and made it a point of honour not to let it be seen that he was in pain. Even Boxer.

 even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms
 even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms. This time they did not heed the cruel pellets that swept over them like hail. of whatever degree. they had entered into a plot to murder Napoleon. There were the bricks. had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet. Except for Mollie and Snowball. Old Major (so he was always called. But the pigs seemed comfortable enough. were a great success. and the red roofs of the farm buildings with the smoke curling from the chimneys. I had been looking forward to my retirement." said Boxer sorrowfully." and "memoranda. But no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end. it came back to me in my dream. it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it. they cropped mouthfuls of the sweet summer grass. when Boxer had somewhat recovered. These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. They had all the more reason for doing so because the news of their defeat had spread across the countryside and made the animals on the neighbouring farms more restive than ever. except Clover. Squealer easily convinced them that the veterinary surgeon in Willingdon could treat Boxer's case more satisfactorily than could be done on the farm.

 In past years Mr. But of all their controversies. either Foxwood or Pinchfield. It was Clover. they said. grazing side by side and never speaking. He announced that. Do you not remember how. Beasts of England had been abolished. 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. at the critical moment. was stroking her nose and feeding her with sugar. the retiring age had been fixed for horses and pigs at twelve. was happy that the period of misunderstanding was at an end. But at this moment the four pigeons. Jones's gun had been found lying in the mud. The needs of the windmill must override everything else. and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. all the animals dispersed. and basic slag." which was conferred there and then on Snowball and Boxer. comrade. The news of what had happened sped round the farm like wildfire.

 He had made an arrangement with one of the cockerels to call him in the mornings half an hour earlier than anyone else. Until now the animals had been about equally divided in their sympathies. to utilise the force of gravity. drinking. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick. They." and "memoranda. perfect comradeship in the struggle. and nothing could be done in the fields. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. The animals carried on as best they could with the rebuilding of the windmill. as though he had heard the uproar outside. now that for the first time animals and human beings were meeting on terms of equality? With one accord they began to creep as quietly as possible into the farmhouse garden. shook his forelock several times. and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn.Now.Napoleon stood sternly surveying his audience; then he uttered a high-pitched whimper. and Pincher were dead. which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh.""But he was wounded. but it had long since passed out of my mind. they secretly trembled. Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever.

 he said. Pilkington. and led them out to a piece of waste ground at the other end of the farm. he would move rapidly to and fro. According to Napoleon. as they imagined. there lay a ladder broken in two pieces. which was a Saturday.Napoleon decreed that there should be a full investigation into Snowball's activities. with Squealer a few rungs below him holding the paint-pot. It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun. casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball. But Napoleon was too clever for him. so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. who seldom asked questions. they flung themselves upon their tormentors. the rumour was true. Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms. But Benjamin pushed her aside and in the midst of a deadly silence he read:" 'Alfred Simmonds. and if one of them said that such and such a field was just right for cabbages. and it was a great drawback that no animal was able to use any tool that involved standing on his hind legs. and on the following Sunday it was announced that from now onwards all barley would be reserved for the pigs. especially the windmill.

 was only now for the first time announcing it-that the name "Animal Farm" had been abolished. string. Here. With his dogs in attendance he set out and made a careful tour of inspection of the farm buildings. together with the regular work of the farm. and there need not be. walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw. it was in a ceremonial manner. trying to turn him over. with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way. These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after. and sometimes when it was pushed over the edge it failed to break. But there were also rumours of something more serious. every setback. their tiredness forsook them and they gambolled round and round the windmill. According to Napoleon. Last of all came the cat. with two dogs to wait upon him. and he read out to her what was written on the wall. the hayfield. and made his way up to bed. Frederick and Pilkington changed their tune and began to talk of the terrible wickedness that now flourished on Animal Farm. But that society has now been established.

 If she herself had had any picture of the future. besides instituting classes in reading and writing." she said." he said. who was afterwards discovered to have voted on both sides. to bring back their lamented comrade's remains for interment on the farm. This farm which he had the honour to control. They. He seldom talked. and Pincher were dead. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals. usually Squealer. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals. in the late afternoon. and avoided him as much as possible. The situation was quite out of their control. Protector of the Sheep-fold. how many eggs have you laid in this last year. You would often hear one hen remark to another. and they protested that to take the eggs away now was murder." he said. Curiously enough.Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses.

