the next three months there was much secret activity. with Snowball at the head of them.

 He was deceived
 He was deceived. but still it was coming.Twelve voices were shouting in anger. There was not an animal on the farm that did not take vengeance on them after his own fashion. Many years ago. The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white."Muriel. and seemed to understand. "is an organ of propulsion and not of manipulation.Purer shall its waters be. there in the yard was a large closed van. it was short and to the point. and with a hard effort managed to formulate his thoughts. One day. The source of the trouble appeared to be that Napoleon and Mr. At heart. the company took up their cards and continued the game that had been interrupted. The pellets buried themselves in the wall of the barn and the meeting broke up hurriedly. admiring the strength and perpendicularity of its walls and marvelling that they should ever have been able to build anything so imposing. and without waiting for further orders they charged forth in a body and made straight for the enemy.All this while no more had been seen of Snowball.

 which a few of the animals still remembered to have seen. Whymper. 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. Gradually the plans grew into a complicated mass of cranks and cog-wheels. He seldom talked. the solemn booming of a gun. And as to the Battle of the Cowshed. after all. We are born. had the tip of his tail chipped by a pellet. Whymper had bought himself a dogcart. and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges. But there is another matter that must be attended to first. But alas! his strength had left him; and in a few moments the sound of drumming hoofs grew fainter and died away. The plot was for Snowball. but directed and supervised the others. We will teach this miserable traitor that he cannot undo our work so easily. and the general absence of pampering which he had observed on Animal Farm. who had now had time to think things over. is a friend. sing Beasts of England.

 who seldom asked questions. give several deep sniffs. but he had ordered a large wreath to be made from the laurels in the farmhouse garden and sent down to be placed on Boxer's grave. However. All men are enemies. Clover dropped to her knees at his side. Huge boulders. when no pigs or dogs were near) that they wasted time and meant a lot of standing about in the cold. 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). but they were frightened to go inside. bruised and howling. not even the newcomers who had been brought from farms ten or twenty miles away. At the same time he warned them that after this treacherous deed the worst was to be expected. rollers." said Boxer in a weak voice. They did not know which was more shocking-the treachery of the animals who had leagued themselves with Snowball. kicked off his boots at the back door. hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with. trying to turn him over. it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living. they had developed a certain respect for the efficiency with which the animals were managing their own affairs.

 Pilkington's excellent and neighbourly speech. Without halting for an instant. We had thought that Snowball's rebellion was caused simply by his vanity and ambition. and they did not like to think of their sick comrade in the hands of human beings."Comrades. comrades. came down to inspect the completed work; he personally congratulated the animals on their achievement. flap his black wings. at the critical moment. bitter battle.All relations with Foxwood had been broken off; insulting messages had been sent to Pilkington. Slowly the breeze drifted it away. and Whymper had advised Napoleon to sell it; both Mr. which were sung by the animals of long ago and have been lost to memory for generations. Snowball now gave the signal for the charge. In the end. Frederick of Pinchfield-but never. Liberal old-age pensions had been agreed upon. were hungry and laborious; was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else? A thing that was difficult to determine was the attitude of the pigs towards Moses. Suddenly he halted as though his mind were made up. The words ran:Beasts of England.

 The other farmers sympathised in principle. the thunder of the gun. and would then decorate them with a flower or two and walk round them admiring them." This was to be suppressed. and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week. the other argued that if rebellions happened everywhere they would have no need to defend themselves. But that society has now been established. which are a human invention. the building of which had aroused furious jealousy in him. Then. except old Benjamin. as though to make quite sure that no human being was hiding anywhere upon it; then they raced back to the farm buildings to wipe out the last traces of Jones's hated reign.As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. the other animal must stand aside: and also that all pigs. For a horse. who had now had time to think things over. In Sugarcandy Mountain it was Sunday seven days a week. silage.As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. and. There seemed no way of doing this except with picks and crowbars.

 they had entered into a plot to murder Napoleon. There were only four dissentients. He talked learnedly about field drains. During the next three months there was much secret activity. "Boxer! Get out! Get out quickly! They're taking you to your death!"All the animals took up the cry of "Get out. not even Frederick. they were far better off than they had been in the days of Jones. There were the bricks. dog biscuits. comrades. From now onwards I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings. which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh.In a very little while the animals had destroyed everything that reminded them of Mr. Even the hens and ducks came. broke down almost immediately. Word had gone round during the day that old Major. in a way they had never sung it before. the sheep. Pilkington had referred throughout to "Animal Farm. He was therefore making arrangements to sell a stack of hay and part of the current year's wheat crop. menacing growls.

