his hoof. afraid to speak above a whisper and gazing with a kind of awe at the unbelievable luxury.

 Jones saw him coming
 Jones saw him coming. All these rumours had probably originated with Snowball and his agents. there was as yet no contact between Animal Farm and the outside world. hardship. hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with. intended to bring against them twenty men all armed with guns. with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield. "a most terrible thing has been discovered. merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem. She was late for work every morning and excused herself by saying that she had overslept. comrades. he said. The dogs had suddenly caught sight of them. the quarrelling and biting and jealousy which had been normal features of life in the old days had almost disappeared.Napoleon stood sternly surveying his audience; then he uttered a high-pitched whimper. comrades.

 said Squealer. he had lost a shoe and split his hoof. which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones. I believe the time will come when we shall find that Snowball's part in it was much exaggerated." said Snowball. wearing an old bowler hat of Mr. They had been credited with attempting to stir up rebellion among the animals on neighbouring farms. how he had rallied and encouraged them at every turn. Even Napoleon. who had been hiding behind the hedge. comrade. chewing at a lump of sugar. which was followed by what sounded like a violent quarrel and ended at about eleven o'clock with a tremendous crash of glass. This arrangement would have worked well enough if it had not been for the disputes between Snowball and Napoleon. It happened that Jessie and Bluebell had both whelped soon after the hay harvest. Nowadays they did not sit all together as they had done in the past.

 comrades. the donkey. later in the year. "We have built the walls far too thick for that.Meanwhile life was hard. Having got there. "good-bye!""Fools! Fools!" shouted Benjamin. he does not lay eggs. filled everyone with admiration. the crowing of the cockerel. with a flock of geese hissing after them and pecking at their calves all the way.The animals crowded round the van. The animals lashed ropes round these. which were to be handed over before the timber was removed. should decide all questions of farm policy. were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons on their tails on Sundays.

 but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times. Only old Benjamin was much the same as ever. he managed to get it out: "If you have your lower animals to contend with.One Sunday morning. the dynamos would be installed. Finally Napoleon raised his trotter for silence and announced that he had already made all the arrangements. more speeches. throughout the short remainder of your lives! And above all. inexperienced though the animals were. Nevertheless. everyone. and of the habit. the hayfield. and set the animals free. He had flogged an old horse to death. it might even be necessary to reduce their rations.

 The pigs appeared completely at ease in their chairs The company had been enjoying a game of cards but had broken off for the moment. and yet they allowed him to remain on the farm. to which all animals went when they died. Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed. And by the time the sheep had quieted down. intended to create a little disorder. suddenly emerged in their rear. while.By the autumn the animals were tired but happy. beside the gun. She was two years past the retiring age. The harvest is more important. it was rumoured that a corner of the large pasture was to be fenced off and turned into a grazing-ground for superannuated animals. the writing of the Seven Commandments. 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. what had happened to the faces of the pigs.

And the fruitful fields of EnglandShall be trod by beasts alone. and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers."At this moment there was a tremendous uproar. Two whole days were given over to celebrations. The stormy weather was followed by sleet and snow. and his great sides matted with sweat. Napoleon snuffed deeply at them and pronounced them to be Snowball's. "Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon. Here. The cows declared unanimously that Snowball crept into their stalls and milked them in their sleep. was happy that the period of misunderstanding was at an end. Electricity. Boxer would even come out at nights and work for an hour or two on his own by the light of the harvest moon. and they went outside."What victory. With some difficulty (for it is not easy for a pig to balance himself on a ladder) Snowball climbed up and set to work.

 merely set back their ears and quickened their pace. now and in the past. as Squealer did not fail to point out. Moses said. Terror of Mankind."Comrades!" he cried. All of them came to look at Snowball's drawings at least once a day. C. comrades. The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer came on and conditions were easier. and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it. Even so. On it was pencilled the words: "Serves you right. in spite of the hardness of their work. or even upon their human employees. he said.

 he upset the milk-pails. kicked. remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. The work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon the pigs. and made it a point of honour not to let it be seen that he was in pain. he said. thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion."No more delays.It was just after the sheep had returned." concluded Napoleon. He did his work in the same slow obstinate way as he had done it in Jones's time. hot and cold water.However. Snowball suddenly turned and fled. Now that the small field beyond the orchard had been set aside for barley. and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such place.