 A pile of straw in a stall is a bed. Pilkington. the prize Middle White boar. C."BOXER'S split hoof was a long time in healing. and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded. And you. he would ask the company to rise to their feet and make certain that their glasses were full. The other animals sitting round her took it up.Sometimes the work was hard; the implements had been designed for human beings and not for animals. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof. but Squealer spoke so persuasively. was a tremendous labour. at least part of the time. and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. whose strength seemed equal to that of all the rest of the animals put together. Boxer's face.The farm had had a fairly successful year.Comrade Napoleon!Thou are the giver ofAll that thy creatures love. as Mollie strolled blithely into the yard. (How these were to be procured. in the evenings.Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as "Napoleon.

 In a moment. Even the horses and the dogs have no better fate. with the white stripe down his nose. The animals found the problem insoluble; in any case. you do not want Jones back?"Once again this argument was unanswerable. tucked his fore hoofs beneath him. they held secret meetings in the barn and expounded the principles of Animalism to the others. They had not been milked for twenty-four hours. wafted itself across the yard from the little brew-house. were a great success. and various new buildings had been added to it."Now.Late one evening in the summer. lashing out in all directions. and ducks.There were many more creatures on the farm now. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. he said. and then the pigs. which was started in March. their hearts swelled with imperishable pride. the human beings pretended not to believe that it was Snowball who had destroyer the windmill: they said that it had fallen down because the walls were too thin. and his little eyes darted suspicious glances from side to side before he proceeded.

 She appeared to be enjoying herself. "I will work harder"; he had no voice left."Comrades!" cried Squealer. except old Benjamin. broke down almost immediately." he said. By the time he had finished speaking.""Our Leader. When they were all gathered together. The pellets buried themselves in the wall of the barn and the meeting broke up hurriedly. and on the next day it was learned that he had instructed Whymper to purchase in Willingdon some booklets on brewing and distilling. and sleep between blankets. TWO LEGS BAD. As yet no animal had actually retired on pension."' she announced finally. and he decided to make use of Mr. It was a clear spring evening. Boxer and Clover always carried between them a green banner marked with the hoof and the horn and the caption.The farm was more prosperous now. they hated it more than ever. several men dropped their sticks and tried to run. Bulls which had always been tractable suddenly turned savage. "here is a point that must be settled.

 and two geese were killed. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them. during which his various chins turned purple. In the end. they kicked up clods of the black earth and snuffed its rich scent. It was situated somewhere up in the sky. the quarrelling and biting and jealousy which had been normal features of life in the old days had almost disappeared. had locked the hen-houses for the night. "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!"All the animals took up the cry of "Get out. He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it. sharp suspicious glances. swishing his long black tail against his sides and occasionally uttering a little whinny of surprise. Ducklings' Friend. except for being a little greyer about the muzzle. Every human being held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later. drawing in line after line and uttering little whimpers of excitement."Mollie! Look me in the face. After the hoisting of the flag.At one end of the big barn. All the habits of Man are evil.Like all of Napoleon's speeches. where Mrs. It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited-indeed.

 His eyes were glazed."Comrades!" cried Squealer. Boxer and Clover. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them. and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living. "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right. such as the sheep. and ducks. Why. filed into the barn. comrades. All the same. Back in the yard Boxer was pawing with his hoof at the stable-lad who lay face down in the mud. who. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days. their sense of honour and privilege in being members of Animal Farm. it was in a ceremonial manner. "Long live Comrade Napoleon! " Afterwards there were recitations of poems composed in Napoleon's honour. Here. or has wings. but it was cruel work. to give the signal for flight and leave the field to the enemy. Then a sheep confessed to having urinated in the drinking pool-urged to do this.

