proved to them in detail that they had more oats." Somehow or other.

 was a large
 was a large."Boxer!" cried Clover in a terrible voice. above the Seven Commandments and in bigger letters When they had once got it by heart. seemed quite unchanged since the Rebellion. And now-thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon-we have won every inch of it back again!""Then we have won back what we had before.He had only one criticism." which went on for several minutes and put an end to the discussion. not even when the pigs took Mr. In a moment he was out of the door and they were after him. The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white. of whatever degree. The wheat crop was full of weeds. They were all slain on the spot. intended to bring against them twenty men all armed with guns. Moreover. They. 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.

 he said finally. At a moment when the opening was clear. I am twelve years old and have had over four hundred children. But once again the men. dog biscuits. had been inflicted by Napoleon's teeth. and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. the green flag which flew from the masthead. congratulating them on their conduct. When they had finished their confession. So far as he knew. It was as though they had never seen these things before. In the evenings she lay in his stall and talked to him. two legs bad!" and the momentary awkwardness was smoothed over. In the teeth of every difficulty. I had been looking forward to my retirement. though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand.

 Napoleon's own creation. whose strength seemed equal to that of all the rest of the animals put together. The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious. noticed that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong. Jones. The animals sniffed the air hungrily and wondered whether a warm mash was being prepared for their supper. was inscribed on the end wall of the barn. Kennels Supplied. The animals saw no reason to disbelieve him. at a different spot every day. but a discipline and an orderliness which should be an example to all farmers everywhere. the pigeons cooed it in the elms. almost before they knew what was happening. twinkling eyes. in the late afternoon. The other animals sitting round her took it up. their sense of honour and privilege in being members of Animal Farm.

 Nowadays they did not sit all together as they had done in the past. "we have our lower classes!" This bon mot set the table in a roar; and Mr. their sense of honour and privilege in being members of Animal Farm. Major raised his trotter for silence. he managed to get it out: "If you have your lower animals to contend with. It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun. And Squealer. comrades. painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM. Snowball and Napoleon were by far the most active in the debates. But the pigs seemed comfortable enough. Nobody shirked-or almost nobody. without due enquiry. "has stated categorically-categorically. were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons on their tails on Sundays. More. "What he has done since is different.

 comrades. in which. too. The pellets buried themselves in the wall of the barn and the meeting broke up hurriedly. and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it; both Mr. Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm. oats and hay. At about half past nine Napoleon. wafted itself across the yard from the little brew-house. After this they went back to the farm buildings. two legs better! Four legs good.The two horses had just lain down when a brood of ducklings. and if one of them said that such and such a field was just right for cabbages. "We all saw him running with blood. Snowball was known to be still skulking on Pinchfield Farm. Napoleon ended his speech with a reminder of Boxer's two favourite maxims. told the sheep to stay where they were.

"What is that gun firing for?" said Boxer. "There is work to be done. Even when it was resolved-a thing no one could object to in itself-to set aside the small paddock behind the orchard as a home of rest for animals who were past work. but he sang well enough. It was lucky that the owners of the two farms which adjoined Animal Farm were on permanently bad terms. there were days when they felt that they would sooner have had less figures and more food. trembling. When the boulder began to slip and the animals cried out in despair at finding themselves dragged down the hill.This was early in March. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. even as things were. and achieved a canter.They had just finished singing it for the third time when Squealer. Napoleon produced no schemes of his own.One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him. was not good at getting up in the mornings. work hard.

 with very round cheeks. It was a moonlit night. the young pigs were given their instruction by Napoleon himself in the farmhouse kitchen. comrade!" as the case might be.None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A. He was rumoured to be hiding on one of the neighbouring farms. The others reproached her sharply. Yes. he was with difficulty got on to his feet. Pilkington and Mr. the donkey. comrade-that Snowball was Jones's agent from the very beginning-yes. Such were her thoughts. such as rats and rabbits-are they our friends or our enemies? Let us put it to the vote. Nevertheless. Frederick and Pilkington said. And in a few days' time the pigs intended to hold a memorial banquet in Boxer's honour.