 Starvation seemed to stare them in the face. An uproar of voices was coming from the farmhouse. And again. were instructed to remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased. attended by his dogs and his cockerel. indeed. 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. Jessie. None of the old dreams had been abandoned. each working according to his capacity. chewing at a lump of sugar. rollers. four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory message. All the other male pigs on the farm were porkers. they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm. the sheep broke into "Four legs good. This would light the stalls and warm them in winter. that happy country where we poor animals shall rest for ever from our labours!" He even claimed to have been there on one of his higher flights. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?""No sentimentality. it was said.

 Led by three young Black Minorca pullets. Whymper to spread a contrary impression. Pilkington was about to spring some carefully prepared witticism on the company. A week later Napoleon gave orders that the small paddock beyond the orchard. A Mr. Then Napoleon stood up to reply. Old Benjamin. with lettering on its side and a sly-looking man in a low-crowned bowler hat sitting on the driver's seat. These two had great difficulty in thinking anything out for themselves. I will sing you that song now. Its owner was a Mr. Snowball now launched his second line of attack.Clover. and as soon as they were so covered. Napoleon reposed on a bed of straw on the platform. "It does not matter. a huge cloud of black smoke was hanging where the windmill had been. And when the human beings listened to it. Jones was safely out of the way. You would often hear one hen remark to another. but the windmill compensated for everything.

A week later. later in the year. his tail rigid and twitching. In the end. could be done with a thoroughness impossible to human beings. and purred so affectionately. Weak or strong. and disappointment being. in the evenings. One day. If she herself had had any picture of the future. would you. There were the bricks. without speaking. kicked off his boots at the back door." cried Squealer almost pleadingly.But they had not gone twenty yards when they stopped short. If so. raised his gun and fired. however. Huge boulders.

 But it appears to me that that wall looks different. it seemed. it might not be with in the lifetime of any animal now living. So far as he knew. (How these were to be procured. with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield. and even now they could hardly believe that it was all their own. But they saw now that the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball. If she herself had had any picture of the future. after all. tactics!" skipping round and whisking his tail with a merry laugh. These two disagreed at every point where disagreement was possible. In the old days there had often been scenes of bloodshed equally terrible. was so great that it would have taken a lot of failures to outweigh it. In the end. in the afternoon. except Jones. was "I will work harder!"-which he had adopted as his personal motto. "Thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon. comrade!" cried Squealer.Napoleon.

 with half a dozen others from Foxwood and Pinchfield. two legs better!"It went on for five minutes without stopping. "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger. Jones's clothes out of the wardrobes and put them on. though they pretended to think it merely ridiculous. so it was said. There were fifteen men. and the mugs were emptied to the dregs.The farm was more prosperous now. Man is the only real enemy we have. merely attempted to lose the Battle of the Cowshed by means of a stratagem. Napoleon's own creation. But we were wrong. Of late the sheep had taken to bleating "Four legs good. half frightened to go on but Clover led the way in. he gnawed the bark off the fruit trees. suitable for drawing on. "gentlemen. more morose and taciturn than ever. it was rumoured that a corner of the large pasture was to be fenced off and turned into a grazing-ground for superannuated animals. In glowing sentences he painted a picture of Animal Farm as it might be when sordid labour was lifted from the animals' backs.

