spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs. And again. Yes.

 Without any further prompting they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion
 Without any further prompting they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion. who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws. We will build six windmills if we feel like it. Having got there. Jones. and let fly a charge of number 6 shot into the darkness. At the Meeting on the following Sunday the question of whether or not to begin work on the windmill was to be put to the vote. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days. Squealer explained. filed into the barn. and walked out without uttering a word. and the deep love he bore to all animals everywhere. throwing down the paint-brush. as though nothing had happened. The creatures outside looked from pig to man. which had been troublesome that winter.

 comrade!" or "Whoa back. hundreds of sheep-and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining.By the evening. Almost immediately the footprints of a pig were discovered in the grass at a little distance from the knoll. Squealer said. Boxer and Clover pulled the wagon which served as a hearse. Boxer would even come out at nights and work for an hour or two on his own by the light of the harvest moon. A few minutes later two pigeons came racing in with the news: "Boxer has fallen! He is lying on his side and can't get up!"About half the animals on the farm rushed out to the knoll where the windmill stood. and he had already bribed the magistrates and police." said Boxer sorrowfully. Besides." she said to him. How these were to be procured. For myself I do not grumble. and a whole flock of geese and hens-everyone. "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed.

 and when they came back in the evening it was noticed that the milk had disappeared. the horsehair sofa. After this they went back to the farm buildings. 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.In the long pasture. The seasons came and went. though she lacked the words to express them. At this Snowball sprang to his feet. In addition. Courage. more processions. Starvation seemed to stare them in the face." said Boxer. Instead-she did not know why-they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind. scrap-iron. although her appetite was excellent.

 The other animals understood how to vote. It was Clover. was not good at getting up in the mornings. "Don't take your own brother to his death! " But the stupid brutes. But once again the men. by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram. Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simultaneously."Boxer!" cried Clover in a terrible voice. too. the anniversary of the Battle of the Cowshed." he said quietly. and already in imagination he braced himself for the task. One afternoon in late February a warm. however. with Squealer and another pig named Minimus. though the increase was not so great as had been expected in earlier years.

 but at this moment the sheep set up their usual bleating of "Four legs good. and when Benjamin. Forward. what difference does it make whether we work for it or not?". with the pigs leading. Comrades.The animals were thoroughly frightened. and an electric milking machine. Electricity. There was more leisure too.Curiously enough. but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work of the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders. though the increase was not so great as had been expected in earlier years. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance. they had no reason for thinking that it would be within their own lifetime. then the sheep who had been killed was given a solemn funeral.

 Squealer. "Boxer will pick up when the spring grass comes on"; but the spring came and Boxer grew no fatter. saying that he would make himself responsible for their education. and then all together. in the barn. Besides. Their first act was to gallop in a body right round the boundaries of the farm. of bad luck and of Snowball's treachery.For the first few minutes the animals could hardly believe in their good fortune. No animal shall sleep in a bed. and as soon as they were so covered. She had taken a piece of blue ribbon from Mrs. should have a quiet place to work in. they had the entire song by heart within a few minutes. and the talk turned always towards the old heroic days. who stood on two legs.

 For the time being. huddling together. who was elected unanimously. and not having to support five extravagant human beings as well. It was the first time that they had ever seen Benjamin excited-indeed. and teach them the tune of Beasts of England.BY THE late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the county. The young pigs were piebald."Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. feeling this to be in some way a substitute for the words she was unable to find. The dogs saw to it that these orders were carried out. They kept close to Napoleon. The wounds on Snowball's back."Never mind the milk. the short animal lives fled by. to the number of thirty-five.

 So it was agreed without further argument that the milk and the windfall apples (and also the main crop of apples when they ripened) should be reserved for the pigs alone. you do not need sugar. In a moment the dogs came bounding back. that they accepted his explanation without further questions. with all the brainwork we have to do nowadays. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. two legs better!"It went on for five minutes without stopping. They added that Snowball had privately admitted to them that he had been Jones's secret agent for years past. Snowball now launched his second line of attack. Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours. Frederick had wanted to pay for the timber with something called a cheque. He does not give milk." repeated Boxer. The building of the windmill. Napoleon took them away from their mothers. None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant.

 so that all the materials for building were at hand. and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such place. This work was strictly voluntary. and leather leggings. who was a dangerous character and a bad influence. Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight. Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open with their shoulders and the animals entered in single file. then the sheep. as usual. Moses the raven.There were many more creatures on the farm now. as the animals had previously imagined. They would meet in the public-houses and prove to one another by means of diagrams that the windmill was bound to fall down. and sharply ordered Boxer to let the dog go. Sometimes on the slope leading to the top of the quarry. and the Manor Farm was theirs.