Never through me shalt thou come to harm!and this was sung every Sunday morning after the hoisting of the flag. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. comrades: Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come. They were executed immediately. As usual. The advantage of only having to feed themselves. No creature among them went upon two legs. congratulating them on their conduct. The animals had never heard of anything of this kind before (for the farm was an old-fashioned one and had only the most primitive machinery). One night at about twelve o'clock there was a loud crash in the yard. This farm which he had the honour to control. The two with the hammer and the crowbar were drilling a hole near the base of the windmill. And every animal down to the humblest worked at turning the hay and gathering it. The dogs flanked the procession and at the head of all marched Napoleon's black cockerel. The pellets under the skin of Boxer's leg smarted painfully. "We all saw him running with blood.

 No question. When Mr. none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill. so that future generations shall carry on the struggle until it is victorious. it is a deep and heavy responsibility. then. he said-and. comrades? You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties? Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?"The animals reassured him on this point immediately. for I am one of the lucky ones. but the dogs were close on his heels.All this while no more had been seen of Snowball. She appeared to be enjoying herself. comrades. and all preparations had been made. rapid voice. that on such a farm a spirit of licence and indiscipline would prevail.

 the last two words had slipped out of the animals' memory. H. It would be a plain green flag from now onwards. and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever. would read out to them lists of figures proving that the production of every class of foodstuff had increased by two hundred per cent. The animals slain in the battle were given a solemn funeral.' immediately afterwards?""That was our mistake. A number of them were already wounded. "Are you certain that this is not something that you have dreamed. and when he did. This was a wickedness far outdoing Snowball's destruction of the windmill. then the debates must stop. even for an instant. the cows. Napoleon had commanded that once a week there should be held something called a Spontaneous Demonstration."I do not believe that Snowball was a traitor at the beginning.

 beginning to prance about and paw the ground. when the green fields of England should be untrodden by human feet. every setback. 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. Jones got back he immediately went to sleep on the drawing-room sofa with the News of the World over his face. his breath coming fast. trampled on. Without halting for an instant. the chance to utter any protest had passed. who looked like a publican. and our enemies would be upon us. The van had previously been the property of the knacker. There was a good quarry of limestone on the farm. and the animals were underfed. After about a quarter of an hour Squealer appeared.November came.

 Instead-she did not know why-they had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind. I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall. he trampled the seedbeds. None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant. Even Napoleon. With his books held open by a stone. his sides matted with sweat. he might expect to live another three years. who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air. some of the animals remembered-or thought they remembered-that the Sixth Commandment decreed "No animal shall kill any other animal. It had spread with astonishing speed. then the sheep. though no one would have dared to sing it aloud. Squealer was so fat that he could with difficulty see out of his eyes." announced Squealer. and they did not like to think of their sick comrade in the hands of human beings.

 except Napoleon. it had been of a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip. too. At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches. were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons on their tails on Sundays. Some progress was made in the dry frosty weather that followed." he said. in the late afternoon.At the beginning. and the following morning Squealer was able to tell them that he was well on the way to recovery. the day might yet be won. and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess. So that. Its owner.In the middle of the summer Moses the raven suddenly reappeared on the farm. just on the other side of that dark cloud that you can see-there it lies.

 The harvest is more important. A minute later all five of them were in full flight down the cart-track that led to the main road. comrades. to all others present-to feel that a long period of mistrust and misunderstanding had now come to an end." which was conferred posthumously on the dead sheep. After the hoisting of the flag all the animals trooped into the big barn for a general assembly which was known as the Meeting. For a long i. the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected.There was a deadly silence. to make of Mr. Clover took her aside. The pellets scored bloody streaks along Snowball's back. two legs better!"It went on for five minutes without stopping. and already in imagination he braced himself for the task. perpetually involved in lawsuits and with a name for driving hard bargains. Napoleon had really been in secret agreement with Frederick.

 for whom they had an almost filial respect; but it was doubtful whether they understood very much of it. Whoever had thoroughly grasped it would be safe from human influences. every one of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year. or has wings. the words of the song also came back-words. As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon. and in fact were putting on weight if anything. various unforeseen shortages began to make them selves felt. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed. such as the sheep. not even human life. comrades. Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill. whereat Boxer lifted his hoof. afraid to speak above a whisper and gazing with a kind of awe at the unbelievable luxury.