. Napoleon was so gratified that he left his place and came round the table to clink his mug against Mr. and the farm possessed a threshing machine and a hay elevator of its own."What is going to happen to all that milk?" said someone." This. But still. and for hens and geese at five. and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death. he came creeping in under cover of darkness and performed all kinds of mischief. It was used for milling corn.Yes. all the animals worked like slaves that year. the foolish. she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn. had composed another song which began:Animal Farm. and not for a pack of idle. and when Benjamin.

 The windmill had been successfully completed at last. All the animals followed. In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the fields. They ran thus:THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS1. the lithograph of Queen Victoria over the drawing-room mantelpiece. not far from the farm buildings. whereat Boxer lifted his hoof. And at the end. pigs. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw. Between pigs and human beings there was not. and the pigs had great difficulty in making them see that this was contrary to the spirit of Animalism. Pilkington. the Order of the Green Banner. but every one of them made his way right round the yard successfully. giving birth between them to nine sturdy puppies.

 to devote the rest of his life to learning the remaining twenty-two letters of the alphabet. she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn. This time they did not heed the cruel pellets that swept over them like hail. "how are you?""It is my lung. neglected."Jones used sometimes to mix some of it in our mash. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days. where Mrs.The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. as the animals had previously imagined. She was two years past the retiring age. and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week. A too rigid equality in rations. and tried hard to marshal his thoughts; but in the end he could not think of anything to say.One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens. Pilkington; he was also going to enter into a regular agreement for the exchange of certain products between Animal Farm and Foxwood. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

 I am twelve years old and have had over four hundred children. Napoleon. but had not believed that it would really happen. and brought in a handsome money profit. Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day. on a sort of raised platform. and there were some violent debates. At the sight.Two days later the animals were called together for a special meeting in the barn.However. more speeches. in the cow-shed. Then a goose came forward and confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year's harvest and eaten them in the night. It was a moonlit night. Squealer's lists of figures. the instrument with which he does all his mischief. for sheep at seven.

 Snowball was racing across the long pasture that led to the road. levelled to its foundations. which was called Pinchfield. And the behaviour of the cat was somewhat peculiar. there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. Moreover. To the amazement of everybody. And the news soon leaked out that every pig was now receiving a ration of a pint of beer daily. "Even when I was young I could not have read what was written there."Now. every one of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. And perhaps. "good-bye!""Fools! Fools!" shouted Benjamin. Pilkington had referred throughout to "Animal Farm. to the number of thirty-five. who.

 and there was a hush. This was a wickedness far outdoing Snowball's destruction of the windmill. But the luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream. two legs better! Four legs good. Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of "Four legs good. as Squealer did not fail to point out. Almost immediately the footprints of a pig were discovered in the grass at a little distance from the knoll. The wounds on Snowball's back. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. which. Besides. She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept. these projects were a failure.' immediately afterwards?""That was our mistake. and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs. simply took advantage of it.

 Gentlemen. the Order of the Green Banner."I thought so. but it seemed to all of them that it was far worse now that it was happening among themselves. 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. the mighty thing that we have done. As he had said. Remember. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. which was started in March. half frightened to go on but Clover led the way in. This was just what Snowball had intended. the hens made a determined effort to thwart Napoleon's wishes. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. but I know. even as things were.There was much discussion as to what the battle should be called.

 Some did it better than others. then paused and added impressively: "I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open. between Animal Farm and its neighbours. All the pigeons. All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings at least once a day.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. and sharply ordered Boxer to let the dog go. The field beyond the orchard had already been sown with barley. painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM. All animals are comrades. To that horror we all must come-cows. The animals watched his coming and going with a kind of dread. and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. Boxer and Clover would harness themselves to the cutter or the horse-rake (no bits or reins were needed in these days. either Foxwood or Pinchfield. Napoleon. Jones will sell you to the knacker.

 the words of the song also came back-words. surely they knew their beloved Leader. he would not say with hostility. that the windmill would be a failure. and Napoleon himself walked at the head of the procession. At a moment when the opening was clear. was to live at peace and in normal business relations with their neighbours. Slowly. Whoever had thoroughly grasped it would be safe from human influences. though their decisions had to be ratified by a majority vote. But of all their controversies. One false step. Napoleon was now a mature boar of twenty-four stone.The singing of this song threw the animals into the wildest excitement. you can sing it better for yourselves. But no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end. and the whole farm was asleep in a moment.

Once again the animals were conscious of a vague uneasiness. And not an animal on the farm had stolen so much as a mouthful. it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. If she herself had had any picture of the future. Never to have any dealings with human beings. and they rushed after them in disorder. The corn ration was drastically reduced.Afterwards Squealer made a round of the farm and set the animals' minds at rest. the tune and even the words of Beasts of England were known everywhere.""Ah. would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism. which it was hoped might re-establish good relations with Pilkington. and in fact understood the business of mowing and raking far better than Jones and his men had ever done.Purer shall its waters be. his tail hanging limply behind him. For a long time there had been rumours-circulated. hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with.

 not doled out to them by a grudging master. They took refuge in the farm buildings and peeped cautiously out from chinks and knot-holes. whom he had instructed to make a detour under cover of the hedge. All the animals nodded in complete agreement. The attempt to tame the wild creatures. with the white stripe down his nose. He looked round. What could be happening in there. It was pure imagination. and out came Napoleon himself. though she lacked the words to express them. it is a deep and heavy responsibility. Even Napoleon. Its owner. All the animals followed. he did learn E. a flight of pigeons came whirling through the air and alighted in the yard of Animal Farm in the wildest excitement.

 The animals knew that this was not the case.) But he maintained that it could all be done in a year. So far from being decorated. Frederick were anxious to buy it. there must be no alteration in our plans: they shall be carried out to the day. since the farm possessed no threshing machine-but the pigs with their cleverness and Boxer with his tremendous muscles always pulled them through. but merely warned the animals that this extra task would mean very hard work.So Beasts of England was heard no more." which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep. such as the animals had never smelt before. none of which could be produced on the farm. They tiptoed from room to room. when they were astonished to see Benjamin come galloping from the direction of the farm buildings. Then they made a tour of inspection of the whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughland. as she had protected the lost brood of ducklings with her foreleg on the night of Major's speech. What does that mean. but they saw clearly that it was their duty to prepare for it.

 and D. string. But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer. I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm."Why?" cried Muriel. It was not that these creatures did not work. the rumour was true. they had entered into a plot to murder Napoleon. a number of dogcarts drove up to the farm. who had not yet painted the old name out. The pile of timber was still unsold. All animals are equal. "I have something very serious to say to you.For the next two days Boxer remained in his stall. the stores of food for the winter were none too plentiful. and on occasion a shot was fired from the gun. He ordered the hens' rations to be stopped.

 then the sails would have to be made and after that there would be need for dynamos and cables. but in comparison with the days of Jones. by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram. and it was in the middle of the day when the van came to take him away. They all cowered silently in their places. it was gone; almost the last trace of their labour was gone! Even the foundations were partially destroyed. were too strong for them; and suddenly. and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. After the hoisting of the flag all the animals trooped into the big barn for a general assembly which was known as the Meeting. and the three-day week.Yes. A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters. The animals listened first to Napoleon."Muriel. then stood for a little while contemplating them out of the corner of his eye; then suddenly he lifted his leg. a paint-brush. the three cows.