 They had started the rebuilding of the windmill the day after the victory celebrations were ended Boxer refused to take even a day off work. All the animals followed. She neighed again. In the morning the animals came out of their stalls to find that the flagstaff had been blown down and an elm tree at the foot of the orchard had been plucked up like a radish. his first squeak should be"Comrade Napoleon!"Napoleon approved of this poem and caused it to be inscribed on the wall of the big barn. If they had no more food than they had had in Jones's day.However. who had not yet painted the old name out. on the other hand. perfect comradeship in the struggle. Fill your glasses to the brim. and many animals followed him? And do you not remember. simply as a manoeuvre to get rid of Snowball. C. but it was noticed he cast a very ugly look at Boxer with his little twinkling eyes. which had become overgrown with birch saplings.

 and the next moment she took to her heels and galloped away into the field. But at this moment the four pigeons. there was a small knoll which was the highest point on the farm. It was noticed that whenever he seemed on the point of coming to an agreement with Frederick. had locked the hen-houses for the night. except Clover. Hitherto the animals on the farm had had a rather foolish custom of addressing one another as "Comrade. whisking his tail and skipping from side to side. is the answer to all our problems. frightened them almost out of their wits. I hope. and the mugs were being refilled with beer. To see him toiling up the slope inch by inch. Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight. They were still the only farm in the whole county-in all England!-owned and operated by animals. Comrades.

 She took a place near the front and began flirting her white mane. it seemed to them that some strange thing was happening. could read somewhat better than the dogs. was able to put the whole matter in its proper perspective. cutting them off. and a special gift of an apple was bestowed on every animal. and after the sale of part of the hay and corn. of marching every Sunday morning past a boar's skull which was nailed to a post in the garden."Never mind the milk. but directed and supervised the others. a grocer's van driving up to the farm once a week to take them away. our dung fertilises it.By the autumn the animals were tired but happy. Then. they had no more to say. which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better.

 Unfortunate incidents had occurred.Napoleon took no interest in Snowball's committees."Where is Mollie?" exclaimed somebody. The cows lowed it. Jones. No animal must ever kill any other animal. filed into the barn. with a few inches to spare. and the ducklings nestled down inside it and promptly fell asleep. Sure enough. and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living. it was named the Battle of the Cowshed. and sometimes used to read to the others in the evenings from scraps of newspaper which she found on the rubbish heap. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions. his mug in his hand. some of the animals remembered-or thought they remembered-that the Sixth Commandment decreed "No animal shall kill any other animal.

 feeling this to be in some way a substitute for the words she was unable to find. in those days they had been slaves and now they were free. comrades. what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable. Not even a rat had been killed.Like all of Napoleon's speeches. comrades. had all been prepared. This was what came of rebelling against the laws of Nature. it was the biggest harvest that the farm had ever seen. "I will give you the same toast as before. for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you. H. When they were all gathered together. but they were weary and bleeding. It was not for this that they had built the windmill and faced the bullets of Jones's gun.

 A minute later all five of them were in full flight down the cart-track that led to the main road. and the whole farm was asleep in a moment. The attempt to tame the wild creatures. none of which could be produced on the farm. but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain. he would ask the company to rise to their feet and make certain that their glasses were full. They saw that they were in danger of being surrounded."Now. then the sails would have to be made and after that there would be need for dynamos and cables. there were a few words that he felt it incumbent upon him to say. he gnawed the bark off the fruit trees. and promptly sat down again; he had spoken for barely thirty seconds. which had been troublesome that winter. out from the door of the farmhouse came a long file of pigs. The horses carried it off in cart-loads. comrades.

The very next morning the attack came. been present during Boxer's last hours. "Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity. as a human being. the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected. It now appeared that Snowball was not.Hearken well and spread my tidingsOf the golden future time. the goat. Frederick was the more anxious to get hold of it. pass on this message of mine to those who come after you. But the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer. Snowball was declared to be in hiding at Foxwood.In the middle of the summer Moses the raven suddenly reappeared on the farm. in spite of everything-in spite of their terror of the dogs. And again. Yes.