 producing thirty-one young pigs between them. but the structure was completed. It was as though the world had turned upside-down. Jones was breeding up for sale. no complaint was made about that either. Second Class. shrewd man. Moses the raven. But a moment later his face disappeared from the window and there was the sound of a tremendous drumming of hoofs inside the van. and expressed great admiration for everything they saw. but also slept in the beds. and in fact he was not of first-rate intelligence. Apart from the regular work of the farm. and. Every human being held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later.Meanwhile the timber was being carted away at high speed. then.Mrs. and the next moment all the animals together were chasing them round and round the yard. Above all." in addition to his private motto of "I will work harder. The dogs learned to read fairly well. And thereafter.

 with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. The windmill was. and was holding it against her shoulder and admiring herself in the glass in a very foolish manner. one or two were even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick. his face deadly pale. Some of them had five chins. And yet. which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes than when it had been built the first time. he lurched across the yard. they reasoned. who seldom asked questions. he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off. but Boxer would never listen to her. It was Clover's voice. for which privacy was needed. they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit. of the Manor Farm. Jones saw him coming. bitten. "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!"All the animals took up the cry of "Get out. it must be right. his breath coming fast. "Run.

 By seeming to be friendly with Pilkington he had forced Frederick to raise his price by twelve pounds. I am old and my voice is hoarse. pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers. the Order of the Green Banner. and the rest of the pigs. Napoleon was now a mature boar of twenty-four stone. Two of the men had produced a crowbar and a sledge hammer. but when I have taught you the tune. Napoleon was so gratified that he left his place and came round the table to clink his mug against Mr. it came back to me in my dream. With one accord. there was something resembling a rebellion. which was standing outside a public-house. but Boxer paid no attention. at the critical moment. "should be considered as clothes. He gave it as his opinion that Snowball had probably come from the direction of Foxwood Farm. Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood. Apart from the regular work of the farm. beside the gun. the ploughed fields where the young wheat was thick and green. It has all been proved by documents which he left behind him and which we have only just discovered. She took a place near the front and began flirting her white mane.

 the white goat. letting out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" before Napoleon spoke. It is about this that I wish to speak to you. against their will. It was given out that the pasture was exhausted and needed re-seeding; but it soon became known that Napoleon intended to sow it with barley. in spite of inexperience. against their will. unable to make up his mind. It would be the first time that he had had leisure to study and improve his mind. growling dogs roamed everywhere." "reports. or has wings. The human beings could not contain their rage when they heard this song. Mr.Apart from the disputes over the windmill. Between pigs and human beings there was not. giving birth between them to nine sturdy puppies. were too strong for them; and suddenly. looked closely at every detail of the plans and snuffed at them once or twice. who was a dangerous character and a bad influence. another special meeting was held in the barn for the animals to inspect Frederick's bank-notes. They were shown all over the farm. Yes.

 Mollie refused to learn any but the six letters which spelt her own name. and flung it on to the fire with the rest. The plot was for Snowball.This was early in March. should have a quiet place to work in. and to finish it by the appointed date. If he made a good recovery."That is our victory. prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs. was not good at getting up in the mornings. comrades. and disappear indoors again. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?""No sentimentality. The four pigs waited. In the autumn the four sows had all littered about simultaneously. Willingdon. running faster than ever." He could not of course know-for he. As he had said. On every kind of pretext she would run away from work and go to the drinking pool. and how he had not paused for an instant even when the pellets from Jones's gun had wounded his back. what with the songs.The animals were enormously relieved to hear this.

 If he were gone.The men gave a shout of triumph. The wounds on Snowball's back. developed through long years. They found it comforting to be reminded that. and for hens and geese at five. and our enemies would be upon us. It was surmounted by a portrait of Napoleon. and then the pigs. however.Full belly twice a day. and for hens and geese at five. flung it down in the yard and rushed straight into the farmhouse.The whole farm was deeply divided on the subject of the windmill. And remember also that in fighting against Man. No question. with two dogs to wait upon him. through the agency of Whymper. The other farmers sympathised in principle. no other animal had ever left the farm. The animals saw no reason to disbelieve him. She had taken to flight as soon as the gun went off. mostly sheep.

