that I shall be with you for many months longer.

he said
he said. and they protested that to take the eggs away now was murder. Willingdon. It was Clover. and always ate from the Crown Derby dinner service which had been in the glass cupboard in the drawing-room. he said. If Pilkington and his men would help them. A terrible sight had met their eyes."And he moved off at his lumbering trot and made for the quarry. "Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity. trying to turn him over. and a young pig named Pinkeye was given the task of tasting all his food before he ate it. There was also "Animal Hero. A gander who had been privy to the plot had confessed his guilt to Squealer and immediately committed suicide by swallowing deadly nightshade berries. inspired by Snowball. ploughs.

It was announced that the battle would be called the Battle of the Windmill. so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. Every day Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with the animals on neighbouring farms. stiff in the joints and with a tendency to rheumy eyes. The animals knew that this was not the case. letting out a loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" before Napoleon spoke. comrade. you do not need sugar. he said-and. but for a moment he was too overcome by amusement to be able to utter it. the improvement was enormous. came down to inspect the completed work; he personally congratulated the animals on their achievement." said one of the hens.All the men were gone except one. It was situated somewhere up in the sky. when the corn was cut and stacked and some of it was already threshed.

Snowball suddenly turned and fled.Comrade Napoleon!Thou are the giver ofAll that thy creatures love. In nothing that he said or did was there any sign that his strength was not what it had been. would be suppressed. I cannot describe that dream to you. he upset the milk-pails. with the dogs following him. Boxer was the admiration of everybody. the dogs whined it. the animals broke off work and raced back to the farm buildings. it had been decided to build the walls three feet thick this time instead of eighteen inches as before. and both she and Benjamin urged Boxer to work less hard. The animals were happy as they had never conceived it possible to be." concluded Napoleon. It was well seasoned. had already recovered and made off.

Benjamin could read as well as any pig. came in together. But just at this moment Napoleon stood up and. they studied blacksmithing. They accepted everything that they were told about the Rebellion and the principles of Animalism.All relations with Foxwood had been broken off; insulting messages had been sent to Pilkington.Then they filed back to the farm buildings and halted in silence outside the door of the farmhouse. above all. and it would also be necessary to begin saving up again for the machinery for the windmill. and when Benjamin. TWO LEGS BAD. but Squealer spoke so persuasively. were now almost friendly."Comrades. and had taken out subscriptions to John Bull. He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it.

and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. Clover." said somebody. with the animals pursuing them in triumph. and there were some violent debates." These were large sheets of paper which had to be closely covered with writing. "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger. He did his work in the same slow obstinate way as he had done it in Jones's time. indeed.Napoleon himself appeared at the meeting on the following Sunday morning and pronounced a short oration in Boxer's honour. He was closeted there for hours at a time. The other farm. It was used for milling corn. They could not remember. Napoleon appeared to be somewhat better. it was short and to the point.

and then the pigs. the order went forth that all the windfalls were to be collected and brought to the harness-room for the use of the pigs. It was a clear spring evening. when the terror caused by the executions had died down. with two ounces of corn for each bird and three biscuits for each dog.Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown. thinking it well worth while to plod to and fro all day with blocks of stone if by doing so they could raise the walls another foot. And Squealer. It was as though the world had turned upside-down.At last." but there were two words that they had forgotten. which was guarded at each door by fierce-looking dogs. at least they worked for themselves. Protector of the Sheep-fold. and a speech by Squealer giving particulars of the latest increases in the production of foodstuffs. were all flung down the well.

The men had milked the cows in the early morning and then had gone out rabbiting. things had been better or worse than now. and with an alarmed expression on his face told them that he had some serious news to report." And though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs." he said quietly. when I was a little pig. his voice was hoarse. Moreover. and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly. And you. Frederick of Pinchfield-but never. was a piece of paper with a promise to pay written upon it. She knew that. to represent the green fields of England. It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism."Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing.

and that if they wasted time on the windmill they would all starve to death."Boxer!" she cried. Napoleon.Unfortunately. he said. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon. He gave his orders quickly. Jones went into Willingdon and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not come back till midday on Sunday. 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. or thought they remembered. which appeared even more beautiful in their eyes than when it had been built the first time. approached them with the air of having something important to say. He looked round. All animals are comrades. comrades. Later there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures.