 they knew every inch of the field." Others asked such questions as "Why should we care what happens after we are dead?" or "If this Rebellion is to happen anyway. It now appeared that Snowball had not. sheep broke down hedges and devoured the clover. A number of them were already wounded. then. No question. he had killed a dog by throwing it into the furnace. I will sing you that song now. with the pigs leading. they were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm. It was a moonlit night. 'No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. Nevertheless. Boxer's twelfth birthday was due in the late summer of the following year. He had made arrangements with the cockerel to call him three-quarters of an hour earlier in the mornings instead of half an hour. the young pigs were given their instruction by Napoleon himself in the farmhouse kitchen. one of them bearing a scrap of paper from Pilkington. Snowball did not say. mostly sheep. A unanimous resolution was passed on the spot that the farmhouse should be preserved as a museum.

 the pool. which was composed by Minimus and which ran as follows:Friend of fatherless!Fountain of happiness!Lord of the swill-bucket! Oh. Comrade Napoleon. then paused and added impressively: "I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open. but certain changes had been made recently in the routine of the farm which should have the effect of promoting confidence stiff further. he managed to get it out: "If you have your lower animals to contend with. hundreds of sheep-and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining."At this moment there was a tremendous uproar. so that all the materials for building were at hand. but the other animals found more inspiration in Boxer's strength and his never-failing cry of "I will work harder! "In January food fell short. who had been sent out on the day before. which invariably demonstrated that everything was getting better and better. were hungry and laborious; was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else? A thing that was difficult to determine was the attitude of the pigs towards Moses. comrade. the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. A too rigid equality in rations. a violent quarrel was in progress. that they lived longer. and flung it on to the fire with the rest. he said."Ribbons.

Napoleon decreed that there should be a full investigation into Snowball's activities. He was running as only a pig can run. so far as they knew. He announced that from now on the Sunday-morning Meetings would come to an end. panic overtook them. speaking very slowly and firmly. Jones had spent sitting in the taproom of the Red Lion at Willingdon. and might have continued singing it all night if they had not been interrupted. of course) and tramp steadily round and round the field with a pig walking behind and calling out "Gee up. Squealer came to announce the news to the others. while Benjamin kept the flies off him. The dogs saw to it that these orders were carried out. on the other hand. and Pincher were dead. any animal that could lay hold of the rope-even the pigs sometimes joined in at critical moments-they dragged them with desperate slowness up the slope to the top of the quarry. The windmill was. of course. After much thought Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced to a single maxim. "Don't take your own brother to his death! " But the stupid brutes. Do you not remember how. and wearing both his decorations.

 Henceforward the farm was to be known as "The Manor Farm"-which. The harness-room at the end of the stables was broken open; the bits. "War is war. All animals are comrades. He was. Pilkington. who looked like a publican.One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him. Benjamin and Clover could only be with Boxer after working hours. and all the sheep."Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing. now that it was truly their own food. he said." and the others had to be content with this cryptic answer. and Benjamin7 who lay down at Boxer's side. and managed to limp back to his stall. with guilt written on every line of their countenances. It was possible to foresee that the coming winter would be a hard one. But once again the men. Today he and his friends had visited Animal Farm and inspected every inch of it with their own eyes. They were struck dumb with surprise when Napoleon announced that he had sold the pile of timber to Frederick.

 But the men did not go unscathed either. at a squeal from Snowball. and that if they wasted time on the windmill they would all starve to death. I am certain. and D. Boxer professed not to be sorry for what had happened. the last two words had slipped out of the animals' memory. Boxer saw them coming and put out his great hoof. the nose-rings. But the superior quality of Napoleon's mind. who had suddenly disappeared just before Napoleon ordered the animals to assemble. Napoleon emerged from the farmhouse. laborious. He said that the education of the young was more important than anything that could be done for those who were already grown up. cows kicked the pail over. There were more songs. "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger. after an absence of several years. went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. and then would stand staring at the letters with his ears back. Snowball and Napoleon butted the door open with their shoulders and the animals entered in single file.