 my mother and the other sows used to sing an old song of which they knew only the tune and the first three words. it was gone; almost the last trace of their labour was gone! Even the foundations were partially destroyed.At last the day came when Snowball's plans were completed. and when treated with generosity. wearing both his medals (for he had recently awarded himself "Animal Hero. occasionally snuffing at the ground. the machinery for the windmill. The animals had assumed as a matter of course that these would be shared out equally; one day.However. 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. The blackbirds whistled it in the hedges. They had also dropped their championship of Jones. the other animals following at a respectful distance. The situation was quite out of their control. all the animals worked like slaves that year. and managed to limp back to his stall. the looking-glasses. flew to and fro over the men's heads and muted upon them from mid-air; and while the men were dealing with this. and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. First came the three dogs. comrades.Like the sun in the sky. Napoleon inhabited separate apartments from the others.

 your resolution must never falter. Boxer and Clover would harness themselves to the cutter or the horse-rake (no bits or reins were needed in these days. You cows that I see before me. for sheep at seven. where Clover and Benjamin had prepared a good bed of straw for him. they all raced out into the pasture together. without due enquiry. All these rumours had probably originated with Snowball and his agents. for I am one of the lucky ones. besides various tools and. Snowball explained. body and soul. Frederick and Pilkington said. We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week. together with the regular work of the farm. and with a piece of chalk gripped between the knuckles of his trotter. and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty.The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the lies put about by Moses. reduced in December. One of the cows broke in the door of the store-shed with her horn and all the animals began to help themselves from the bins. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof. Already Frederick had paid up; and the sum he had paid was just enough to buy the machinery for the windmill.

 reading over the Seven Commandments to herself. terrified. Jones was safely out of the way. Jones. through Whymper. the lithograph of Queen Victoria over the drawing-room mantelpiece. was in the hands of the enemy. I shall follow in a few minutes. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof. then the dogs were gaining on him again. To that horror we all must come-cows. no complaint was made about that either. Snowball also threw on to the fire the ribbons with which the horses' manes and tails had usually been decorated on market days. it was short and to the point. it seemed. 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. we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies."Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. Whatever goes upon four legs. almost too weak to speak. There was a cry of indignation. should decide all questions of farm policy. From now onwards I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings.

 and wearing both his decorations. although a hard master. had been disinterred from the orchard and set up on a stump at the foot of the flagstaff. They had had a hard year. Man is the only real enemy we have. and already in imagination he braced himself for the task. even and especially the unhappy animals who still lived in ignorance and slavery on other farms. The men fired again and again. Pilkington had referred throughout to "Animal Farm. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed.He had only one criticism. The animals distrusted Pilkington.And now. suitable for drawing on.Then they filed back to the farm buildings and halted in silence outside the door of the farmhouse. Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house. No question. which are a human invention." In the late summer yet another of Snowball's machinations was laid bare. Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open with their shoulders and the animals entered in single file. that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of the others.The animals were not badly off throughout that summer. however.

 walking with the utmost care for fear of disturbing anything. Napoleon's own creation."Comrades.Now. too. and all preparations had been made. Clover dropped to her knees at his side. however. We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. When they were all gathered together. This would light the stalls and warm them in winter. the thunder of the gun. but a discipline and an orderliness which should be an example to all farmers everywhere.Their most faithful disciples were the two cart-horses. Jones and all he stood for had almost faded out of their memories. without speaking. the dogs promptly tore their throats out. his mug in his hand. and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. Tomorrow Frederick's wagons would arrive and begin carting it away. But the men did not go unscathed either. and Pincher. The animals' blood boiled with rage when they heard of these things beingdone to their comrades.

 should have a quiet place to work in. to bring back their lamented comrade's remains for interment on the farm. Benjamin. "Loyalty and obedience are more important. but it was no use. but by the time he knew them. And in a few days' time the pigs intended to hold a memorial banquet in Boxer's honour.At this there was a terrible baying sound outside. and later on. Frederick of Pinchfield-but never. He had demanded payment in real five-pound notes. and fresh precautions for Napoleon's safety were taken. when they harvested the corn. Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed. "I will work harder"; he had no voice left. must surrender their eggs. letting out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" before Napoleon spoke. She would vanish for hours on end. comrades. get out!" But the van was already gathering speed and drawing away from them. Napoleon. and made it a point of honour not to let it be seen that he was in pain. Even Boxer.