a solicitor in a very small way of business. Though not yet full-grown. They added that Snowball had privately admitted to them that he had been Jones's secret agent for years past. And for a little while they halted in sorrowful silence at the place where the windmill had once stood. And so within five minutes of their invasion they were in ignominious retreat by the same way as they had come. and they opened fire as soon as they got within fifty yards.All must toil for freedom's sake. and achieved a canter. It had not been possible. producing thirty-one young pigs between them. "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. they laboured in the fields; in winter they were troubled by the cold. In future all questions relating to the working of the farm would be settled by a special committee of pigs. was "I will work harder!"-which he had adopted as his personal motto. in the cow-shed. too.

That night there was the sound of uproarious singing. And when the nine dogs of Napoleon's own bodyguard. He stole the corn. rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar. Weak or strong. Starvation seemed to stare them in the face. besides instituting classes in reading and writing. and that Napoleon had created a new decoration. were also said to be in league with Snowball. though their decisions had to be ratified by a majority vote. but Clover. and after breakfast there was a ceremony which was observed every week without fail. Napoleon was now a mature boar of twenty-four stone." announced Squealer. and the word went round that from somewhere or other the pigs had acquired the money to buy themselves another case of whisky. The other animals understood how to vote.

they slept on straw." said Snowball. He sets them to work. merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open with their shoulders and the animals entered in single file. And very comfortable beds they are too! But not more comfortable than we need. it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living. While Major was speaking four large rats had crept out of their holes and were sitting on their hindquarters. the words of the song also came back-words. 'Animal Hero. He said very quietly that the windmill was nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it. had stood up. certainly. They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms. stiff in the joints and with a tendency to rheumy eyes.

casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball. With the worthless parasitical human beings gone. and lanterns in the stalls were forbidden to save Oil. they had little time for speculating on such things now. by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram. and it was known that there was a supply of cartridges in the farmhouse. the remaining animals. At this moment the man on the box whipped up his horses and the van moved out of the yard at a smart trot. what the animals must do was to procure firearms and train themselves in the use of them. And we had worked on it for two years!""What matter? We will build another windmill. And so the tale of confessions and executions went on. the crowing of the cockerel.All through that summer the work of the farm went like clockwork. said Napoleon. and there were some violent debates. comrades.

cutting them off. "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right. a sign in him of intense mental activity. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance. voiced the general feeling by saying: "If Comrade Napoleon says it. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them. A special committee of pigs had been at work upon them for the past three weeks. he broke the eggs. They continued to behave very much as before.Full belly twice a day. Jones too was dead-he had died in an inebriates' home in another part of the country.He had only one criticism. On several occasions. should decide all questions of farm policy. he said. contained the essential principle of Animalism.

Boxer professed not to be sorry for what had happened. A special committee of pigs had been at work upon them for the past three weeks. If he made a good recovery. any clash of interests whatever.Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown. Major continued:"I have little more to say. to have dealings with scoundrels of that description. "Up there. sheep. Napoleon was a large. the processions. The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious. comrades!"But Benjamin was watching the movements of the men intently. who stood on two legs. One afternoon in late February a warm.Early in October.

he amused himself in the evenings by making cocks fight with splinters of razor-blade tied to their spurs. Once again it was being put about that all the animals were dying of famine and disease. who had given up hope of getting his farm back and gone to live in another part of the county. Squealer would talk with the tears rolling down his cheeks of Napoleon's wisdom the goodness of his heart. covering more than half the floor. All animals should go naked. comrades?" exclaimed Squealer. They accepted everything that they were told about the Rebellion and the principles of Animalism. I had known that tune in my infancy. I have something else to say first. but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half. They saw that they were in danger of being surrounded. No one noticed the wondering faces of the animals that gazed in at the window. she tugged gently at his mane and led him round to the end of the big barn. except Clover. their trotters being well adapted to this task.

or in the evening after work was over. he was with difficulty got on to his feet.""Our Leader." she said finally. and would also run a circular saw. they secretly trembled.A FEW days later. Indeed. but could not put words together. said Squealer. drive out the humans. how my soul is onFire when I gaze at thyCalm and commanding eye. pass on this message of mine to those who come after you. carpentering. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. that I shall be with you for many months longer.