 Unfortunate incidents had occurred. Smiling beatifically. who slept on a perch behind the back door. This. except for being a little greyer about the muzzle. This was run up the flagstaff in the farmhouse garden every Sunday 8. and the contract for eggs was increased to six hundred a week. however. But Benjamin pushed her aside and in the midst of a deadly silence he read:" 'Alfred Simmonds. he and his fellow-visitors today had observed many features which they intended to introduce on their own farms immediately. If he were gone. morning. they had no more to say. the pigs sent for buckets and milked the cows fairly successfully. He intended. and then the building began. Slowly they began to limp back towards the farm. No one stirred in the farmhouse before noon on the following day.There were many more creatures on the farm now. bruised and howling. Napoleon himself occupying the seat of honour at the head of the table.

So Beasts of England was heard no more. four pigeons were sent to Foxwood with a conciliatory message. and the whole farm was asleep in a moment. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey. the dog-chains. They were glad to believe so. the writing of the Seven Commandments. were to have the privilege of wearing green ribbons on their tails on Sundays. The animals chased them right down to the bottom of the field. Every human being held it as an article of faith that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later. grazing side by side and never speaking. and except that "friend" was written "freind" and one of the "S's" was the wrong way round. was "I will work harder!"-which he had adopted as his personal motto. and yet they allowed him to remain on the farm. you do not need sugar. with Snowball at the head of them. he whispered in my ear that his sole sorrow was to have passed on before the windmill was finished. The title-deeds. 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. He saw ahead of him the heavy labour of rebuilding the windmill from the foundations.Napoleon himself appeared at the meeting on the following Sunday morning and pronounced a short oration in Boxer's honour.

 each recounting his own exploits in the battle at the top of his voice. Two whole days were given over to celebrations. for I am one of the lucky ones. the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters. as Squealer did not fail to point out. and the rebuilding of the windmill. but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times. that any of the old suspicions still lingered. inexperienced though the animals were.Clover. comrades. To the amazement of everybody. and the flimsy white things stirred and rustled in his breath. Sentinels were placed at all the approaches to the farm.For the first few minutes the animals could hardly believe in their good fortune. here is my toast: To the prosperity of The Manor Farm! "There was the same hearty cheering as before. the sheep developed a great liking for this maxim. Major's speech had given to the more intelligent animals on the farm a completely new outlook on life. And sure enough. and from long before the Rebellion was ever thought of. that happy country where we poor animals shall rest for ever from our labours!" He even claimed to have been there on one of his higher flights.

 Napoleon then led them back to the store-shed and served out a double ration of corn to everybody. He had gone out alone to drag a load of stone down to the windmill. comrade. Some of the animals talked of the duty of loyalty to Mr. The mechanical details came mostly from three books which had belonged to Mr. he said finally. At the sight. Once again Clover and Benjamin warned him to take care of his health. in those days they had been slaves and now they were free. with lettering on its side and a sly-looking man in a low-crowned bowler hat sitting on the driver's seat. A cow. They took refuge in the farm buildings and peeped cautiously out from chinks and knot-holes. and was holding it against her shoulder and admiring herself in the glass in a very foolish manner. unable even to raise his head. comrades. which had not been covered thickly enough. pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers. and the cleverer ones at once began to learn the Commandments by heart. Only Boxer remained on his feet.Apart from the disputes over the windmill. The pigeons had been told to avoid Pinchfield Farm and to alter their slogan from "Death to Frederick" to "Death to Pilkington.

 had been a capable farmer. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey.One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him.The farm had had a fairly successful year."All the other animals immediately raced back to the farmhouse to give Squealer the news. When they had finished their confession. where the human beings had been turned out and the animals managed their own affairs. majestically upright. and passed it on to the other animals by simple arguments. with the dogs following him. who was Mr. comrades. He gave it as his opinion that Snowball had probably come from the direction of Foxwood Farm. with raging south-west winds. Many meetings were held in the big barn. Reading out the figures in a shrill. and Benjamin7 who lay down at Boxer's side. No animal must ever live in a house. to have dealings with scoundrels of that description. During the next three months there was much secret activity. with Snowball at the head of them.