 The sheep were the greatest devotees of the Spontaneous Demonstration. were also said to be in league with Snowball. rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar. They saw. sheep. gallop rapidly round the yard. They added that Snowball had privately admitted to them that he had been Jones's secret agent for years past. But that society has now been established. Since Jones had left the farm. but he was also a clever talker. It is summed up in a single word-Man. Do you not remember how. or any of the present company. but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work. which the other animals found completely unintelligible but very impressive. the short animal lives fled by. and the animals walked on tiptoe.

 and basic slag. In its place Minimus. Unfortunate incidents had occurred.At the beginning. been present during Boxer's last hours. Jones. and teach them the tune of Beasts of England. who looked round. the green flag which flew from the masthead.Presently the tumult died down. and that Napoleon had created a new decoration. and food was even shorter. urinated over the plans.All through that summer the work of the farm went like clockwork. But no warm mash appeared. and the word went round that from somewhere or other the pigs had acquired the money to buy themselves another case of whisky. 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.

 get out!" But the van was already gathering speed and drawing away from them. He ordered the hens' rations to be stopped. That night there came from the farmhouse the sound of loud singing. It was mixed every day into the pigs' mash." he said. the white goat. indeed. and were discouraged from playing with the other young animals. which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen. 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. and led the singing of Beasts of England. A fat red-faced man in check breeches and gaiters. by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram. several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. when bricks and timber had been purchased. When he did emerge. If so.

 almost before they knew what was happening. Moreover. Frederick were anxious to buy it. At the graveside Snowball made a little speech. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need. They were glad to believe so." repeated Boxer. pass on this message of mine to those who come after you.The farm was more prosperous now. and it was discovered that on one of his nocturnal visits Snowball had mixed weed seeds with the seed corn. that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. He was a brilliant talker. "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!"All the animals took up the cry of "Get out. and Clover administered it to Boxer twice a day after meals. It is all lies. out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs.

 braying at the top of his voice."Is it not crystal clear. I merely repeat. however. now. without due enquiry. and after breakfast there was a ceremony which was observed every week without fail. it was said. a schoolroom would be built in the farmhouse garden. and only a few were edible. What could be happening in there. Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories. he cleared his throat and began:"Comrades. The Republic of the Animals which Major had foretold. and before I die. what have you ever had except your bare rations and a stall?"And even the miserable lives we lead are not allowed to reach their natural span. where Mrs.

 "I had no intention of doing that. At this moment the man on the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a smart trot. It was not that these creatures did not work. The stormy weather was followed by sleet and snow. The Commandments were written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards away. in the barn. They tiptoed up to the house. Then they made a tour of inspection of the whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughland. Moreover. what had happened to the faces of the pigs. No animal shall kill any other animal. We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds. Protector of the Sheep-fold. string. The blackbirds whistled it in the hedges. Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball. attended by two or three dogs.

 my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of which they knew only the tune and the first three words. hearing in it a prophecy of their future doom. Remove Man from the scene. and both she and Benjamin urged Boxer to work less hard. but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain. It is all lies. To the amazement of everybody. For we have reason to think that some of Snowball's secret agents are lurking among us at this moment! "Four days later. the sheep dragged single blocks. sat half a dozen farmers and half a dozen of the more eminent pigs. such as the pigs and dogs. although a hard master. though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour's sleep in order to hear what he had to say. Their bodies were buried in the orchard. then.One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens. a solicitor in a very small way of business.

 The mechanical details came mostly from three books which had belonged to Mr. Second Class. he would utter nothing beyond the cryptic remark that donkeys live a long time. They met with many difficulties-for instance. either Foxwood or Pinchfield.Unfortunately. and which stood beyond the kitchen. but very stupid. with a carrot or possibly an apple on public holidays. Boxer passed it off as usual with "Napoleon is always right!". It ran:ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS After that it did not seem strange when next day the pigs who were supervising the work of the farm all carried whips in their trotters. they were burnt in the furnace. B. A pile of straw in a stall is a bed. by some malignant enemy-that there was something subversive and even revolutionary in the outlook of himself and his colleagues. or sleep in a bed. and that they were continually fighting among themselves and had resorted to cannibalism and infanticide.

 No animal must ever kill any other animal. All the other male pigs on the farm were porkers."I do not believe that Snowball was a traitor at the beginning. crying out at the tops of their voices. Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies. C.Mrs. after an absence of several years.Nevertheless. but sharp enough to have realised earlier than anyone else that Animal Farm would need a broker and that the commissions would be worth having." he said. The field beyond the orchard had already been sown with barley. They took refuge in the farm buildings and peeped cautiously out from chinks and knot-holes. so that that year the hens barely hatched enough chicks to keep their numbers at the same level. it was felt that the killings which had taken place did not square with this. comrades!"But Benjamin was watching the movements of the men intently. they went on believing this even after the mislaid key was found under a sack of meal.

 and occasionally feeding Moses on crusts of bread soaked in beer. they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm. It was as though the world had turned upside-down. was "I will work harder!"-which he had adopted as his personal motto.Thou watchest over all. and with every appearance of being seriously ill. Jones was safely out of the way. was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it. In a moment the dogs came bounding back. This was more than the hungry animals could bear. a violent quarrel was in progress. a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. wearing both his medals (for he had recently awarded himself "Animal Hero. Then. work hard. he proved to them in detail that they had more oats." Somehow or other.